Sword-cane for comment

Marcus · 23rd December 2014, 02:27 PM

This sword cane has a cast silver head and a 13-inch triangular stiletto-like blade. The blade is blued with gilt etchings in the style of English and American military sabers of the early 19th century. I would guess it was made in England.

M ELEY · 26th December 2014, 02:11 AM

Hello Marcus,
The short length on this piece makes it a swagger stick. These were very popular among officers, especially naval, throughout the 19th century. As you mentioned, English would be my bet, but there were American examples as well. Silver heads were common, as were ivory or whale bone. They were a sign of a gentleman, but could certainly be used to discourage the numerous riffraff from robbing sailors on their way to the taverns. Some were made in India for the tourist trade, but yours shows honest age. I just saw one not too long ago made from the vertebrae of a shark. Pretty cool!

Marcus · 26th December 2014, 11:19 PM

The total length of the cane is 35.5 inches, and it works well as a walking stick. It is just the blade which only 13 inches long.

M ELEY · 27th December 2014, 01:17 AM

Opps! Sorry about the misread. Yes, a sword cane it is, then. Popular with gentlemen of status for defending themselves against potential thieves. A very nice item!

fernando · 27th December 2014, 01:36 PM

If the silver knob were British, wouldn't it have hallmarks ?

Marcus · 27th December 2014, 05:19 PM

Here is a picture that shows the sword and cane together. There are some small punches on the cane head but I can't make out any details so I can't say if they were intended to be proof marks. There also may be some crudely scratched initials on the head but these could have been made at any time and clearly are not in keeping with the original quality of the piece.

23rd December 2014, 02:27 PM	#1
Marcus Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 420	Sword-cane for comment This sword cane has a cast silver head and a 13-inch triangular stiletto-like blade. The blade is blued with gilt etchings in the style of English and American military sabers of the early 19th century. I would guess it was made in England. Attached Images Last edited by Marcus; 23rd December 2014 at 02:28 PM. Reason: typo

26th December 2014, 11:19 PM	#3
Marcus Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 420	length The total length of the cane is 35.5 inches, and it works well as a walking stick. It is just the blade which only 13 inches long.

27th December 2014, 05:19 PM	#6
Marcus Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 420	a few more pictures Here is a picture that shows the sword and cane together. There are some small punches on the cane head but I can't make out any details so I can't say if they were intended to be proof marks. There also may be some crudely scratched initials on the head but these could have been made at any time and clearly are not in keeping with the original quality of the piece. Attached Images

26th December 2014, 02:11 AM	#2
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,101	Hello Marcus, The short length on this piece makes it a swagger stick. These were very popular among officers, especially naval, throughout the 19th century. As you mentioned, English would be my bet, but there were American examples as well. Silver heads were common, as were ivory or whale bone. They were a sign of a gentleman, but could certainly be used to discourage the numerous riffraff from robbing sailors on their way to the taverns. Some were made in India for the tourist trade, but yours shows honest age. I just saw one not too long ago made from the vertebrae of a shark. Pretty cool!

27th December 2014, 01:17 AM	#4
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,101	Opps! Sorry about the misread. Yes, a sword cane it is, then. Popular with gentlemen of status for defending themselves against potential thieves. A very nice item!

27th December 2014, 01:36 PM	#5
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	If the silver knob were British, wouldn't it have hallmarks ?