Revolutionary War boarding cutlass

M ELEY · 7th July 2011, 01:10 PM

Typical whitetail deer antlers with orangy color near the base. White tail of this period exclusive to the U.S. One must consider if the coloration of the hilt is also a result of aging...

M ELEY · 7th July 2011, 01:14 PM

This is a Roosevelt elk from the American northwest. I know this area wasn't traveled back in the day, but traders had gone that route and there was trade from the Pacific shore with the local native Americans, so ? Note the orange antlers.

M ELEY · 7th July 2011, 01:19 PM

The last pic is too big to load. It's of an Eurasian elk, the European equivellent of the N. American moose. It's antlers are as orange as the Roosevelt elk above. During the time-period we are talking about, they were found in Finland, Sweden, and parts of Russia. To my knowledge, these countries did not have naval cutlass of the pattern we are discussing (the flat single disc type). Gilkerson seems to indicate that this pattern was seen in Britain/U.K. No Eurasian elk there, so ?

Neil · 7th July 2011, 03:33 PM

Just a thought to consider. I think your picture of the Elk was quite possibly taken soon after its velvet was shed from its new rack giving it a relatively short lived abnormally red coloration. It is my understanding that blood vessels in the antlers are very active during the annual antler growth period which ends when the velvet shell is rubbed off. I believe the color mellows to brown and tan as the season progresses.

M ELEY · 8th July 2011, 07:33 AM

Interesting point. I did some research and you are correct about the color. Hmmm... The Eurasian elk and moose seem to be the only other candidates, as I don't see any goat, ram or other animal with reddened orange antler-type horns.

Hotspur · 8th July 2011, 11:16 PM

The cross section looks like elk to me. Flatter and kind of a rounded triangular shape. I had half a rack of one some decades ago and a friend cutler devoured it entirely in a manner of days. The base near the crown is much like what we see on the cutlass.

Cheers

GC

M ELEY · 9th July 2011, 09:43 AM

That was the opinion I was leaning toward (a friend of mine here in NC thought the same). That was good news to me at first, as the common definition of 'elk' are of the species found either here in North America or in Asia. But then I started worrying about the so-called and closely related "red deer" common in Europe. With some research here, I found out that although similar, the antler of red deer are as rough and furrowed as tree bark whereas American elks are smooth. This factor seemed to clear some up some of the mystery until I read that elk live west of the Rockies and up into British Columbia, not exactly an area populated by the early colonists at the time. More research awaits...

(edit)- I just read that elk lived throughout the Great Lakes region, though Kentucky down to Louisiana and westward to the Pasific coast during colonial times. It was only into the 19th century that their numbers were decimated and they now reside west of the Rockies. Sad testament to time, but I think this cinches it that the hilt is elk antler from here-

7th July 2011, 01:10 PM	#1
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,141	Typical whitetail deer antlers with orangy color near the base. White tail of this period exclusive to the U.S. One must consider if the coloration of the hilt is also a result of aging... Attached Images

7th July 2011, 01:14 PM	#2
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,141	This is a Roosevelt elk from the American northwest. I know this area wasn't traveled back in the day, but traders had gone that route and there was trade from the Pacific shore with the local native Americans, so ? Note the orange antlers. Attached Images

7th July 2011, 01:19 PM	#3
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,141	The last pic is too big to load. It's of an Eurasian elk, the European equivellent of the N. American moose. It's antlers are as orange as the Roosevelt elk above. During the time-period we are talking about, they were found in Finland, Sweden, and parts of Russia. To my knowledge, these countries did not have naval cutlass of the pattern we are discussing (the flat single disc type). Gilkerson seems to indicate that this pattern was seen in Britain/U.K. No Eurasian elk there, so ?

7th July 2011, 03:33 PM	#4
Neil Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 114	Just a thought to consider. I think your picture of the Elk was quite possibly taken soon after its velvet was shed from its new rack giving it a relatively short lived abnormally red coloration. It is my understanding that blood vessels in the antlers are very active during the annual antler growth period which ends when the velvet shell is rubbed off. I believe the color mellows to brown and tan as the season progresses.

8th July 2011, 07:33 AM	#5
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,141	Interesting point. I did some research and you are correct about the color. Hmmm... The Eurasian elk and moose seem to be the only other candidates, as I don't see any goat, ram or other animal with reddened orange antler-type horns.

8th July 2011, 11:16 PM	#6
Hotspur Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Nipmuc USA Posts: 508	The cross section looks like elk to me. Flatter and kind of a rounded triangular shape. I had half a rack of one some decades ago and a friend cutler devoured it entirely in a manner of days. The base near the crown is much like what we see on the cutlass. Cheers GC

9th July 2011, 09:43 AM	#7
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,141	That was the opinion I was leaning toward (a friend of mine here in NC thought the same). That was good news to me at first, as the common definition of 'elk' are of the species found either here in North America or in Asia. But then I started worrying about the so-called and closely related "red deer" common in Europe. With some research here, I found out that although similar, the antler of red deer are as rough and furrowed as tree bark whereas American elks are smooth. This factor seemed to clear some up some of the mystery until I read that elk live west of the Rockies and up into British Columbia, not exactly an area populated by the early colonists at the time. More research awaits... (edit)- I just read that elk lived throughout the Great Lakes region, though Kentucky down to Louisiana and westward to the Pasific coast during colonial times. It was only into the 19th century that their numbers were decimated and they now reside west of the Rockies. Sad testament to time, but I think this cinches it that the hilt is elk antler from here-