Dutch(?) sword for ID

GrozaB · 12th April 2018, 09:20 PM

Interesting thing - yesterday I had chance to examine two dutch 1775 cutlasses - one is dutch marked and another one is unmarked. Hilt looks very similar, but only on photos. In hand it is completely different story - grip of Dutch 1775 is bit longer, ticker, guard bars also ticker. Grip wrap is regular leather, not sharkskin like on this one. Honestly - have no clue now...

M ELEY · 13th April 2018, 02:21 AM

Hi GrozaB,

I think yours is the earlier pattern hilt, which did in fact have shark or fishskin (?) while my pattern (m1790) was a slightly smaller hilt with leather.

I had a question. Is the straight blade on yours loose? Where it is peened at the capstan, where its hammered, is the patina matching? Also, where the guard bar is removed, hard to tell from pic. Does it's removal appear contemporary with the rest of the guard? (does the patina match roughly?)

GrozaB · 13th April 2018, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M ELEY

Hi GrozaB,

I think yours is the earlier pattern hilt, which did in fact have shark or fishskin (?) while my pattern (m1790) was a slightly smaller hilt with leather.

I had a question. Is the straight blade on yours loose? Where it is peened at the capstan, where its hammered, is the patina matching? Also, where the guard bar is removed, hard to tell from pic. Does it's removal appear contemporary with the rest of the guard? (does the patina match roughly?)

The blade is rock solid, patina matching, so I don't blade was remounted in last 200 years or so. Same patina on the remaining of guard bar - it definitely was removed very long time ago.

M ELEY · 14th April 2018, 04:20 AM

Fascinating! It could be a pirate-

Again, be it that the hilt was for a marine sword, there is that possibility. Unfortunately, without more existing examples or some solid evidence, just conjecture. Still a nice piece!

GrozaB · 14th April 2018, 03:29 PM

I'm thinking it is probably from one of small German states, it was over hundred of them

M ELEY · 15th April 2018, 03:32 AM

That is a possibility as well. Infantry units and naval carried similar weapons. The straight blades were found on both. The Dutch obviously were exporting the pattern and as you said, the German republic was widespread. Still, I would have expected an export mark or unit mark on an imported German piece-

12th April 2018, 09:20 PM	#1
GrozaB Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Chicago Posts: 32	Interesting thing - yesterday I had chance to examine two dutch 1775 cutlasses - one is dutch marked and another one is unmarked. Hilt looks very similar, but only on photos. In hand it is completely different story - grip of Dutch 1775 is bit longer, ticker, guard bars also ticker. Grip wrap is regular leather, not sharkskin like on this one. Honestly - have no clue now...

13th April 2018, 02:21 AM	#2
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,196	Hi GrozaB, I think yours is the earlier pattern hilt, which did in fact have shark or fishskin (?) while my pattern (m1790) was a slightly smaller hilt with leather. I had a question. Is the straight blade on yours loose? Where it is peened at the capstan, where its hammered, is the patina matching? Also, where the guard bar is removed, hard to tell from pic. Does it's removal appear contemporary with the rest of the guard? (does the patina match roughly?)

14th April 2018, 04:20 AM	#4
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,196	Fascinating! It could be a pirate- Again, be it that the hilt was for a marine sword, there is that possibility. Unfortunately, without more existing examples or some solid evidence, just conjecture. Still a nice piece!

14th April 2018, 03:29 PM	#5
GrozaB Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Chicago Posts: 32	I'm thinking it is probably from one of small German states, it was over hundred of them

15th April 2018, 03:32 AM	#6
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,196	That is a possibility as well. Infantry units and naval carried similar weapons. The straight blades were found on both. The Dutch obviously were exporting the pattern and as you said, the German republic was widespread. Still, I would have expected an export mark or unit mark on an imported German piece-