French Diplomatic or Court sword?

[Jean B.]

Originally Posted by celtan

More info, a friend of mine, by the name of Jose Torres, pointed me to a sword maker in Solingen by the name Clemens Bogel.

After some web search, there seems to have been a couple brothers, Johann and Clemens Bögel. who used the cartouche IGB (Iohan et Clemens Bogel) at the Solingen sword factory.

I still don't know the nature of this epee. Officer, Diplomat, Court?

The hollow pyramidal blade gives it a woozy sense of lightness, quite handy!

Best

M

Thanks Manolo. Could be Bogel indeed.
When Solingen, part of the Duchy of Berg, was under French control, the rights of the armourers guild, which authorised the entry in the business, was cancelled. The consequence is that there were no further entries in the records book of the swordmakers guild during this period. Some updated were done as late as the 1820s (cf. Erika Shlessinger monumental work about Solingen markings). Some existing markings were never entered in the records.

About the epée itself: it is difficult to address the question who was carrying it. This pattern is not regulation and is privately purchased. It could be an officer (town dress) or more likely a civil official like the Commissaires in charge of the logistic, quartering of officers, payroll etc.

JB