American Eagle Head Sabre

Norman McCormick · 8th November 2012, 07:58 PM

Hi Glen,
First of all many thanks for your time and effort in attempting to educate a poor Brit on the knotty subject of American Eagles. I have gone over the sword from top to bottom with the proverbial 'fine tooth comb' but cannot find any mark or sign that would provide a clue as to origins. I like the idea that it might be of English manufacture. You mention the spiral bone grip and I must say I've spent a few hours on the net looking at 'Eagle Heads' and have not found one with the same pattern spiralling. It would be nice to pin down a date as it would enable me to speculate in which conflicts it may have participated in but I can see from your posts that this is much easier said than done. I look forward to your other examples of 'floating heads'. Thanks again.
My Regards,
Norman.

P.S. The second example you show has a very similar blade profile and angle of hilt to blade as mine, I don't know whether this is of consequence or not.

Hotspur · 9th November 2012, 04:08 AM

Hi Norman

Something else you may have to consider if your sword was sold on your side of the pond would be; "What is an American sword of that period doing abroad?" One chapter of Mowbray's eagle book begins with an example of a sword specifically made for a Scotsman. Perhaps you can fill in some blanks yourself on how you came to own the sword and where it had come from.

In America, other warring aside from the war of 1812 and up to the American Civil war would be notably the Seminole wars and the Mexican War. Throughout the interbellum periods were standing militia, as was also true in the UK.

Swords were made up of many standard parts, some fancier than others. Often times there would have been a basic catalog of options, as well as "floor models" to choose from. I have already alluded to that the large head floating pommels are less common post 1812 but showed you an example while mentioning I have more in my own bank of images. You now bring up the spiral grip as uncommon and I agree but could list a few in my own files. MOst of this general time period and in a romp through one of my misc folders have a good match to your own sword. What does that mean in terms of scarcity? Not much. When you find a couple, chances are that if persistent they seem to come out of the woodwork.

I mention in another post that eagles are a passion. That I have some 6,300 eagle sword image files in 41 folders must mean something. Divide roughly by whatever and that would still be many more than six hundred swords I am in the process of categorizing. Consider my prime focus of the eagle pommels to be those up to the war of 1812 and of three basic forms (Bolton, Osborn, Ketland), I will never have half the answers to a good many questions. Narrowing to a couple of decades should be an achievement and as you had already considered the 1830s, I think you may not have just been guessing.

The langets might also point to Solingen as opposed to England but again, the blade decoration too Birmingham blue&gilt to disregard. The example I showed above has noo langets and a good many British made swords for the American market had no langets. That trait also prevelant in American manufacture. On that note, I seriously doubt it is American cutlered and eveb the Spies marked blades decorated and marked at that time in England, as that is how they were ordered.

Along with your spiral big head, I'll also scare up an British made Ames imitator with a spiral grip. So close an imitator of the Ames swords that I was fooled in the beginning myself. That conflict worth a whole thread by itself someday but brought up here in the past. Why do I know that one British and not American Ames? More study and observation to be related someday.
This one most assuredly the mid to late 1830s.

Oh, ok, I lied. Here is one I am pretty sure was an Ames eagle casting but on a Mexican sword (Ames did collaborate with Mexico before the war.

Cheers

GC

M ELEY · 9th November 2012, 05:53 AM

Awesome pics and an excellent thread! Full of great information and pics on these type swords. I like the one with the Span colonial 6-sided broadsword blade. It's truly amazing just how many variations in the fittings and blades there are. Hope this thread continues to grow-

Hotspur · 9th November 2012, 09:16 AM

Well, I think I would digress a far distance from the original ID part of this but let's just say it the evolution for the American market really started after the revolution and the Great Seal was being broadly published. Since that form was not finalized until late 1782, it is then really not until the 1790s that we start to see both larger birds and eagle blade decoration starting to appear.

Ironically, the bald eagle is not even well represented in the first Great Seal portraits with more and more created eagles appearing on the horizon.

Ketland was an arms broker as much as a manufacturer and the swords were not even made in his shops. Guns were his stock in trade on that end of the equation. Birmingham had many shops churning out parts for the swords before the war of 1812 and even during that conflict, swords were still getting through to America from England. Manifested as barrels and trunks of canes and umbrellas, ports on the eastern seaboard of America received throughout the war.

To complicate the large and small Ketland profile even further is when we see Berger from the Alsace and his Paris shop making smal head versions of the British castings. Bigger is better, so the larger crested eagles that are quite close in profile to the original form start appearing. Some directly from the continent and ala Salter S&K as agents, there is a fair amount of swapping going on.

I am not prepared to upload a lot more pictures in this thread, as I am on dial up but also that we will digress further. The Medicus collection book and Mowbray eagle book, along with Peter Tuite's naval book and the Hartzler Lattimer collection will show as much variety as any might then further explore. I can point the way and disagree at times but have no book of my own to offer at this time.

Here is an anomalous Berger pretty baby and an original Ketland type for comparison. Was it Starr shown in Medicus that also had a Ketland form? I forget. These are a good bit smaller than the later crested birds.

Cheers

GC

Norman McCormick · 10th November 2012, 05:45 PM

Hi Glen,
I did a swop for this sword but it was purchased at an auction in England in a lot with a 'cutlass thought to be American'. The buyer wanted the cutlass but not the eagle head and I had something he wanted so we exchanged. I'm afraid that is the only info re provenance I have.
I came across another couple of conflicts which would fit inside the time frame 1830's/40's, the Black Hawk War and the Texas Revolution. I noticed that the inside right angle on the simpler guards differ from plain to being accented with various small decorative details, wondering if this is a possible pointer to origin. Finally, I'm sure you will be aware of this little paper but here is a link anyway www.asoac.org/bulletins/92_bethune_patriotic.pdf
Thanks again for your time and effort on this.
My Regards,
Norman.

Hotspur · 10th November 2012, 07:38 PM

Quote:

I noticed that the inside right angle on the simpler guards differ from plain to being accented with various small decorative details, wondering if this is a possible pointer to origin

As much a matter of timeline perhaps. I think I did mention that parts from one side were openly shared, so origin of the final assembly might be better regarded when looking at the blade decoration. Coincidentally, I came across yet another like yours and while considering the blade decoration, I would still say that one as well British B&G. If you can share more of your blade decoration, others may have an opinion as to whether we are seeing a British or German decorated blade.

Yes, I am familiar with the asoac article and some of it is considered outdated, just as some older sword bibles are. Was there a particular part of the article you note that is relevant to this sword? Do you have the E.Alexander Mowbray eagle pommel sword book? While the latter does not specifically speak to this form, It reads well in terms f commerce and distribution.

I am sending you a link via pm for the one I saw just today while browsing a dealer.

Cheers

GC

8th November 2012, 07:58 PM	#1
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,613	Hi Glen, First of all many thanks for your time and effort in attempting to educate a poor Brit on the knotty subject of American Eagles. I have gone over the sword from top to bottom with the proverbial 'fine tooth comb' but cannot find any mark or sign that would provide a clue as to origins. I like the idea that it might be of English manufacture. You mention the spiral bone grip and I must say I've spent a few hours on the net looking at 'Eagle Heads' and have not found one with the same pattern spiralling. It would be nice to pin down a date as it would enable me to speculate in which conflicts it may have participated in but I can see from your posts that this is much easier said than done. I look forward to your other examples of 'floating heads'. Thanks again. My Regards, Norman. P.S. The second example you show has a very similar blade profile and angle of hilt to blade as mine, I don't know whether this is of consequence or not. Last edited by Norman McCormick; 8th November 2012 at 08:11 PM.

9th November 2012, 04:08 AM	#2
Hotspur Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Nipmuc USA Posts: 508	Hi Norman Something else you may have to consider if your sword was sold on your side of the pond would be; "What is an American sword of that period doing abroad?" One chapter of Mowbray's eagle book begins with an example of a sword specifically made for a Scotsman. Perhaps you can fill in some blanks yourself on how you came to own the sword and where it had come from. In America, other warring aside from the war of 1812 and up to the American Civil war would be notably the Seminole wars and the Mexican War. Throughout the interbellum periods were standing militia, as was also true in the UK. Swords were made up of many standard parts, some fancier than others. Often times there would have been a basic catalog of options, as well as "floor models" to choose from. I have already alluded to that the large head floating pommels are less common post 1812 but showed you an example while mentioning I have more in my own bank of images. You now bring up the spiral grip as uncommon and I agree but could list a few in my own files. MOst of this general time period and in a romp through one of my misc folders have a good match to your own sword. What does that mean in terms of scarcity? Not much. When you find a couple, chances are that if persistent they seem to come out of the woodwork. I mention in another post that eagles are a passion. That I have some 6,300 eagle sword image files in 41 folders must mean something. Divide roughly by whatever and that would still be many more than six hundred swords I am in the process of categorizing. Consider my prime focus of the eagle pommels to be those up to the war of 1812 and of three basic forms (Bolton, Osborn, Ketland), I will never have half the answers to a good many questions. Narrowing to a couple of decades should be an achievement and as you had already considered the 1830s, I think you may not have just been guessing. The langets might also point to Solingen as opposed to England but again, the blade decoration too Birmingham blue&gilt to disregard. The example I showed above has noo langets and a good many British made swords for the American market had no langets. That trait also prevelant in American manufacture. On that note, I seriously doubt it is American cutlered and eveb the Spies marked blades decorated and marked at that time in England, as that is how they were ordered. Along with your spiral big head, I'll also scare up an British made Ames imitator with a spiral grip. So close an imitator of the Ames swords that I was fooled in the beginning myself. That conflict worth a whole thread by itself someday but brought up here in the past. Why do I know that one British and not American Ames? More study and observation to be related someday. This one most assuredly the mid to late 1830s. Oh, ok, I lied. Here is one I am pretty sure was an Ames eagle casting but on a Mexican sword (Ames did collaborate with Mexico before the war. Cheers GC Attached Images

9th November 2012, 09:16 AM	#4
Hotspur Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Nipmuc USA Posts: 508	Well, I think I would digress a far distance from the original ID part of this but let's just say it the evolution for the American market really started after the revolution and the Great Seal was being broadly published. Since that form was not finalized until late 1782, it is then really not until the 1790s that we start to see both larger birds and eagle blade decoration starting to appear. Ironically, the bald eagle is not even well represented in the first Great Seal portraits with more and more created eagles appearing on the horizon. Ketland was an arms broker as much as a manufacturer and the swords were not even made in his shops. Guns were his stock in trade on that end of the equation. Birmingham had many shops churning out parts for the swords before the war of 1812 and even during that conflict, swords were still getting through to America from England. Manifested as barrels and trunks of canes and umbrellas, ports on the eastern seaboard of America received throughout the war. To complicate the large and small Ketland profile even further is when we see Berger from the Alsace and his Paris shop making smal head versions of the British castings. Bigger is better, so the larger crested eagles that are quite close in profile to the original form start appearing. Some directly from the continent and ala Salter S&K as agents, there is a fair amount of swapping going on. I am not prepared to upload a lot more pictures in this thread, as I am on dial up but also that we will digress further. The Medicus collection book and Mowbray eagle book, along with Peter Tuite's naval book and the Hartzler Lattimer collection will show as much variety as any might then further explore. I can point the way and disagree at times but have no book of my own to offer at this time. Here is an anomalous Berger pretty baby and an original Ketland type for comparison. Was it Starr shown in Medicus that also had a Ketland form? I forget. These are a good bit smaller than the later crested birds. Cheers GC Attached Images Last edited by Hotspur; 9th November 2012 at 09:30 AM.

9th November 2012, 05:53 AM	#3
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,141	Awesome pics and an excellent thread! Full of great information and pics on these type swords. I like the one with the Span colonial 6-sided broadsword blade. It's truly amazing just how many variations in the fittings and blades there are. Hope this thread continues to grow-

10th November 2012, 05:45 PM	#5
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,613	Hi Glen, I did a swop for this sword but it was purchased at an auction in England in a lot with a 'cutlass thought to be American'. The buyer wanted the cutlass but not the eagle head and I had something he wanted so we exchanged. I'm afraid that is the only info re provenance I have. I came across another couple of conflicts which would fit inside the time frame 1830's/40's, the Black Hawk War and the Texas Revolution. I noticed that the inside right angle on the simpler guards differ from plain to being accented with various small decorative details, wondering if this is a possible pointer to origin. Finally, I'm sure you will be aware of this little paper but here is a link anyway www.asoac.org/bulletins/92_bethune_patriotic.pdf Thanks again for your time and effort on this. My Regards, Norman.