Trying to identify Calvary Sabre

[Michael Abram]

I bought this sword at an estate sale of an art collector and was told it was a Captain's sword from Revolutionary War or the War of 1812. Eagle head on the hilt, bone handle and etchings in the blade. Trying to figure out if that is true and if anyone knows more about it. I attached a bunch of photos...

[Glen C.]

Hi Michael

Welcome To Sword Forum International

It is sometimes said that things happen in threes but I think I have seen something like a half dozen new listings of these the past week or so. Another similar sword was posted here at SFI just a week ago.

http://www.swordforum.com/forums/sho...agle-Head-Help

Rather than just copy and paste my reply from that one, I will add that the side guard has been broken off in its lifetime, although as stated in the linked thread, some do not have a side guard at all. I tend to put this variety past the war of 1812 and my reasonings also listed in that thread. Your sword would generally be regarded as an artillery officer's sword but as a private purchase in its day, who is to really say. Also as mentioned, British made for the American market. A cavalry use would generally figure only if it were longer than 30" of blade but really, anything goes. These floating pommel types not really suited at all for mounted use and the hilts inherently weak to begin with.

If you can get good clear pictures of the blade decoration, I would be interested for comparison's sake but I have a pretty good idea what I would see.

Cheers

Hotspur; also as mentioned in the other thread, the Ames made swords kind of stick out from the others