A group of 3 swords won on eBay

Jim McDougall · 13th November 2006, 05:50 AM

Hi Katana,
Nice to get the kaskara and the quite possibly associated British sabre!
The photos are pretty unclear, but the sabre appears to be a M1822 Royal Artillery officers, if the pommel is stepped (if it is checkered, then it is the M1822 light cavalry). As you have indicated, Henry Wilkinson was located at Pall Mall in London. I believe his partner John Latham continued using the name even after Henry's death in 1861.
Wilkinson was actually originally making guns primarily until his fullered blades replaced the pipe back by 1849, when he began sword production. The firm did not begin numbering blades until 1853, and I am not certain that even then, all were numbered.
As also noted, the straight blade began about 1870's, and this pattern was used until replaced by heavy cavalry pattern in 1896, though actually the use continued beyond that.
Interestingly, a good source on the Sudanese campaigns was published in 1976 by a descendant , Robert Wilkinson-Latham (Osprey #59, "The Sudan Campaigns 1881-98").
The most famed event of these campaigns was the charge of the 21st Lancers at Omdurman Sept. 2, 1898, though the Ansar forces of the Khalifa Abdullah al Taashi were not defeated entirely for another year.

It seems presumable that these swords, at least most likely the kaskara, may have been in use during the Mahdist period. If not mistaken, usually the script on these kaskaras is 'thuluth', typically undecipherable motif, thus a date would not be likely. This is typically acid etched script.

Whatever the case, the swords are excellent representative pieces that typify the swords used during this period.

Best regards,
Jim

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13th November 2006, 05:50 AM	#7
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,292	Hi Katana, Nice to get the kaskara and the quite possibly associated British sabre! The photos are pretty unclear, but the sabre appears to be a M1822 Royal Artillery officers, if the pommel is stepped (if it is checkered, then it is the M1822 light cavalry). As you have indicated, Henry Wilkinson was located at Pall Mall in London. I believe his partner John Latham continued using the name even after Henry's death in 1861. Wilkinson was actually originally making guns primarily until his fullered blades replaced the pipe back by 1849, when he began sword production. The firm did not begin numbering blades until 1853, and I am not certain that even then, all were numbered. As also noted, the straight blade began about 1870's, and this pattern was used until replaced by heavy cavalry pattern in 1896, though actually the use continued beyond that. Interestingly, a good source on the Sudanese campaigns was published in 1976 by a descendant , Robert Wilkinson-Latham (Osprey #59, "The Sudan Campaigns 1881-98"). The most famed event of these campaigns was the charge of the 21st Lancers at Omdurman Sept. 2, 1898, though the Ansar forces of the Khalifa Abdullah al Taashi were not defeated entirely for another year. It seems presumable that these swords, at least most likely the kaskara, may have been in use during the Mahdist period. If not mistaken, usually the script on these kaskaras is 'thuluth', typically undecipherable motif, thus a date would not be likely. This is typically acid etched script. Whatever the case, the swords are excellent representative pieces that typify the swords used during this period. Best regards, Jim