Tessake, Dussage, Sinclair Saber for comment

Jim McDougall · 3rd November 2023, 06:27 PM

While Styria was the location of several centers for sword production it was a kind of 'buffer' production region between Northern Italy and South Germany. Though it produced many weapons for European supply, I am not personally familiar with that term used as an identifier but more commonly known by the areas used, mostly Eastern Europe and Balkans. As always, I am sure there are exceptions in catalogs and some references. It does not seem the compendiums of makers marks etc. list Styrian that I can recall offhand.

Many went into Black Sea regions as well and many Caucasian weapons have Styrian blades. As Styria often used the 'sickle' marks of North Italy, this may have been the conduit which brought the marks into the Caucasian sphere, there known as 'gurda'.

Images of the entire sword are a must, as often classification relies in degree on the type of blade....while 'Sinclair's are deemed sabers, various European hilts thought of in that category actually had straight blades.It is often a maddening business, as often straight blade swords are deemed 'sabers' (usually 18th into 19th c); in old fashioned parlance any straight sword was deemed a 'broadsword' while technically, if single edged it is a 'backsword'.

A short heavy bladed saber, if used on vessels was called a cutlass. When the sailors took them ashore to hack through vegetation, they were called a 'machete'. In military use such short blade weapons were termed 'hangers' (Scottish 'whingers'). The short heavy bladed sabers used in Spains colonies are termed 'espada ancha' by modern collectors, but in period they were only known as 'machete'. However many logs and records from vessels might term them cutlasses.

The point is.....neat classification with sword forms is daunting, perhaps often not possible, so it becomes a matter of detail and qualification in description.

3rd November 2023, 06:27 PM	#8
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,194	While Styria was the location of several centers for sword production it was a kind of 'buffer' production region between Northern Italy and South Germany. Though it produced many weapons for European supply, I am not personally familiar with that term used as an identifier but more commonly known by the areas used, mostly Eastern Europe and Balkans. As always, I am sure there are exceptions in catalogs and some references. It does not seem the compendiums of makers marks etc. list Styrian that I can recall offhand. Many went into Black Sea regions as well and many Caucasian weapons have Styrian blades. As Styria often used the 'sickle' marks of North Italy, this may have been the conduit which brought the marks into the Caucasian sphere, there known as 'gurda'. Images of the entire sword are a must, as often classification relies in degree on the type of blade....while 'Sinclair's are deemed sabers, various European hilts thought of in that category actually had straight blades.It is often a maddening business, as often straight blade swords are deemed 'sabers' (usually 18th into 19th c); in old fashioned parlance any straight sword was deemed a 'broadsword' while technically, if single edged it is a 'backsword'. A short heavy bladed saber, if used on vessels was called a cutlass. When the sailors took them ashore to hack through vegetation, they were called a 'machete'. In military use such short blade weapons were termed 'hangers' (Scottish 'whingers'). The short heavy bladed sabers used in Spains colonies are termed 'espada ancha' by modern collectors, but in period they were only known as 'machete'. However many logs and records from vessels might term them cutlasses. The point is.....neat classification with sword forms is daunting, perhaps often not possible, so it becomes a matter of detail and qualification in description.