Falchion with the Passau wolf.

[Jim McDougall]

Looks to be Spanish colonial, probably South American latter 19th century quite possible. The markings have nothing to do with the Passau wolf, a most interesting topic and subject of a lot of discussion. The wolf had all but vanished by the 18th century, where it was last used by Samuel Harvey in England. The Hounslow and Shotley Bridge makers had used it in England in the 17th century in defiance of the guilds in Solingen, where its use finally ceased.

Never seen one with the hook at the forte, but the blade profile seems in line with machete blades of the times, and the hilt following the traditional espada ancha form with perpandicular stylized shellguard.

[M ELEY]

I concur with Jim on this interesting sword. The downward-facing quillon is a typical feature of espada from 1850's onwards. I wonder what that hook was for? To cut the reins of a horse? Ahhh...the mind does wonder. Given that it's 19th c, would it be classified more as a cutlass vs a falchion?

[Jim McDougall]

Thanks Mark! Really unusual feature on the root of this blade, and would be interesting to find some comparable example somewhere. The highly stylized markings present some interesting potential too. The falchion term is of course antiquated, and this seems to fall more into the machete category, though cutlass is as we know often in place as well. It seems through the years I have often seen espada anchas described as 'old Spanish cutlass'.

All the best,
Jim

[Dmitry]

I will expand the title of this thread, since the editing function is not available.
European falchion mounted with a glaive guisarme/fauchard-like blade with a zoomorphic proto-wolf marking.

[fernando]

No better results if you invert the markings ?
The M would easily become a W and the , W + Co would mean , W & Company ?
... and the zoomorphic guy would incidently have wheels .

.

[A Senefelder]

I wonder what that hook was for? To cut the reins of a horse?

It struck me as being for the user to loop the index finder around for tighter control of the swing if desired. It doesn't appear to be sharpened on its inside edge, the edge looks fairly thick.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Dmitry

I will expand the title of this thread, since the editing function is not available.
European falchion mounted with a glaive guisarme/fauchard-like blade with a zoomorphic proto-wolf marking.

Now that is a fantastic title!!! eloquently and actually very artistically described. Speaking of artists, and looking at these markings, I have tried to look at the 'zoomorphic ' image from every angle and while the elements used in the so called 'Passau wolf' are actually there....they are not arranged in a form recognizable as a wolf.......and I got to thinking......Picasso was Spanish wasn't he? While all I can see is amoeba like visually.......maybe I am looking at it upside down. Perhaps the four lines atop the large image are to represent legs, although all in one location rather than symmetrically placed.

Even Oakeshott noted that these running wolf or animal figures were often indiscernable, and many of the forms are truly very much like modern art, ultra stylized...but none I have seen resemble this arrangement. There is no doubt these markings were deliberate, and interpretations of some kind...even the plus signs or 'x' s are familiar from many blade markings. It seems in one of the kaskara articles it was noted that a Sudanese chief looking at a running wolf marking on a blade thought it was a hippopotamus!!

The analogy noting the glaive/fauchard/ guisarme is well placed also, and it is well known that these polearm blades were indeed sometimes used mounted as swords in certain instances.
For some reason it seems I have seen this kind of unusual blade root profile on Spanish edged weapons from the Philippines, but not necessarily this hook shape.

[Dmitry]

I've spent a good two hours yesterday, going through my books, because I'm positive I have seen this "wolf" and a similar scribbled inscription somewhere before. A likeness of this guisarme-bladed sword, or as the Italians call it, a gisarma, is pictured in Boccia's book.
The little spike at the base of the blade is an often seen implement on this type of blade. Many, if not most surviving examples also have a spike at the back of the blade. Peasant weapons, like this one, being utilitarian tool, don't seem to have fared as well as their more decorated, better-made cousins.
Jim, I'm pretty sure this is not a Spanish Colonial sword, although the blade may be earlier than the hilt. The hilt, including the horn grip was covered in clear lacquer, as was customary with collectors and museums in the past. I think I might want to remove that.
I'll keep looking.

Originally Posted by fernando

No better results if you invert the markings ?
The M would easily become a W and the , W + Co would mean , W & Company ?

The other possibility is that this is actually a prescription written by a doctor.

Any pharmacists here. Because only a pharmacist might decipher it.

[RSWORD]

Just to toss in another possibility on this sword, especially given the odd protrusion at the hilt/blade connection, is that this is a sword from Aceh with strong Dutch influences. The overall shape of the blade with the protrusion, which can be found on a number of swords and daggers from the Archipelego region, feels very Sumatran/Indonesian and the horn hilt with lacquer finish, which again many hilts from this region would have a nice varnish, and then showing strong European/Dutch influences in the hilt guard. Sumatra was a strong trading center and you find many cross cultural pieces there. Have a very close look at the blade in good sunlight and see if you can notice any patterning in the blade as I would expect a blade from this region to be of good pattern welding. The markings on the blade could be imitation of markings found on other blades or have some other meaning as they seem to have been made post blade manufacture.