The copper rivets that are visible are tight along the seam. Likewise the belt stud has been replaced with one mounted on a copper collar. Original leather scabbard body, which measures 26 ½” long, is solid but is no longer rigid. The grips have none of its original double-twisted brass wire wrap. The carved wooden handle is wrapped with original black bridle leather that is in worn condition with small spots of missing finish. The boarding cutlass was derived from the French pattern of 1833, often referred to as a “cullere a pot” or more commonly called the “soup ladle” weapon. Inside top edge of the quillon is stamped “14M / 98” which are thought to be rack position numbers on the ship. ![]() The knucklebow is deeply stamped “ENTERPRISE”. “MASS” is worn away and other stampings visible but light due to the “cleaning.” Brass hilt, often referred to as a ‘soup ladle’ guard, is a rounded cup of heavy sheet brass riveted to the knucklebow and provides hand protection to the user. On the reverse ricasso is the date “1862” while the obverse ricasso bears a thin maker’s four-line address that reads “MADE BY / AMES MFG Co / CHICOPEE / MASS” all with in the scroll pattern. Blade is bright and has been cleaned and sharpened leaving fine-lined scruffs running in various directions with a couple of minute nicks on the blade edge. Blade measures 26” long, 1¼” wide at the ricasso and has a flat back with a single, wide, unstopped fuller. Provenance Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.Here is an original example of an Ames 1862-dated government naval boarding. The Confederate sword here was produced at the converted facilities of the Nashville Plow Works-an ironic reversal of the Biblical injunction to beat swords into plowshares. The other was assembled in America, but has a German blade by Weyersberg, a family who were making swords as early as the 1500s-the firm still survives today under the name WKC.Īt the outbreak of war, the Confederacy was able to commandeer some Federal arms, but additional production was often makeshift. Of the two Federal swords here, one was produced at the Ames factory, America's leading swordmaker at the time. army pattern of 1850, which derived from French military swords of the 1840s. All three of these sabers were based on the U.S. Label Text By the time the Civil War broke out in 1861, America was fully able to produce swords domestically, although many blades were still being imported from Germany, and the designs were copied from France. Wooden grip swollen at mid-height, tapering to pommel & spirally wrapped with black fishskin, twisted & plain brass wire. Tall D-shaped knuckle guard pierced at end for sword knot & plugged into Phrygian helmet-shaped pommel carved with oak leaves at its base. ![]() Thick short rear comma-shaped quillon bent slightly towards back of blade. Gilt brass 3/4-basket hilt with pierced base plate having scrolling foliation & carved with oak leaves. Both faces similarly etched with trophied groups & scrolling foliation on once blackened ground with American eagle & motto "E Pluribus unum" (obverse), "U.S." (reverse) At about 1/3 length below hilt & extending to about 2/3 of length, both faces of back edge bordered by deeply cut groove. Description Gently curving steel hollow-ground triangular section blade becoming elliptical to spear-shaped point. Markings Reverse of ricasso with stamped mark of Weyersberg crowned head.
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