British or Indo Persian Blade?

Bryce · 6th August 2018, 06:47 AM

G'day Guys,

I have this British sword which is a bit of an enigma. Either it is a British made copy of an Indo Persian sword blade or it is an original Indo Persian blade that has been rehilted and engraved.

The blade is 78cm long and 3.3cm wide at its widest points which are at the ricasso and yelman. It has no fullers and much less distal taper than you would normally find on a British sword of this period. Most of the blade's curve is in the second half which is also very unusual for a British blade. The spine of the blade is slightly rounded which is also unusual. Unfortunately the tip of the blade is extensively pitted from past corrosion. It is engraved with the Initials J St L and the crest of the St Leger family, which makes it likely that its original owner was John Hayes St Leger who was a career army officer and one time best friend of George the Prince of Wales later King George IV. There is also the faint remnant of the pre 1801 British royal coat of arms engraved on the blade and the name of the British sword cutler Thomas Gill. It would be unusual for a British sword maker to put their name on a blade they didn't make.

I can see no evidence that the blade may be wootz, apart from the fact the steel has a "different" look about it, which may be just my imagination. I have read that wootz patterns may be masked by the wrong polish and the faint engraving suggests this blade has been extensively polished in the past. I should also add that John St Leger spent time in India.

I am looking for some advice, namely:

1. Do other people think the blade looks Indo Persian and could be wootz?

2. How can I test if it is wootz, without ruining the patina of the blade?

Cheers,
Bryce

6th August 2018, 06:47 AM	#1
Bryce Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: North Queensland, Australia Posts: 186	British or Indo Persian Blade? G'day Guys, I have this British sword which is a bit of an enigma. Either it is a British made copy of an Indo Persian sword blade or it is an original Indo Persian blade that has been rehilted and engraved. The blade is 78cm long and 3.3cm wide at its widest points which are at the ricasso and yelman. It has no fullers and much less distal taper than you would normally find on a British sword of this period. Most of the blade's curve is in the second half which is also very unusual for a British blade. The spine of the blade is slightly rounded which is also unusual. Unfortunately the tip of the blade is extensively pitted from past corrosion. It is engraved with the Initials J St L and the crest of the St Leger family, which makes it likely that its original owner was John Hayes St Leger who was a career army officer and one time best friend of George the Prince of Wales later King George IV. There is also the faint remnant of the pre 1801 British royal coat of arms engraved on the blade and the name of the British sword cutler Thomas Gill. It would be unusual for a British sword maker to put their name on a blade they didn't make. I can see no evidence that the blade may be wootz, apart from the fact the steel has a "different" look about it, which may be just my imagination. I have read that wootz patterns may be masked by the wrong polish and the faint engraving suggests this blade has been extensively polished in the past. I should also add that John St Leger spent time in India. I am looking for some advice, namely: 1. Do other people think the blade looks Indo Persian and could be wootz? 2. How can I test if it is wootz, without ruining the patina of the blade? Cheers, Bryce Attached Images