Revolutionary War era side knife/dagger

Triarii · 25th June 2025, 04:24 PM

I'll qualify my 'C18th' as late C18th, so not far off your 1800 date. Can I find the pictures of the examples I saw... nope. I recall a canted hilt on a so-called 'flank officers sword' by Read of Dublin, so last part of the C18th ie before the 1803 pattern appears.

Jim McDougall · 25th June 2025, 06:49 PM

Then there is this oddball Ive had about 45 years. I had always regarded it as an early variant of the 1796 light cavalry saber (in fact in was included in an article on such variants by Eric Troldhuus of the Danish Arms and Armour Society in the 90s). In some Caucasian sabers such as the skirted shashka, it seemed perhaps some of the ethnic influences such as Tatar from these might have come into play. However that assumption would be pretty tenuous.

What is even more interesting on this is the extremely parabolic shamshir blade with the pipeback blade somewhat popular in early British sabers. In this early period from the time Henry Osborn was developing the regulation British light cavalry saber of 1796, there were considerations of tulwars, shamshirs and other ethnographic forms, so perhaps this might have been some sort of prototype,...so many mysteries!

M ELEY · 27th June 2025, 04:28 AM

I remember this amazing sword you posted in the past, Jim. I swear I saw one extremely similar in an old 90's sword catalog from our friend in Illinois.

I'll have to try and track that one down. In the mean-time, thanks everyone for the feedback. The canted blade examples are indeed interesting. Nathan Starr is associated with these types as already mentioned. So are the Virginia Manufactory swords of the early Federalist period ca. 1805-10.

25th June 2025, 06:49 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,512	Canted hilt Then there is this oddball Ive had about 45 years. I had always regarded it as an early variant of the 1796 light cavalry saber (in fact in was included in an article on such variants by Eric Troldhuus of the Danish Arms and Armour Society in the 90s). In some Caucasian sabers such as the skirted shashka, it seemed perhaps some of the ethnic influences such as Tatar from these might have come into play. However that assumption would be pretty tenuous. What is even more interesting on this is the extremely parabolic shamshir blade with the pipeback blade somewhat popular in early British sabers. In this early period from the time Henry Osborn was developing the regulation British light cavalry saber of 1796, there were considerations of tulwars, shamshirs and other ethnographic forms, so perhaps this might have been some sort of prototype,...so many mysteries! Attached Images

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Switch to Linear Mode Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

25th June 2025, 04:24 PM	#1
Triarii Member Join Date: Oct 2021 Location: Bristol Posts: 142	I'll qualify my 'C18th' as late C18th, so not far off your 1800 date. Can I find the pictures of the examples I saw... nope. I recall a canted hilt on a so-called 'flank officers sword' by Read of Dublin, so last part of the C18th ie before the 1803 pattern appears.

27th June 2025, 04:28 AM	#3
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,184	I remember this amazing sword you posted in the past, Jim. I swear I saw one extremely similar in an old 90's sword catalog from our friend in Illinois. I'll have to try and track that one down. In the mean-time, thanks everyone for the feedback. The canted blade examples are indeed interesting. Nathan Starr is associated with these types as already mentioned. So are the Virginia Manufactory swords of the early Federalist period ca. 1805-10.