Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > European Armoury

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 28th October 2017, 12:40 PM   #1
Jon MB
Member
 
Jon MB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 143
Default Stubby Sabre with blade marks

Hello All,

Hope you are having a good day.

This sabre is a mystery to me...

Overall length: 83cm (32")
Blade: 67 cm (26.5")

Stongly curved blade....

French-style brass hilt stamped '44'

'x' s on blade....

My guesses are usually wrong, but I though maybe boarding cutlass and or a 19th C. depot refurb in some some lonely colonial outpost.
Attached Images
      
Jon MB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28th October 2017, 12:41 PM   #2
Jon MB
Member
 
Jon MB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 143
Default

more pics..
Attached Images
   
Jon MB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28th October 2017, 01:19 PM   #3
Jon MB
Member
 
Jon MB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 143
Default

I would add that the grips make me uneasy, have never seen that type before on any military weapon..
Jon MB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28th October 2017, 01:58 PM   #4
Jim McDougall
Arms Historian
 
Jim McDougall's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
Posts: 9,719
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon MB
I would add that the grips make me uneasy, have never seen that type before on any military weapon..
I agree Jon, but they are very well made hardwood and seem well intended. That hilt is as you say probably French and of course 19th c. of the forms 1820s+ (I do not have references at hand at moment) and does not go with the blade.
The markings on the blade resemble the 'twig and similar markings from Italian blades, and it seems more a hanger or short saber blade of mid to latter 18th c. These were heavily copied in Germany of course, but in this grouping and multiple configuration it does not seem this is Solingen.

I think you are right, probably a colonial rework in French regions, but more research to find more. Guesses are just a benchmark to continue research, and the cutlass idea is a good one. These kinds of combinations are not unusual to maritime situations, and officers on all manner of private vessels often had weapons put together or commissioned, sometimes in ports of call where artisans used available components to answer their requests.
Jim McDougall is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28th October 2017, 02:18 PM   #5
Jon MB
Member
 
Jon MB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 143
Default

Excellent, thank you for the input, Jim. It seems little used, post refurb.
Jon MB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28th October 2017, 02:28 PM   #6
Jim McDougall
Arms Historian
 
Jim McDougall's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
Posts: 9,719
Default

You bet Jon!
Actually in my opinion, these reworked combinations which do seem to have seen some use post refurbishing, are most interesting. Many do not seem to realize that edged weapons often had long working lives even generations after the original components had been produced. This is especially true in remote or colonial locations where virtually everything was recycled. I have seen these kinds of combinations a lot in Mexican context where old elements of various previous types of swords were combined.
One had a briquette grip, a three bar guard and an old Spanish dragoon blade cut down with the 'Spanish motto' still legible.
Jim McDougall is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:39 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.