Old saber from a barn in northeastern Pennsylvania

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by M ELEY

Of course! Northern ports of call! That one slipped past my tired brain! Likewise, a pawned item lost to debts or gambling makes total sense.Totally sound argument on the disrespect for edged weapons during the War between the States. I know the mystery won't completely be solved, but the evidence at least closes some of the more whimsical theories (of which I heavily contributed!- ).

Mark, you know you and I are inherently somewhat whimsical characters!!
but that's what makes all this the adventure that it is!!
Sometimes the reality of the provenance of many of the weapons we study is less than the colorful scenes we imagine, but they are still very much history.....these pieces were there to see it. We gotta respect em for that!