Smallsword hilted Spadroon

[Norman McCormick]

Hi,
A new addition. An unusual, from what I can find, Smallsword mounted with a Spadroon type blade. I can find references to military smallswords but all the illustrations are of double edged diamond section blades and none are of single edged blades with a false back edge. If anyone has any photographs or illustrations of a similar set up to the one in these photos I would be really interested to see them. The hilt is gilded brass with quite a good bit of the gilding remaining. The pas d'ane is for looks only, the double quillions appear to be less than usual, the grip is bound in copper wire and copper ribbon. I would suggest a date C1760. Unusually there is also a tricolour silk 'sword knot' still attached although this is in rather a delicate state. The blade is 32 3/4 inches long, width 1 inch at widest and 3/8 inch at its thickest. The false edge is 8 inches with the first 5 inches sharpened. The blade is decorated as per the photos and is not maker marked though I suspect it's probably German. In conclusion my thoughts are that this is a Military Smallsword C 1760. I would of course be interested in your thoughts and comments.
Regards,
Norman.

[fernando]

Wonderful addition, Norman .
Yeah, the blade looks Solingen ... and a bit earlier than the hilt ? .

[Norman McCormick]

Originally Posted by fernando

Wonderful addition, Norman .
Yeah, the blade looks Solingen ... and a bit earlier than the hilt ? .

Hi Fernando,
Thanks, I'm not sure about the age of the blade. I was going to comment on your Portuguese smallsword that the blade looked to be older than early 19thC but you beat me to it.
My Regards,
Norman.

[Norman McCormick]

Hi,
Some more blade details including a photo of a mark on the spine, does anyone have a blade with the same/similar spinal marking?
Regards,
Norman.

[kisak]

Originally Posted by Norman McCormick

Hi,
If anyone has any photographs or illustrations of a similar set up to the one in these photos I would be really interested to see them.

In case it helps, I see infantry officer's swords with "smallsword style" hilts and spadroon blades every now and then here in Sweden. The hilt here doesn't really look like the Swedish fashion though. The earliest example of one with a spadroon blade I could find in Berg's book was from 1830, though there's a cavalry officer's sword (different hilt) with a similar blade from 1810, and the style remains in use to ca 1860. The example in the white-background picture here is ca 1850.

The practice of officer's swords with these "smallsword like" hilts goes back to the late 17th century in Sweden, originally as swords for officer's in general, but it quickly (ca 1720) became somethign just for the infantry, since the cavalry already had their own distinctive hilt. The blades mated with these hilts, and the overall size of the swords, goes from smallswords to full sized cavalry swords. I'm attaching a picture form the Army Museum in Stockholm showing a few examples, the spadroon-bladed one (second form the bottom) is ca 1840.

[Richard G]

The blade seems to me to have most of the characteristics of those "Runkel" blades of the early 19th Cent.
Regards
Richard

[Norman McCormick]

Hi Kisak,
Many thanks for the images, not ones I have seen before.

Hi Richard,
Although this type of blade and decoration extended into the early 19thC I'm certain this blade is contemporary with the hilt C1760.

My Regards,
Norman.

[Hotspur]

The little squiggle on the base of the blade seems like a Solingen specific mark, just as the wolf had been for Passau. A guild mark (my thoughts).

Cheers

GC

[Norman McCormick]

Hi Glen,
Seems possible, I'm sure I've seen the same or similar on other blades, still trying to find some more examples.
My Regards,
Norman.