Hunting Sword no1

Jim McDougall · 6th June 2014, 09:23 PM

Hi Norman,
In looking at Petersen as indicated, item #45 does appear to have this same type blade, but the image is so dark that I cannot make out the mark It does seem to be located in somewhat the same location on the blade and the single back fuller seems present .
In the text it is noted this cutlass was produced by Richard Gridley who produced these and other military stores c.1776-1777 in his 'furnace' in Sharon, Massachusetts.

As these colonies at that time had been receiving British goods for some time obviously, it seems likely he might have had some of these blades at hand and produced swords using them.

It is often confusing with the term 'hunting' swords with these 18th c. swords and as seen with many references, the hunt was a very gentry oriented affair. Much in these events was of course fashion oriented and it is often difficult to differentiate in court or hunting swords as both were in effect concurrently interchanged in many cases.

As an aside on this piece, in my opinion the dark and vertically fluted grip seems a particularly French affectation, but naturally it is simply a subjective observation based on many French swords using this design.

6th June 2014, 09:23 PM	#13
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,785	Hi Norman, In looking at Petersen as indicated, item #45 does appear to have this same type blade, but the image is so dark that I cannot make out the mark It does seem to be located in somewhat the same location on the blade and the single back fuller seems present . In the text it is noted this cutlass was produced by Richard Gridley who produced these and other military stores c.1776-1777 in his 'furnace' in Sharon, Massachusetts. As these colonies at that time had been receiving British goods for some time obviously, it seems likely he might have had some of these blades at hand and produced swords using them. It is often confusing with the term 'hunting' swords with these 18th c. swords and as seen with many references, the hunt was a very gentry oriented affair. Much in these events was of course fashion oriented and it is often difficult to differentiate in court or hunting swords as both were in effect concurrently interchanged in many cases. As an aside on this piece, in my opinion the dark and vertically fluted grip seems a particularly French affectation, but naturally it is simply a subjective observation based on many French swords using this design.