A peculiar 1796 Pattern 'Spadroon'

[Jim McDougall]

This is more bizarre than I thought. This is a heavy cavalry M1796 sword scabbard of the standard troopers form, also of the 'ladder hilt' pattern carried by officers.
Apparently in little known circumstances which have been remarkably researched by Richard Dellar (author of "The British Cavalry Sword: Some New Perspectives"2013) and presented in his "Did the French National Manufactory at Klingenthal Make British Blades ?" ("Man at Arms" Vol.43, #4, Aug. 2021),
there are some interesting possibilities.

As the author notes, despite the compelling evidence that some blades were mounted with Klingenthal markings, these may have been Solingen blades may have been acquired from there as surplus after the end of the Runkel enterprise.

This was during the post Waterloo occupation of Paris. Several British officers had weapons that needed refurbishing and contacted the Klingenthal works, known for high quality blades. However as they did not have the necessary patterns to produce the British heavy cavalry blades , they used contacts in Solingen to acquire a number of blades. As noted these 'anomalies' have turned up with Klingenthal markings.


After this "...other British officers followed suit and ordered replacement blades either as a result of damage or for ENHANCEMENT".

Could it be that this blade, which is basically of the width and profile of a heavy cavalry blade of the heavier form of 1796 for combat, was made at Klingenthal or in France in this situation ? If being commissioned privately for 'enhancement' the Andrea Ferara might have been so placed.

Clearly this is a tenuous suggestion, but the remarkable evidence in the Richard Dellar article offers compelling plausibility.

These swords all have such stories to tell!

This image (from MDL, for informational purposes only, not in stock) is the M1796 heavy cavalry officers 'honeysuckle' or 'ladder' hilt noted.,