Wilkinson Tulwar

[archer]

So, what are we looking at here? How late would this blade as etched have been made? That would give us a time frame. My comments about presentation were based on the Manton catalogs description. I have to agree it was likely hilted in India due the confined hand area. The comment on the pommel "disk" has mainly to do with it's odd shape. So is it just a very recent knock off?

[kahnjar1]

I would suggest that Manton & Co have nothing to do with this sword whatsoever. They have been out of business for too long, and anyway were quality GUN makers. They may have sold swords, but as far as I am aware did not make them.
As for this being a presentation sword TOTALY made by Wilkinson, I would rather doubt it. They would not have hilted a quality blade with a hilt like this IMHO.
I believe you have something knobbled together.....

[Norman McCormick]

Originally Posted by archer

So, what are we looking at here? How late would this blade as etched have been made? That would give us a time frame. My comments about presentation were based on the Manton catalogs description. I have to agree it was likely hilted in India due the confined hand area. The comment on the pommel "disk" has mainly to do with it's odd shape. So is it just a very recent knock off?

Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne in 1952 and Wilkinson closed its sword business in 2005.

[Jim McDougall]

Perfectly deduced guys!!! In reading this it is truly a pleasure to see this kind of analysis and discussion!!! Excellent points on Manton etc.
True forensics, thanks so much.

[thinreadline]

The Manton name was bought and used by a firm in Birmingham sometime in the late 1980s . They produced a whole range of edged weapons with spurious markings , I believe the weapons themselves were mostly manufactured in India .

[spiral]

double post...

[spiral]

Originally Posted by thinreadline

The Manton name was bought and used by a firm in Birmingham sometime in the late 1980s . They produced a whole range of edged weapons with spurious markings , I believe the weapons themselves were mostly manufactured in India .

In that last era of the firm, I believe that's true of many Wilkinson sword blades as well.

When the firm shut down thousands blades, both completed, faulty, pattern cubboard & unfinished hit the market at very cheap prices, both officially by Wilkinsons & unofficially by all the blokes getting made redundant who worked there who filled there car boots with them. {Which due to circumstance's the management ignored.}

I suspect this is an unfinished blade from there store rooms re hilted for re sale by someone not even competent enough to put an apparently original sharp edge on it.

[asomotif]

Is this a tulwar blade ?

Could it be a Sappeurs blade ?

Best regards,
Willem

[archer]

This is one of those times when a little bit of knowledge can be painful.
thanks to all hopefully lesson learned we'll see.
steve