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25th March 2008, 12:57 PM
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#1 |
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NC, U.S.A.
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Boarding pistols!
021- I've never been much into firearms, but these 2 really had an impact on me. The top is a British boarding pistol from 1780-1800 period, brass octogonal barrel with proof marks, boxlock flintlock, Water's patent spring-loaded bayonet. Moore's Amer Rev book has several pictured. These butt-kickers were good for storming another's ship or reducing a threat of mutiny. The blunderbus barrel allowed for horrible damage close up...
The other boarding pistol is Belgian made with ELG marks, ca 1810 flintlock with a huge bore (?.69). This would be the one someone would purposely stuff iron shavings, tacks, old coins, etc, down to create a shrapnel effect.  Note the lanyard ring to attach a rope to prevent the pistol being swept over the side in the heat of battle. Likewise, no ramrod or place for one...these were a one-shot deal!
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25th March 2008, 05:22 PM
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#2 |
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Arms Historian
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
Posts: 10,192
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WOW! Very nice display Mark! I can picture you in there with a bottle of rum and waving a cutlass
 The cutlass there with the fluted ebony grip is identical to one I have that has a 'Montmorency' cross section blade which is marked 'wooley & deakin' (dates to years 1801-1803). This form of brass hilt sabre was also made I believe by Durs Egg in England at the same time. Interesting that the ebony grip as well as the blade form carrys French influence, something that seems to have been reflected in James Wooley's work from the time of the M1788 sabres. My sabre is relatively short for a cavalry sabre, so I had suspected it might have been a maritime weapon, as well of course as the brass mounts. Thanks so much for the jump start on this topic Mark!! All the best, Jim |
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25th March 2008, 11:31 PM
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#3 | |
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26th March 2008, 05:35 AM
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#4 |
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Jim, thanks for the input on that sword. I've always thought of them as a British NCO m1790 model, was unaware that Wooley produced them. Wooley & Deakin produced other types of naval swords, specifically the M1803 boarding cutlass (in one of my pics coming up). Jim, if you have one with this maker and a shorter blade, there is a definate possibility it might have seen duty as a "private purchase" naval sword. Very interesting!
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26th March 2008, 05:51 AM
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#5 |
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020- A collection of short swords/hangers. Many of these were very popular with sailors due to their small size (avoidance of getting tangled in the rigging) and inexpensive nature.
Top one is probably French and has definate characteristics of a sea sword per Rankin (Naval Swords), including a plain, undecorated blade, brass fittings (resist sea air) and nautical hilt motiffs (this one with shells, sea grass, ocean waves), circa 1770's-80's. Middle one discussed in days of yore on the forum! Dutch hanger, ca.1660-80, with carved Singhalese hilt of lion with hunting dog guard/finials carved in tropical wood. Probabaly dating to the Anglo-Dutch Wars, marking a series of 4 dots making a diamond shape (this pattern seen on early Singhalese coins circa 300AD called the 'maneless lion coins", but also seen on Dutch Dump coins of the period) Final hanger is Dutch, marked with sword maker/sharpener and owner and the street where it was made, plus "Amsterdam". From Colonial Williamsburg area... |
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26th March 2008, 06:08 AM
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#6 |
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019- Ahhh! The boarding cutlass!
 Sorry...couldn't resist!The top one I believe to either be an original American boarding cutlass or one made from an earlier cut-down model. Either way, it's private purchase, probably 1805-40 period. The blade with even pitting (like other sea swords I've seen with salt exposure) and a long straight blade with abrupt curve at end like other American swords seen in Neumann's Swords/Blades of the Amer Revolution. Round disc iron guard tarred/blackened for sea service (rust protection), ribbed grip in imitation of naval issue boarding cutlass of the period. Here's the odd thing...the blade isn't piened. It appears the hilt was made hollow and the tang set into it followed by poured molten brass! It's quite secure, but hadn't seen anything else like it. So-called private purchase swords came in all manner of styles (someone needs to write a book on them!!) The second cutlass in the classic British M1803 with "Figure of 8" hilt/guard. Ribbed iron grip/guard primed black for rust resistance. Straight blade with block letter "GR" George Rex over crown. Most are cursive lettering, so I think this sword of later manufacture (1810-20). This is similar to Jack Sparrow's sword in the film...great flick, but the timeline for this weapon carried in that film all wrong. |
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26th March 2008, 02:16 PM
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#7 | |
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26th March 2008, 04:38 PM
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#8 |
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Arms Historian
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Mark, these are incredible groupings of weapons! and exactly what I was hoping for when I first posted the pirate weapons thread (and thank you Rick for posting these!).
You have clearly done meticulous research on these, and the identifications are great, clearly captioning each item. In 023, the second sword down (between the two Spanish swords) with the striated shellguard, I have discovered recently is of a form that is apparantly regarded as Brazilian and termed espada ancha. These swords with the interesting hilt that has nocked grip similar to Moroccan nimchas, and the heavy shell guard, seem to date to end of 18th c. to middle of the 19th. While the 'Golden Age' of piracy actually ended about 1718, this much romanticized period by no means suggests that piracy did not exist before it began, nor certainly when it 'ended'. The Spanish trade routes throughout the Caribbean, Florida, Cuba, Mexico and South America extended to Spanish Morocco as well. There were of course pirates that sailed from Brazilian regions, and this activity prevailed from c.1800 well into the 19th c. The third sword down (just below the Brazilian espada ancha) is of course the Spanish dragoon type sword commonly termed the 'bilbo' (presumably from the bilobate guard, however the term is a collectors term which remains speculative). It is significant to note here that it seems many of these seem to have provenanced from Cuba and eastern Mexican port regions. The next sword, with eagle hilt, is another I recall our discussions on. The blade is one of the well known trade blades usually associated with Spanish colonial swords of late 18th c.These often carry the 'Spanish Motto' and now are believed to have been Solingen made for export from c.1750-1810. While I am somewhat unfamiliar with dirks, in the two shown in the photo, I think it is significant to note that the three other swords seem to be well placed as examples of the types of swords that would have potentially been in use in the period and regions of later piracy on the "Spanish Main" from the opening of the 19th century and well on later. Fantastic displays!!! Thank you so much for sharing these. Being able to look at these adds whole new dimension to reading on pirates, and enjoying these great adventures,All the very best, Jim |
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26th March 2008, 02:15 PM
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Hybrid Mode
