My first sword

[Ed]

Back in the day, when I was 10, 11? I wanted a sword. No, I NEEDED a sword.

I had no idea how to get one but I somehow came across mail order surplus dealers. Here is the result. My first sword.

This example of the swordmaker's art is a cut down blade (I understand from a Patton Sword) with a bent steel knuckle bow.

This was mounted on my wall had held pride of place for a decade or more.

Interestingly, I came across an auction of this fine thing. They referred to it as a "Drop Sword" made to be dropped to outfit resistance fighters during WW2.

Pardon me for a moment


Anyhoo, it is number one and I am going to give it to my grandson with a lesson on fakes.

[Jim McDougall]

What a great story Ed!!! I totally relate as my first weapons (c.1955) were surplus bayonets bought from bucket fulls in a surplus store at about a quarter apiece. But enthralled by Zorro on Disney a bit later, I longed for a 'sword'.
My first 'sword' was an old Moro keris I got when I helped a guy sand down an old model A frame for a hot rod he was building.

Attached is a M1913 'Patton' sword. Actually these are somewhat reduced in their number as in the WWII period, many were cut down into 'trench knives' but using the huge hilt, and cutting down the blade.

This anomaly you post is interesting as it seems to resemble the 1918 WWI trench knife' knuckle duster, as if a vestigial reference to the knuckles.
Ironically in was made by LF&C...the same outfit that made my M1913 (in 1919!)

[Ed]

Ex wife swiped my trench knife from grand dad.

I bought the sword from a dodgy surplus dealer J&S sales maybe?? Name escapes me.

At the time, I knew that it wasn't "right" but it was the closest I could come.

[fernando]

Jim, you and i have been through this a thousand times. I can understand (can i ?) Ed has not the read scope of our Euro forum. But your adding fuel to the fire, posting again and again that Patton stuff ! Jim my friend, definitely we are becoming old, Jim .
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=23414.

[Ed]

Just a little fun. Perhaps a sub forum like "Banter"?

BTW it is highly unclear to me what was cut down. I had thought that it was originally perhaps a Horstmann US Staff Sword from the CW period. I'd be interested in any comments.

Another point is that I had heard/read that there were still stores of US Civil War material scattered about the country. This was some time ago ut it makes some sense. I might vote that this example has a blade that is earlier than the Patton sword.

And on the Patton Sword itself: it should certainly be part of the corpus of this forum. It is the final, ultimate manifestation of the European Sword. In fact it's development owes more to the European Court Sword tradition than anything else. I would argue that Patton, who was a romantic at heart, knew full well that he was paying homage to that tradition.

Rules are great but slavishly folling them is really dangerous for intellectual exploration.

my 2p

[fernando]

Thank you for your bright views, Ed. But ... just stick to the rules !