Whotsit Sabre?
 

Just acquired, no dimensions yet, will post on arrival. Appears to be a flank officer's sabre from somewhere. Slightly odd blade etchings, lion head pommel, braided brass wire wound grip, decorated brass guard & languets, brass scabbard with decorated fittings. Any Ideas as to what country/ etc? appears to be late 18c-early 19c. Comments appreciated, thanks.

Country
 

i suppose England, about 1805.

Thanks, I suspect it's designed around that time. It's slightly off in my mind for british tho. The lack of a backstrap on the grip was not usual but could have been a private purchase, the sturrup guard, while decorated brass is more 1796-ish or earlier, unperorated/slotted unlike the 1803 models, as is the full wire wrap. The blade side etch is also a bit odd. Looks well done. possibly a private purchase one made somewhere in the Raj.

If anyone has a photo of a similar one, feel free to post it and comment....

Hi Wayne,
I thought I'd seen this type of sabre somewhere before and unfortunately I am the bearer of bad tidings https://www.royalgunpowdermills.com/...N%2FA&item=328

My Regards,
Norman.

Thanks for the info. not too bad tidings - i paid next to nothing for it. wonder who made it & when-ish - the blurb only says 'unknown' in many of it's boxes & 'very similar to indian copies' - the only indian ones i found online are variants on the 1803 model. close, but no cigar.

Hi Wayne,
I think this is an older repro 60's 70's, a company called HHandCO.com have it listed as S7 in their catalogue.
My Regards,
Norman.

Thanks, found it. Hassan and Hemandas & Co, Mumbai. look more reputable than windlass and deepeka. :) it'll do for now.

Just to finish, it arrived today, not half bad. seems well made, light at 674 grams, distal tapered springy 27 in. blade 1 1/4 in. wide. Feels fairly well balanced. Not sharp, about like a butter knife, so not HEMA legal.

The 'rust' on the photo was actually dried cosmoline or similar & cleaned off wth soapy water. The wire wound grip is solid, 4 2/2 in. well fitting scabbard has two decorated solid rings cast into the similarly decorated fitting. no markings. I leave it as an example of what to look out for if any more come up in future.

Caveat Emptor....

Late to this and surprisingly parallel to another discussion elsewhere.

I had become enamored with horsehead pommels a decade or so ago. In the process of collecting images, I had come across these flat bladed and circle etched examples. Apparently, fairly distant in time but in the past few years have been reborn by companies such as Universal Swords. The hilt castings on these fairly nice until comparing to period swords. The blades though should be an easy evidence to realize. I had been apprised of the reproductions during my adventures of appreciation. I am linking here my horse folder. Far from complete and kind of something down on my lists of harvesting. Also a side by side with a period sword. There is currently an Irish presentation sword on ebay listed by MDL, which may be the one sold through Christies some years ago.

Cheers

GC
A small lot of horses
https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...7X?usp=sharing

Minor note: The current production that was found on a sales site named after the cult based wife of Zeus has the typical hex nut terminated pommel typical of the modern knock offs.

Mine is at least one with a properly peened pommel & the visible steel peen was cut after peening to match the lines of the horse's mane. :) As appears to be the one in Hotspur's post above.

I avoid anything with a brass hex nut pommel termination like the plague.