Osborn's G Stamp

[Bryce]

G'day GC,

Looking thru those SFI threads you posted it seems that the book "The American Eagle Pommel Sword" by Mowbray may shed some real light on this subject. Apparently the book contains correspondence between the Upson Brothers who imported swords into America and one of their suppliers Osborn and Gunby? I don't have a copy of this book, so if anyone does, can you please post a synopsis of what it contains?


Cheers,

Bryce

[Bryce]

I have tried to find a sword on the net marked to Richard Bolton with a G stamp, without success. Plenty of G stamped swords marked to Wells & Co, Richard Upson & Co etc who we know imported swords from Osborn. Can someone please help me out here and post a picture of a Bolton marked sword with a G stamp?


Cheers,

Bryce

[Hotspur]

Originally Posted by Bryce

I have tried to find a sword on the net marked to Richard Bolton with a G stamp, without success. Plenty of G stamped swords marked to Wells & Co, Richard Upson & Co etc who we know imported swords from Osborn. Can someone please help me out here and post a picture of a Bolton marked sword with a G stamp?


Cheers,

Bryce

I won't go out of my way to disagree, or correct your research but will point again to
American Eagle Pommel Sword: The Early Years 1794-1830
by Andrew Mowbray
SBN-10: 0917218361
ISBN-13: 978-0917218361

and
US Naval Officers: Their Swords and Dirks
by Peter Tuite
ASIN: B01JXOXXSE

The former of which shows both an example, along with a chapter on the Bolton eagles as well as an additional section with correspondence between the Upson brothers and Bolton regarding contracts to be fulfilled. I will not abstract further from that title, as the book is not that expensive and with little effort, previews are available through google books and Amazon "look inside"

I could point to other authors as well, who are working with the same sources, as well as already having provided to you supporting information on the subject that does seem to point to the G and GG being trade marks for German made blades.

Just as you are not going to find Osborn and Bolton marked swords then marked by Upson, or Wells (or indeed either Spies or Wolfe) the trade to US retailers not exactly a mystery. There is a certain point at which the most common or obvious explanation is most likely the correct assessment. Assuming G marked blades swords as Gunby, or Gill, less supported or recognized by those of us that have delved deeper. In the end, I suppose you are welcome to believe it is specific to Gunby while the evidence seems to prove otherwise.

Somewhere in my vast archive of images containing thousands of sword examples, I could find examples marked to Osborn that match/mirror the Upson etched and blued blades but that doesn't explain the association any better than simply suggesting buying the Mowbray book, then your being able to absorb more than just the Upson and Bolton contracts. It is an excellent book that has less need for amendments than many.

I had made the same mistakes in the beginning with expecting the internet to offer all the available information. While it is true at times that one can surpass modern takes on information (see Bazelon basically re-publishing a Horstmann history), it is usually today's authors that have tried to be all inclusive. Don't rely on internet searches if interested in a particular aspect of a missing link. Don't avoid reading beyond discussion boards and do look at old and available texts by searching Google books.

Best
GC