The lowly (?) briquet, a story of resolution

[M ELEY]

Wow, Jim! That is an incredible unfolding story on your briquet! It is always extremely satisfying when one can pin down an origin, maker, time period or battle-used item so succinctly! Glad you saved this item all those years to finally illuminate those that collect these sword types. I am also fascinated how the tradesmen and guilds often cross-trained and made multiple items to sell in their shops. I'm reminded of Paul Revere, noted American Revolutionary War hero, silver-smith and cannon maker! So glad you were able to pin down the initials. I'm still trying to find an American pewter smith's initials unsuccessfully, having gone through many books, catalogs, auction sites, etc.

Fernando, thank you for adding the informative history (along with Jim) on the briquets. It can be noted that many of the early pattern French naval hangers of the late-18th century had a very similar pattern of plain brass hilt with single integral knuckle bow, short curved chopping blades, grooved grips, etc (Gilkerson's book has examples listed). Not to be confused with it's maritime cousin, the briquet was strictly an infantry-type sword (to confuse matters more, I have even seen infantry types with a very tiny anchor stamp, leading some collectors to believe naval, but I assume the mark is just the smith's own stamp). A very enjoyable read!

[fernando]

Originally Posted by M ELEY

... Not to be confused with it's maritime cousin, the briquet was strictly an infantry-type sword (to confuse matters more, I have even seen infantry types with a very tiny anchor stamp, leading some collectors to believe naval, but I assume the mark is just the smith's own stamp)...

Certainly not, Captain; you can bet your money on the existence of a briquet for the Navy ... and you will win .
Besides a zillion French websites announcing Briquets with the anchor (hilt and even scabbard mouth) as being Navy connected, we may read more reliable sources assuming that there was a Navy version ... whether Navy artillery, Coast guard, you name it.

.

( from French Wiki)

Saber lighter model of the year IX
After the revolution, a new version of this weapon will be produced: that of the Year IX.

blade length: 59.5 to 62 cm
arrow: 1.12 to 2.6 cm
heel width: 3.38 to 3.5 cm
blade type: flat
frame: cast brass, monobloc
splines: 36
scabbard: in black leather, with two brass fittings, yoke with trigger guard
A slightly modified version is also created for the Navy.


(From the French Nvy Museum)

The museum's collections did not yet include a graded gunner's saber: only two soldier gunner's sabers of the 1772 and 1784 models were in inventory.
From 1792, the model of saber acquired by the museum now distinguishes the rank gunners. However, it was supplied in its time only to the 160 sergeants of the 1st Marine Artillery Regiment, which made it extremely rare from the outset. This specimen is the only certified witness to date of this ephemeral formation: this regiment was indeed created by decree of June 14, 1792 and abolished on January 28, 1794.
It is about a saber-lighter (Briquet) of the troops of the Navy designed on the model of the saber-lighter of infantry of 1782. The production of this weapon, identified by the punch to the rooster, is original: in order to provide for the needs from the war, from 1792, multiple iron workshops, in Paris and in the provinces, were converted into makeshift workshops for the production of weapons. They were named Republican Workshops.

(Imagine such conversation in a Native venue)

...What could you tell me about this lighter saber, which has the particularity of having punches representing a marine anchor? ...

... if there is none ... or as a simple manufacturing variant, your Mle is a colo infantry lighter from the completely regular restoration period.
a pity that the scabbard didn't have an anchor too ... see even 2 since mine, whose chappe was punched on both sides, found a little brother here a short time ago ...

...Model 1816 lighter of private manufacture, obviously for a government order with a punch that I presume to be that of an artillery controller. ...
...The anchor is the Navy's reception hallmark, but I cannot comment on the authenticity of this hallmark.
Who in the Navy has benefited from orders from the private sector? It is more common for the National Guard....

... Did not the Coastal artillery dependent on the navy have national guard legions? ...

... I will be surprised that the anchors are not original ...

... I am not saying that they are not good, but there is an investigation to be carried out to understand how weapons from private diggers could have been carried in units whose weaponry depended on the Navy.
To be dug perhaps on the side of the Coast Guard of the National Guard under the July Monarchy....


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[M ELEY]

Wow, 'Nando! Thank you very much for this information! I have seen that very mark (the anchor stamp) on the more common briquet patterns, but assumed they were not necessarily proof of naval usage- the same way the fleur de lis isn't always a French mark, nor a fouled anchor always a naval affectation (the U.S. state of Maryland used the anchor on their militia swords during the Federalist period to show that their state was the 'home' of maritimers).

I had of course forgotten about all of the various branches of naval units (Coast Guard, Marines, etc) who would have been so armed with such swords versus the typical sailors. This actually great information and now I'll have to try and add one of these to my own collection should I ever find one again!

[kronckew]

Just to muddy the waters: ()

See Anchor Stamp see p[osts 27-28.

Eskiltuna made blades for a lot of nations.

[M ELEY]

Arrggh! Wayne, you are killing me! No, actually this is good information and it supports my earlier point that not all anchor-stamped swords are necessarily naval, but apparently some of the briquets were, which makes sense when you look at the development of the naval sword into the late-18th/early 19th c.

[fernando]

Dear Mark, i thought that by now you wouldn't easily take Wine's baits .
We are talking about French Briquets with the anchor; not whatever items you find out there with the 'morbid' intent to muddy the waters (SIC).
You can find the anchor in a zillion things, from hallmarks to American weapons, in which the anchor has metaphoric means.

[Jim McDougall]

Well then I guess my totally 'naive' notion of this briquet (the one my original post) being a 'pirate' cutlass, was not entirely without merit.
These munitions grade weapons which were so ubiquitous throughout European armies, could easily have been acquired by private vendors to supply vessels' arms lockers.

The 'anchor' is of course a device that is among many used semiotically by makers, in trade etc. and not necessarily directly maritime connected.
The signature devices with multiple cross bars seen often on Spanish blades as well as the Solingen versions of them have often been termed 'anchors'.
The term anchor often has had certain religious symbolism.

Thank you again everybody for the comments and input on my briquet story.

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by fernando

Dear Mark, i thought that by now you wouldn't easily take Wine's baits .
We are talking about French Briquets with the anchor; not whatever items you find out there with the 'morbid' intent to muddy the waters (SIC).
You can find the anchor in a zillion things, from hallmarks to American weapons, in which the anchor has metaphoric means.

The only 'wine' I drink now is Port. - as sailor's say, usually at anchor, on shore leave, "Any port in a storm".

We appear to be talking about briquets from many nations, you even mentioned Denmark! Let's not forget that many nations were (Forcefully) incorporated into the Empire and supplied troops to the French. with very slight differences, briquets were made by many nations under french control to supply their needs as well as the french. Briquet hilts appear on a variety of blade styles too.

After trafalgar, there was very little need for French naval sailors and Marines, or naval cutlasses, so Nappy took advantage of them by incorporating them into the Imperial Guard as artillerymen, at which service they served well. I could see some briquets being accepted into 'naval' service by these Imperial Guards and used exclusively onshore, using their own 'naval' acceptance stamps instead of the less elite 'army' ones.


Guarde Imperiale

The Marines of the Imperial Guard (French: marins de la Garde Imperiale) and sailors formed a naval unit within the Imperial Guard of Napoleon I. The men of the unit not only operated as naval infantrymen but as gunners (after the training they had received in naval gunnery), sailors and engineers. Napoleon himself stated "They were good sailors, then they were the best soldiers. And they did everything - they were soldiers, gunners, sappers, everything!"

They were decimated in the Peninsular wars, and the Rusiian campain, but still there at waterloo, covering the retreat, and accompanying Nappy to St. Helena. Their Officers retained their naval, rather than army, ranks. Officers wore their distinctive sabres as in the wiki link's images, see below. Not a wild strech to think the newer recruits at the end may have carried briquets.