Montmorency blade in late 18th c. British military swords

midelburgo · 19th August 2025, 08:54 PM

If we believe the inscription, this is the oldest Montmorency blade I know of.

On one side it says

NADIE SE META CONMIGO - AÑO DE 1700
QUE MATARE A QUEIN ME ENFADE

QUEIN spell mistake instead for QUIEN

Meaning

NO ONE MESS WITH ME - YEAR OF 1700
I WILL KILL WHOEVER MAKES ME ANGRY

Stilistically I believe the inscription looks rather 1770. I cannot give an opinion about the basket, looking English to me.

On the other hand, Spain used a lot of these blades. Often in America. Sometimes they have silver parts in the grip-pommel. In the Halbach (Solingen) advertisement of 1775 there is a Montmorency with inscriptions to Carlos III (check Halbach in the search). Sometimes they are shortened for infantry.

George Washington had a Montmorency too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiClfS5MfI0

Jim McDougall · 19th August 2025, 09:42 PM

Thanks very much guys!! Norman that was a great thread, and love those plates (either Aries or Petard) both valuable and hard to find, afford, volumes.
Midelburgo, great examples,
It seems this type of blade with this section were around from early in 18th c. so we know they found notable use,
'but the pressing question is WHY MONTMORENCY?
The name of the design.

19th August 2025, 08:54 PM	#1
midelburgo Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 265	If we believe the inscription, this is the oldest Montmorency blade I know of. On one side it says NADIE SE META CONMIGO - AÑO DE 1700 QUE MATARE A QUEIN ME ENFADE QUEIN spell mistake instead for QUIEN Meaning NO ONE MESS WITH ME - YEAR OF 1700 I WILL KILL WHOEVER MAKES ME ANGRY Stilistically I believe the inscription looks rather 1770. I cannot give an opinion about the basket, looking English to me. On the other hand, Spain used a lot of these blades. Often in America. Sometimes they have silver parts in the grip-pommel. In the Halbach (Solingen) advertisement of 1775 there is a Montmorency with inscriptions to Carlos III (check Halbach in the search). Sometimes they are shortened for infantry. George Washington had a Montmorency too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiClfS5MfI0 Attached Images Last edited by midelburgo; 19th August 2025 at 09:17 PM.

19th August 2025, 09:42 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,549	Thanks very much guys!! Norman that was a great thread, and love those plates (either Aries or Petard) both valuable and hard to find, afford, volumes. Midelburgo, great examples, It seems this type of blade with this section were around from early in 18th c. so we know they found notable use, 'but the pressing question is WHY MONTMORENCY? The name of the design.