Cutting Edges

[urbanspaceman]

I've been back to explore this sword some more, beginning with finding a better image.

Here's what I've found - and please correct me whenever necessary.
First, the hilt was from John Carman II (Holborn, London) in 1753.
The blade, however, is one of the early Shotley Bridge output i.e. 1688 onwards.
Considering how many of Washington's military ancestors were from the North East of England the blade has obviously been a family heirloom re-hilted as a presentation to GW on the occasion of his first commission.
It is telling that, from then on, when using a smallsword, he favoured colichemarde blades. For example, in 1767 his first colichemarde arrived, in parts, from London, and he gave his previous smallsword to Major George Lewis who was his sister's son and his aide-de-camp during the revolution.
ps
Notice the indication of frequent sharpening to remove nicks.

[urbanspaceman]

Following up further, here is the colichemarde he ordered from London.
The cutler was Matthew Feesey: the King's cutler. There was also a silversmith involved of course, but I found - then lost - his name. Any takers?

[Jim McDougall]

Keith, Matthew Feesey (1703-69) was cutler to the king working in Pall Mall (in London). On another colichemarde blade silver hilt with London hallmarks 1744-45, marketed by him, there are makers marks TB (= Thomas Bamford?)
ref noted Southwick (2001, p.106-107).

[urbanspaceman]

Hello Jim. What would we do without you ? ! Thank-you, I believe that was the name I lost.
On another note:
it looks to me like I have uncovered a previously unknown thread of Washington's history; who'd have believed it possible?
Everyone living in the North East of England is well aware of the connection with your first president due to his ancestral home here: https://fabulousnorth.com/washington-old-hall/
The earliest reference to the hall was in 973, when it stood as a wooden building; however, it was first built in stone in 1183. The president's lineage begins in 1292.
All that aside, we now have a direct link between Washington and Shotley Bridge, and it goes some way to possibly explaining his penchant for colichemardes.
My book just keeps getting bigger and bigger.
I'll send you a pdf. (15mb) which will allow you to input searches; a better option, as I have not compiled an index.
Thanks again.

[kronckew]

Washington had quite a collection of swords. He tended to wear a Colichimarde small sword, as fashionable, in paintings made of him.


However, being a veteran of many closely fought military actions, he carried a different, more practical hanger sword with a curved blade in real battles.

[urbanspaceman]

From what my cursory research tells me, Washington was recognised as having nine swords altogether. Apart from the two I have illustrated, I've seen another colichemarde with a cut-steel hilt, most probably from Matthew Boulton by the look of it. There were two cuttoes that I've found so far. A French epee (1767 style) and the fancy presentation broadsword.
I don't know what the others are- does anybody?

[Jim McDougall]

Think I found it,
From "The Swords of George Washington". Goldstein, Mowbray & Hendelson, 2016,p,52;
."..these pierced hilts were all the rage in the last half of the 1760s and the one destined for George Washington was made by a London small worker-possibly Appalone Rudkins and was struck with sterling hallmarks for the year 1767. "



It is noted that Pall Mall, where Feesey was located, was a posh retail district, where industrial activity such as blade making would not be acceptable.

p.10;
"..though smiths in the British Midlands could make respectable blades, the best ones came from Germany. And thats exactly what Washingtons new sword mounted-a beautiful high quality colichemarde blade from Solingen".

It seems that "...conservatively figured, at least nine of Washingtons swords and one blade were at Mt.Vernon at the outset of the 19th c. If we read the documents in a less rigid way there could have been as many as sixteen swords and one blade in Washingtons possession at the time of his passing".

In my earlier entry, the silver hilt worker TB from another Feesey sword (1744) is not what we were looking for.....but this AR on the 1767 sword most likely the one sought.

While this does not directly provide an answer to the colichemarde question, it does imply that the military favor for these type blades had a certain bearing on choices for swords being commissioned. At the time Washington was ordering a sword from London, the cutlers there were typically getting blades from Solingen. As noted, the British blade makers were well qualified to produce these blades, but Solingen had long standing arrangements with cutlers there in London, and in many cases as seen, the cutlers were 'for the King'. The political issues of the still raw Jacobite matters perhaps inclined adherence to the established Solingen makers over British. This finally reached the boiling point with the Gill perpetuation of British blades over German c.1790.