Best Sword of 2022

[George Wheeler]

Gents,

It is time to put on your thinking caps and sort out your best sword find this year. Not necessarily the most expensive or rare sword but the one you like the best. Please show us what you found.

I picked up a very nice Austrian Model 1869 Cavalry Saber at a local military show this year. This is a private purchase example of the issue sword for Enlisted Men and NCOs. It was made by Weyersberg & Stamm in Solingen and is so marked on the reverse ricasso of the blade. The obverse ricasso is marked, "Eisenhauer" or Iron Cutter indicating the high quality steel. These swords are interesting in that the sword is massive with a wide nickeled blade. The blade has a pronounced ricasso and a wide fuller on the obverse side with a flat slab side on the reverse. The nickeled steel basket guard has a rolled reinforcement along the edges with seven round drain holes and two slots for the attachment of a sword knot. The plated steel backstrap is plain with two "ears" near the basket guard. The grip is sharkskin made without wire as is proper for Enlisted Men. The nickeled steel scabbard has a suspension bar on the back near the throat and a fixed ring below the bar.

I think this is my favorite sword for this year due to its oddball blade configuration and its condition.

Please show your favorite.

[Will Mathieson]

A common sword, the 1908p cavalry, but marked to a Canadian regiment that performed the very last Canadian cavalry charge in history. Marked to A squadron 19th Alberta Dragoons.
The charge at the battle of Iwuy was a sad disaster against German machine gun though the men beyond courageous.

"In the afternoon the cavalry came up to advance on the next ridge. They went over us about 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon. They had to go down a hill and up another. A creek [the River Erclin] ran between them and the Germans, who were on the other side in trenches on the hill. The cavalry went forward, the horses ringing wet (with sweat). ...It is a pretty sight as they dashed down the hill and over the creek ...then the Germans opened up on them. It was a shame. They could not help but hit them with machine guns. All the men out of seventy five or so went down but one, and he finally went. But the horses were not all killed. That attack was a failure...The charge on October 10 cost the regiment seventy-one animals, of which sixty-six were killed. The losses among the men were considerably lighter, five killed and seventeen wounded."
From:https://sites.rootsweb.com/~cansk/su.../BattleOfIwuy/

The 31st Battalion (part of the 6th Infantry Brigade) participated in the first tank attack in history at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette on 15 September 1916,[4] while A Squadron, Canadian Light Horse, made the last cavalry charge in Canadian history at the battle of Iwuy on 10 October 1918.[5] This means that among the predecessor units of the SALH, one participated in the first military operation involving the tank and another mounted the last cavalry charge in Canadian history.
From:https://military-history.fandom.com/...se#cite_note-5

[George Wheeler]

Outstanding sword and history Will. I certainly knew of the last charge by the Canadians but I had no idea a sword survived the carnage.

[james.elstob]

My favourite of 2022, a beautifully clean 1821 RA with a flat solid blade. The shagreen is in pristine condition, still very rough, like sandpaper, retaining its original black colouration.

It is marked in the blade for SAMUEL DUNLOP and likely dates from 1856.

Dunlop was educated at Royal Military Academy. Woolwich; in 1866 he was on the staff at RMA Woolwich as Lieutenants of Companies of Gentleman Cadets and served until Nov 1870 when he become Acting Com of Police, Straits Settlements.

In 1875 he took up the appointment of Commissioner of Police, SS. He held this office until he retired to England in 1890/91.

He was temporary Special Commr. for Perak affairs and Commr. to HM's Forces during 1875 operations in Perak, appointed to the Commission for the Pacification of Larut.

Colonel S. Dunlop was appointed Commissioner in Perak shortly after the commencement of hostilities in November 1875, after the murder of Mr. J. W. W. Birch ,the first British Resident of Perak at Pasir Salak. He organised the expedition which captured the Pasir Salak stockades, and was present at their capture. During the December 1875 operations in Perak he was Commissioner to the Forces, and accompanied General Colborne's force up the Perak River and across country.

[George Wheeler]

What a great history on your sword. As you probably know I am quite fond of Police related swords and yours is a fine example of one.

Congratulations!

[james.elstob]

Thanks George, my sword is in good company here.

[Will Mathieson]

George I believe you are one of only a few knowing of the last Canadian cavalry charge!
James that is a wonderful flat solid bladed sword. Is the blade 35", it appears full length ? Always great to have provenance attached to a sword. Do you have a photo of him? A quick google search found him on Wikipedia.

[Paul G.]

Acquired this spring. An amazing early double disk stag grip cutlass. Expensive and worth it

[Will Mathieson]

Paul I do like the side bar guards. A nice early piece in very good condition for its age. I tried searching for a similar one with side bars but failed to find any.

[Paul G.]

Thanks will I have seen one other in not nearly as good condition. Its pretty early I think, and of quality and design for perhaps an officer or captains side arm.

[Mel H]

Been quite a good year and difficult to choose one but this nice little hanger probably fits the bill. I was pleased to find it in such original sound condition but was pleasantly surprised to find an identical one illustrated in Neumann's, Swords and Blades of the American revolution, Page 69 - No 24.S Where it is listed as follows.

English Hanger Circa 1740 - 1760. This hunting style sword was found among a number the same pattern believed to have seen use as hangers.

There's no indication of who made either of them, mine was found in the U.K. but I'm certain that they both came from the same manufacturer.

[George Wheeler]

I really like these short swords be they cutlasses or hangers. Nice!

[Paul G.]

Very nice Always on the lookout for one like that

[Simon R.]

Sorry can't make up my mind! Can't seem to upload a good pic with the file limit soooo small!

[Will Mathieson]

Simon I can understand why you have six. The gilt, brass and ivory always a great combination including eagle heads!

[james.elstob]

James that is a wonderful flat solid bladed sword. Is the blade 35", it appears full length ? Always great to have provenance attached to a sword. Do you have a photo of him? A quick google search found him on Wikipedia.

Thanks Will, yes, I have seen the photo of him, in his Masonsic regalia it seems. The sword is out of reach at present but I've recorded the overall length as 40 1/2 inches so it must be a 35" blade.

[Simon R.]

Simon I can understand why you have six. The gilt, brass and ivory always a great combination including eagle heads!

Only the Standish Barry is gilt/brass, the others are William Ball/William Farris silver hilts...the lighting is off!

[Richard Schenk]

My favorite 2022 acquisition was an Ames M1861 cutlass purchased by the Army. Ames received a contact from the Army on 18 January 1864 for 300 Navy-pattern cutlasses which it delivered on 10 February. These Army cutlasses were issued to Col. William A. Howard’s New York Volunteer Artillery Regiment’s “marine artillery” units manning gun boats used on the James River and other streams. Thet were identical to the Navy versions except for the markings where the initials "U.S." replaced "U.S.N." and the initials "A.D.K." for Army inspector A. D. King replaced those of "D.R." for Navy inspector Daniel Reynolds. In Charles Pate’s article on these swords in the December 2014 issue of “Man at Arms”, he stated he was only aware of five examples of this sword, one which was sold by Rock Island Auctions in May 2014, one in another private collection, and three in the Springfield Arsenal collection. Since then, six other examples have surfaced including the current one, which would bring the total to 11.

[Will Mathieson]

Richard can you show the serial number on the inner guard? I have one numbered 14, about a half inch number height.

[Richard Schenk]

Ames only used serial numbers of Navy enlisted cutlasses. On the ones they made for officers and for the Army and the Revenue Cutter Service, they left quillon blank (at least on all examples I have seen). If you have an Army cutlass with a number on the guard, I'd love to see it.

[Will Mathieson]

Pictures of cutlass #14

[Richard Schenk]

Will,

Your blade is a U.S.N. one inspected by Daniel Reynolds ("D.R.") in 1864 and reinspected by Guart Gansevoort (G.G.) during the 1866 inventory/reinspection conducted by the Navy of all arms on hand at the end of the CW. The hilt, however, is a rather spectacular example of a disconnect between the serial number on the hilt and the date on the blade. It would appear to be from one of the 600 cutlasses produced before August 1861 when Ames was directed to add serial numbers. The Navy retro-marked those already shipped out and your number, "14". appears indicate your cutlass was one of those early ones to be so marked. These disparities are quite common and appear to be the result of the blades being dismounted from the hilts for repair/refurbishment and reassembled without much care to ensure the blades were re-mated with their original hilts. As an example of a disconnect the other way, I have seen a cutlass with an extremely late serial number, 25,977, mounted on an 1861 dated blade.

[Will Mathieson]

Thanks Richard that is great information to have. I don't collect American cutlasses, is the low number more collectible than higher numbers or is it more on condition?

[Richard Schenk]

The low number is really interesting to a specialist like me, but there are not a lot of us out there. Your low number might command a slight premium over an ordinary run-of-the-mill serial number in similar condition but don't count on it.

[Glen C.]

A Thomas Gill hanger/spadroon




A Bolton eagle was the only other highlight.

Cheers
GC