US 1850 Staff and Field Officers Sword?

Interested Party · 29th July 2021, 06:12 PM

Hi, I would appreciate some help with this sword. This is an area where my knowledge isn't particularly strong. The example presented is a "family" sword of a friend of mine. Their oral history says this sword came down from an unidentified ancestor (possibly a childless uncle) who was a US Civil War veteran (Union). It has a Solingen stamp with a Broad Arrow mark that I found interesting. I remember reading about Germans using the Broad Arrow in a recent(?) post but I couldn't remember where. The "E Pluribus Unum" on the guard would seem very appropriate if this were a Civil War weapon.

P.S. I would like to apologize for the quality of the pictures. I shot these on a very warm, pretty, Wyoming April 3. After five months of winter we wanted an outside shoot which caused an abundance of glare and shadows at 6pm.

MacCathain · 29th July 2021, 06:31 PM

I believe that is a cutler's mark for Carl Wilhelm Clauberg, 1847-1866. Appropriate timing for an ACW piece.

Interested Party · 30th July 2021, 08:35 PM

A very unfortunate name. I could not find out if this Clauberg is related to Auschwitz's Dr. Carl Clauberg. Cutler Clauberg's etching seemed crisper in the examples I've found than in the OP, but maybe that was done in the US. Does anyone know if Clauberg did his own hilts, or just blades?

Jim McDougall · 31st July 2021, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Interested Party

A very unfortunate name. I could not find out if this Clauberg is related to Auschwitz's Dr. Carl Clauberg. Cutler Clauberg's etching seemed crisper in the examples I've found than in the OP, but maybe that was done in the US. Does anyone know if Clauberg did his own hilts, or just blades?

Interesting association, and indeed unfortunate.
Clauberg sold blades and swords to the U.S. firms of Schuyler, Hartley & Graham and W.H.Horstmann who were outfitters for military officers.
While Clauberg is regarded as a blade 'grinder' and purveyor, there was a firm closely associated with him, Freidrich Engles & Co. who made hilts.

It seems that typically there were associated elements in production of swords with blades, hilts, and engraving handled by separate entities.
The New York firms listed were simply retailers and sold ordered swords.

Clauberg blades are known on troopers swords on sabers of both North and South if I have understood correctly. These were hilted by the firms who produced the munitions grade weapons for rank and file.

Jim McDougall · 31st July 2021, 07:21 PM

As an interesting aside, Clauburg was also furnishing blades for export to North Africa. This blade with acid etched Islamic inscription (thuluth) was used by the Mahdist warriors in late 1890s Sudan.

Jim McDougall · 2nd August 2021, 11:34 PM

In Harold Peterson, "The American Sword 1775-1945", 1973, #120 is a Non-Regulation Staff & Field Officers Sword of Civil War (p.132-33).
This sword corresponds almost exactly to the example shown.

The example in the book has the same blade type with fuller and block ricasso the same. Interestingly the hilt of the 'regulation' Staff & Field Officers Sword 1850 is different in the piercework detail and letters US. On the 'official' pattern, these were with Clauberg blade with the name in ellipse around a standing knight figure, which was of course the Clauberg mark.

While the regulation pattern of 1850 was apparently made in the US, with Clauberg furnishing blades it seems with the outbreak of the Civil War, there were examples of these produced in France and sent to the US (Peterson, op.cit,p.133).These are the 'NON' regulation patterns as seen in the sword posted in our discussion.
In #119 (Peterson) the example has similar hilt but blade fullered differently and evidence of the Klingenthal makers name remains.

Next, #120, corresponding to our sword in discussion, the blade is noted as certainly of German make but no markings are seen.

As it is indicated that these non regulation swords of the 1850 pattern were made in France, it is likely that by this time Clauberg was providing blades, with hilts probably made in France and shipped entirely to Schuyler, Hartley and Graham in N.Y. or Horstmann in Philadelphia.
Interesting to see that by c. 1862 Clauberg appears to have been using the arrow marking, and seems to have dropped the IRON PROOF mark used on blades earlier.
In "Sword and Bayonet Makers of Imperial Germany 1871-1918", John Walter, 1973, it is noted Clauberg (apparently making blades from 1857) blades seem to all pre date Franco-Prussian war with notable volume to the firms mentioned during Civil War. The Clauberg firm was located in the Gasstrasse, shared with Anton Wingen Jr. , part of same combine.

So this Non-Regulation Staff and Field officers sword, with Clauberg blade, apparently with hilt either made as earlier suggested in Solingen, then sent to France for export, or the blade provided to a French cutler , then assembled for export.
The American firms were retailers .

This sword then reasonably dates to Civil War period as shown.

31st July 2021, 07:21 PM	#5
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,947	As an interesting aside, Clauburg was also furnishing blades for export to North Africa. This blade with acid etched Islamic inscription (thuluth) was used by the Mahdist warriors in late 1890s Sudan. Attached Images

29th July 2021, 06:12 PM	#1
Interested Party Member Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: Eastern Sierra Posts: 471	US 1850 Staff and Field Officers Sword? Hi, I would appreciate some help with this sword. This is an area where my knowledge isn't particularly strong. The example presented is a "family" sword of a friend of mine. Their oral history says this sword came down from an unidentified ancestor (possibly a childless uncle) who was a US Civil War veteran (Union). It has a Solingen stamp with a Broad Arrow mark that I found interesting. I remember reading about Germans using the Broad Arrow in a recent(?) post but I couldn't remember where. The "E Pluribus Unum" on the guard would seem very appropriate if this were a Civil War weapon. P.S. I would like to apologize for the quality of the pictures. I shot these on a very warm, pretty, Wyoming April 3. After five months of winter we wanted an outside shoot which caused an abundance of glare and shadows at 6pm. Attached Images Last edited by Interested Party; 29th July 2021 at 06:25 PM. Reason: after thought

29th July 2021, 06:31 PM	#2
MacCathain Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Posts: 66	I believe that is a cutler's mark for Carl Wilhelm Clauberg, 1847-1866. Appropriate timing for an ACW piece.

30th July 2021, 08:35 PM	#3
Interested Party Member Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: Eastern Sierra Posts: 471	A very unfortunate name. I could not find out if this Clauberg is related to Auschwitz's Dr. Carl Clauberg. Cutler Clauberg's etching seemed crisper in the examples I've found than in the OP, but maybe that was done in the US. Does anyone know if Clauberg did his own hilts, or just blades?

2nd August 2021, 11:34 PM	#6
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,947	In Harold Peterson, "The American Sword 1775-1945", 1973, #120 is a Non-Regulation Staff & Field Officers Sword of Civil War (p.132-33). This sword corresponds almost exactly to the example shown. The example in the book has the same blade type with fuller and block ricasso the same. Interestingly the hilt of the 'regulation' Staff & Field Officers Sword 1850 is different in the piercework detail and letters US. On the 'official' pattern, these were with Clauberg blade with the name in ellipse around a standing knight figure, which was of course the Clauberg mark. While the regulation pattern of 1850 was apparently made in the US, with Clauberg furnishing blades it seems with the outbreak of the Civil War, there were examples of these produced in France and sent to the US (Peterson, op.cit,p.133).These are the 'NON' regulation patterns as seen in the sword posted in our discussion. In #119 (Peterson) the example has similar hilt but blade fullered differently and evidence of the Klingenthal makers name remains. Next, #120, corresponding to our sword in discussion, the blade is noted as certainly of German make but no markings are seen. As it is indicated that these non regulation swords of the 1850 pattern were made in France, it is likely that by this time Clauberg was providing blades, with hilts probably made in France and shipped entirely to Schuyler, Hartley and Graham in N.Y. or Horstmann in Philadelphia. Interesting to see that by c. 1862 Clauberg appears to have been using the arrow marking, and seems to have dropped the IRON PROOF mark used on blades earlier. In "Sword and Bayonet Makers of Imperial Germany 1871-1918", John Walter, 1973, it is noted Clauberg (apparently making blades from 1857) blades seem to all pre date Franco-Prussian war with notable volume to the firms mentioned during Civil War. The Clauberg firm was located in the Gasstrasse, shared with Anton Wingen Jr. , part of same combine. So this Non-Regulation Staff and Field officers sword, with Clauberg blade, apparently with hilt either made as earlier suggested in Solingen, then sent to France for export, or the blade provided to a French cutler , then assembled for export. The American firms were retailers . This sword then reasonably dates to Civil War period as shown.