Victorian bastard(?)

Jim McDougall · 12th July 2020, 06:17 PM

While discussions of reproduction or altered swords is of course, typically counter productive in discussions of arms from a historical perspective, it is in my opinion, almost an essential study for collectors. Even the most seasoned collectors can be hoodwinked by the ever increasing skills of artificers and unscrupulous sellers.

In Victorian, and Edwardian times, the gentlemans 'smoking room' was essential in a status sense, and these baronial settings were often if not typically appointed with armor and weaponry of antiquity. There were few connoisseurs of weaponry with key knowledge, so many weapons were created by makers such as Ernst Schmitt, as noted, and others.

Many of these weapons were stunningly accurate and seemingly authentic, and honestly have become antiques in their own right. The famed Higgins museum in Massachusetts had many of these on display.

Having the observations and expertise of those posting here provides key insight into recognition details and character of this very good example, so thank you Shayde for posting it here!
Regarding use of authentic components in the assembly of these Victorian examples, if I am not mistaken, was not unusual. As Oakeshott once noted, the blades of many kaskara broadswords brought back from Sudan were mounted in fabricated 'medieval' hilts, and many quite convincingly.

12th July 2020, 06:17 PM	#9
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,467	While discussions of reproduction or altered swords is of course, typically counter productive in discussions of arms from a historical perspective, it is in my opinion, almost an essential study for collectors. Even the most seasoned collectors can be hoodwinked by the ever increasing skills of artificers and unscrupulous sellers. In Victorian, and Edwardian times, the gentlemans 'smoking room' was essential in a status sense, and these baronial settings were often if not typically appointed with armor and weaponry of antiquity. There were few connoisseurs of weaponry with key knowledge, so many weapons were created by makers such as Ernst Schmitt, as noted, and others. Many of these weapons were stunningly accurate and seemingly authentic, and honestly have become antiques in their own right. The famed Higgins museum in Massachusetts had many of these on display. Having the observations and expertise of those posting here provides key insight into recognition details and character of this very good example, so thank you Shayde for posting it here! Regarding use of authentic components in the assembly of these Victorian examples, if I am not mistaken, was not unusual. As Oakeshott once noted, the blades of many kaskara broadswords brought back from Sudan were mounted in fabricated 'medieval' hilts, and many quite convincingly.