Cutting Edges

Jim McDougall · 20th June 2025, 06:19 PM

This is why you are such a good researcher! you dont trust anything, not even yourself.....I can TOTALLY relate, and constantly double and triple check myself...to my dismay finding more errors as time marches on.

As Aylward was among the first books I ever owned in my early days of this stuff back in the late 60s...naturally like other giants like Oakeshott, Wilkinson, Blair, Norman et al....I thought their words were sacrosanct.

So if I understand, the French must have been producing colichemarde blades even before the marked examples?
It seems in Aylward, I think, it was noted that British makers, did not place names on blades (until 18th c.)? Again, must find that reference......there must have been use of markings though, as the Cutlers Co. decreed that there should be no use of others markings by makers on blades. Naturally that was about as effective as the rest of the Cutlers Co. rulings.

Interesting that Shotley never put names of marks on colichemarde blades when they did use at least the fox on conventional small sword blades.
Also the numbers of blades marked SHOTLY BRIDG are known, not sure if any of them had the fox.

Then we come to, how many blades out of Solingen (or even France) came into Shotley for finishing.? Did Shotley ever forge blades?

20th June 2025, 06:19 PM	#17
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,498	This is why you are such a good researcher! you dont trust anything, not even yourself.....I can TOTALLY relate, and constantly double and triple check myself...to my dismay finding more errors as time marches on. As Aylward was among the first books I ever owned in my early days of this stuff back in the late 60s...naturally like other giants like Oakeshott, Wilkinson, Blair, Norman et al....I thought their words were sacrosanct. So if I understand, the French must have been producing colichemarde blades even before the marked examples? It seems in Aylward, I think, it was noted that British makers, did not place names on blades (until 18th c.)? Again, must find that reference......there must have been use of markings though, as the Cutlers Co. decreed that there should be no use of others markings by makers on blades. Naturally that was about as effective as the rest of the Cutlers Co. rulings. Interesting that Shotley never put names of marks on colichemarde blades when they did use at least the fox on conventional small sword blades. Also the numbers of blades marked SHOTLY BRIDG are known, not sure if any of them had the fox. Then we come to, how many blades out of Solingen (or even France) came into Shotley for finishing.? Did Shotley ever forge blades?