Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > European Armoury
FAQ Calendar Today's Posts Search

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 22nd March 2025, 09:47 PM   #1
serdar
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2023
Posts: 103
Default German sword for coment

Its German, its very nice, high quality blade and steel, it has passau marks!? (Im not sure), end of 16 begining of 17 century? annnddd thats all i know.

Any info is wellcome.
Attached Images
            
serdar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22nd March 2025, 09:49 PM   #2
serdar
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2023
Posts: 103
Default P

P
Attached Images
     
serdar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23rd March 2025, 08:59 AM   #3
corrado26
Member
 
corrado26's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Black Forest, Germany
Posts: 1,217
Default

I do not know wether this is a German sword or not, but what I know is that the blade is a Toledo one. The "T"-mark is definite.
corrado26 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23rd March 2025, 09:39 AM   #4
Merenti
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: Germany
Posts: 72
Default

Hey Serdar, What you're showing here is a beautiful sword, and you're right. It's described in literature as a German sword. It usually has a mix of different brands (Toledo/Solingen). The blade usually has the words "Me fecit solingen." It can be dated to around 1620-1660. It was probably carried by rondarts.
Merenti is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23rd March 2025, 10:32 AM   #5
serdar
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2023
Posts: 103
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Merenti View Post
Hey Serdar, What you're showing here is a beautiful sword, and you're right. It's described in literature as a German sword. It usually has a mix of different brands (Toledo/Solingen). The blade usually has the words "Me fecit solingen." It can be dated to around 1620-1660. It was probably carried by rondarts.
Thank you on an info Merenti, i saw those kind of blades, me fecit solingen, what do you think are the crosses makers mark allso, or it has to do with religious content?
serdar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23rd March 2025, 11:00 AM   #6
Radboud
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 274
Default

Hi Serder, thanks for showing this sword. Is it from your collection?

They're a great sword and appear to have a long service history. Often associated with naval use, this is likely incorrect though as they are quite a common type with lots of examples out there. They are also surprisingly uniform given the time they're from.

The Royal Armouries online catalogue lists at least three examples:

IX.172

IX.182

IX.184

I think this one is a composite

Plus there are several in the Dutch National Military Museum.

Forum member Cathy Brimage started a good topic on these with comments by Dutch military historian and author J.P. Puype, who theorised that these were cavalry swords.

Certainly in the catalogue "Van Maurits naar Munster - tactiek en triomf van het Staatse leger" by J.P. Puype & A.A. Wiekart they show one on p.g. 102 described as Broadsword for Cavalry circa 1585 - 1600 with the note that the had a long service life.

Personally, they seem short for cavalry use, but I suspect that there is a Dutch connection as the fledgling nation came out of the 80 years of war with the Spanish.

On your sword the Crown over OT mark seems to be fairly prevalent on the examples I've seen, and it is present on the example I have. I know it's popular to associate every T under a crown stamp as being from Toledo, but I doubt that is the case here. Why stamp the blade "Made in Solingen" if it was made in Toledo when the popular trend was to forge blades as having been made in Toledo?
Attached Images
    
Radboud is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23rd March 2025, 11:14 AM   #7
Radboud
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 274
Default

Taking another look at the sword you posted, Serdar, I have some concerns about the authenticity of the blade. The Ricasso is too simple compared to the other examples I've seen, the execution of the central fuller looks wrong, and the Crown over OT is offset to one side when all the examples I've seen place the stamps in the middle just above the tang.

Also, why does it say "ME FECIT" on both sides of the blade? That's saying "Made in" and Made in". It's meaning less.
Radboud is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23rd March 2025, 11:23 AM   #8
serdar
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2023
Posts: 103
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Radboud View Post
Hi Serder, thanks for showing this sword. Is it from your collection?

They're a great sword and appear to have a long service history. Often associated with naval use, this is likely incorrect though as they are quite a common type with lots of examples out there. They are also surprisingly uniform given the time they're from.

The Royal Armouries online catalogue lists at least three examples:

IX.172

IX.182

IX.184

I think this one is a composite

Plus there are several in the Dutch National Military Museum.

Forum member Cathy Brimage started a good topic on these with comments by Dutch military historian and author J.P. Puype, who theorised that these were cavalry swords.

Certainly in the catalogue "Van Maurits naar Munster - tactiek en triomf van het Staatse leger" by J.P. Puype & A.A. Wiekart they show one on p.g. 102 described as Broadsword for Cavalry circa 1585 - 1600 with the note that the had a long service life.

Personally, they seem short for cavalry use, but I suspect that there is a Dutch connection as the fledgling nation came out of the 80 years of war with the Spanish.

On your sword the Crown over OT mark seems to be fairly prevalent on the examples I've seen, and it is present on the example I have. I know it's popular to associate every T under a crown stamp as being from Toledo, but I doubt that is the case here. Why stamp the blade "Made in Solingen" if it was made in Toledo when the popular trend was to forge blades as having been made in Toledo?
Nice Radboud, thank you on a post, yes it is in my colection.
Guy i bought it from, has an amazing colection from period 14-17 century.

He said it was german, and that it was used in town? Like the town knights used them, i realy dont know, first time that i meet with that kind of a sword.
But i do remember he mentioned something about cavalry, but as you said it seems little short for horse use?

About mark, on several places i found identical mark and they place it as passau mark, but as i said, on this one, i realy dont know.

It would definetly be silly to put made in solingen on a toledo blade.

Yours is very nice example!
serdar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23rd March 2025, 10:30 AM   #9
serdar
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2023
Posts: 103
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by corrado26 View Post
I do not know wether this is a German sword or not, but what I know is that the blade is a Toledo one. The "T"-mark is definite.
Hello Corrado26, thank you on an info, reason i thought it is german is becouse of that mark T with O above and crown, in some books it is placed at passau blades? Allso in this forum.

Number 12 on the picture.
Attached Images
 
serdar is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:51 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.