The EARLY MAKERS TRADE MARKS thread... lost and partly restored.

[fernando]

Old 7th August 2016, 06:27 AM #298

Posted by:
ulfberth
Member

Join Date: Jul 2014


True Jim,

In Europe the re use of broken blades is seen more often up until the 17th C, broken rapier or sword blades used to make daggers was a rule rather than throwing them away. After that period you hardly find any military re used blades in Europe , could it be that these were sold for export ?
What we do find is all kinds of military equipment that got a second life by farmers. The French Napoleonic muskets left on the battle fields were converted for hunting use, the barrel and the wood shortened.
Bayonets and swords to slaughter cattle and many, many German helmets used to scoop, water, grains or other stuff on farms.
My grandfather had several metal English ammunition boxes that he used as tool boxes.
Back to the dagger or sword blade, its hard to determine for what it was re used again, an take in consideration that it could be used to make a composite weapon.

kind regards

Ulfberth
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[fernando]

Old 7th August 2016, 12:26 PM #299

Posted by:
fernando
Lead Moderator European Armoury

Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Portugal

Originally Posted by ulfberth
... The French Napoleonic muskets left on the battle fields were converted for hunting use, the barrel and the wood shortened... (Quote)

Oh yes,
Blunderbusses adapted by regional smiths from salvaged musket parts, from the Peninsular War, are countless.
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[fernando]

Old 21st December 2016, 12:25 PM #300

Posted by:
Ibrahiim al Balooshi
Member

Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Buraimi Oman,
on the border with the UAE

Bravo !!!This thread is astounding...and has just gone through 100 thousand viewings...
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[Victrix]

This refers to a mid 1700s Austro-Hungarian hussar sabre with a picture of the Madonna engraved on the blade as the Patron of Hungary standing on a halfmoon. Wagner’s Cut & Thrust Weapons shows a similar sabre on p.407, which is engraved ”Pottenstein” on the back edge. This sabre has four dots engraved there instead (see first picture below). Is this a maker’s or a trader’s mark? Are they related to Caucasian gurda marks (see second picture below)? I wonder if someone has seen this before? Many thanks.

[fernando]

I woldn't know about the four dots mark, but i guess this is more a symbol than properly a maker's mark.
You could also find the four dots in early hand cannons; maybe just a concidence.

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[Victrix]

Well Fernando, it might be a coincidence but the symbol looks rather similar. Do you know what the symbol on the cannon means and where these cannons typically originate from? I wonder if it could be a quality (iron content?), occult, religious, armoury, trade, or something else symbol?

[fernando]

It would take someone with more knowledge to answer your questions; even the assumption that the (four) dots are not maker's marks but a period fashion symbol ... or both. ´
When i bought my cannons i have made some search and resumed that the four dots were typical marks of 15th century short cannons; something certainly not applicable to those in your sword.
Whether there is a time line linking both, i ignore.
In any case, why don't you show us the whole of your sword ?

[Victrix]

Originally Posted by Victrix

This refers to a mid 1700s Austro-Hungarian hussar sabre with a picture of the Madonna engraved on the blade as the Patron of Hungary standing on a halfmoon. Wagner’s Cut & Thrust Weapons shows a similar sabre on p.407, which is engraved ”Pottenstein” on the back edge. This sabre has four dots engraved there instead (see first picture below). Is this a maker’s or a trader’s mark? Are they related to Caucasian gurda marks (see second picture below)? I wonder if someone has seen this before? Many thanks.

I encountered the four dots mark on a sabre at the Warzaw Army Museum (see picture) believed to have belonged to Hungarian noble man Stephan Bathory who was Prince of Transylvania 1571-76 and King of Poland 1575-86. He is credited with bringing the hussars (the light cavalry, not the winged, variety) to Poland.

[Billman]

Hi
I joined this forum some years ago, but not been active recently as I had lost track of things when my old computer crashed. My interest is edge tools, primarily the billhook, but also axes and sickles... Many edge tool makers also made weapons, and vice versa - the Klingenthal Royal Armoury works in Alsace became known as Coulaux et Cie, taillandiers (edge tool makers)..

Thus there may well be a great overlap in makers marks - tools are way undervalued as historical artifacts, and many agricultural tools are mis-sold as weapons - often by reputable dealers who should know better... The number of battle axes and beheading axes that are just specialist tools, is beyond belief...

There is an excellent Wiki site showing many of the touch marks used by Austrian scythe smiths, and which probably includes Styria/Slovenia...

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_...C3%96sterreich

Below Are some of the marks used by Austrian smiths, found on axes etc..

Also the main reason for getting my account here active once more - I have just bought a Polish hewing axe, with a sword shaped touch mark that I recognise, but cannot remember - can anyone identify it for me???

[Billman]

This German site has stamps of edge tool makers who made wood chisels - they would have made other tools, and some may have also made weapons...

http://alte-beitel.de/index.php/warenzeichen

and thus: Franz Damisch, Ybbsitz (Austria)

[chregu]

can be found on axes and Halbart
were used until the 19th century

http://www.michaelblank.at/collection-of-edgded-media/

sorry for my bad english

[Victrix]

Originally Posted by Victrix

This refers to a mid 1700s Austro-Hungarian hussar sabre with a picture of the Madonna engraved on the blade as the Patron of Hungary standing on a halfmoon. Wagner’s Cut & Thrust Weapons shows a similar sabre on p.407, which is engraved ”Pottenstein” on the back edge. This sabre has four dots engraved there instead (see first picture below). Is this a maker’s or a trader’s mark? Are they related to Caucasian gurda marks (see second picture below)? I wonder if someone has seen this before? Many thanks.

There’s an 18thC Ottoman Karabela sword in the Imperial Armoury in Prague which has the four dots mark in addition to three dots marks in various constellations. The blade seems European but the four dots mark (near the half moon mark) might have been added later?