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swords

Perhaps the heart of my business, which covers rapiers, backswords, broadswords, smallswords of the fighting era right through to the 19th and 20th century, principally Austrian, British, French and German. Good reference books include: Robson's book on British military swords (2nd edition); museum catalogues (in particular, for the 17th & 18th centuries, the Wallace Collection's two-volume set); the series (a set of some 30 volumes, out of print) on French military swords by Christian Aries; and, covering Scotland, The swords and the sorrows, the 1996 Culloden exhibition catalogue.

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militaria item Prussian forestry cutlass with by-knife, knot and ivory grip
- German
This is the classic Forestry cutlass worn by senior Foresters (denoted by the ivory grip and the gold/green knot) across Europe from the early 18th century onwards. They continued in use through the Weimar era and Third Reich, only latterly losing the by-knife. Lower ranks wore cutlasses with a stag horn grip and a plain green knot.

militaria item Prussian artillery hanger, private purchase
- German
This is a gunner's 'walking out' hanger, akin in purpose to the dress bayonets of the Third Reich era, ie to be worn with dress uniform when not on duty in barracks. The issue version of this weapon was a much more substantial affair, although both continued in use throughout WW1.

militaria item 1st Empire naval officer's (possibly a surgeon) sword, Year 12 model
- French
This is a senior administrative officer's sword, probably either a surgeon or an apothecary, viz the twin-headed serpent on the guard. The little dolphin head at the end of the knuckle bow by the pommel indicates the naval branch of service. The mounts are ormolu and the grip is ebony.

militaria item Heavy Cavalry officer's dress sword, 1796 pattern
- British
This is an Austrian pattern, which was adopted by the British army in 1796 as a dress sword for Heavy Cavalry general officers and militia units. It would have been used throughout the Peninsula War and at Waterloo and beyond until about 1820 or so.

militaria item Officer's sword knot, 1896 model, Brunswick?
- German
This has major differences when compared to the standard Prussian officer's knot, principally the outstanding quality of the bullion work and the yellow centre to the base and the yellow fleck in the bullion collar at the top of the knot (hence the possible Brunswick attribution).

militaria item Silver-mounted hunting sword
- German
This hanger is almost certainly of German origin, probably the Oels family of Brunswick (the hereditary dukes) because of the presence of the gold 'O' featured in four places on the mounts. An unusual feature is the ovoid pommel, similar to that of a smallsword of the period.

militaria item Brass-hilted sawback hanger
- British
This hanger, almost certainly of military or naval origin, is an exceptionally clean example with a 24" sawback blade and a staghorn grip. Typically they would have been used in the Seven Years War, as well as in the US War of Independence. It would have been carried in a brass-mounted leather scabbard, now sadly lacking.

militaria item Light Cavalry officer's sword, 1788 pattern variant
- British
This iron-mounted sabre, dating from the early years of the Napoleonic Wars, would have been carried by a British officer in a cavalry or yeomanry unit. Singularly, it has a backstrap/pommel in the form of a lion's head, something I have never seen on this pattern in over 50 years of arms dealing. All I need is a good portrait to pin it down!

militaria item Hunting hanger with tortoiseshell grip
- German
The hilt could be Dutch or French, the use of tortoiseshell having been introduced to Europe in the late 17th century, probably through Dutch colonial connections. The mid 18th-century German blade (26" long) would have replaced an earlier, shorter, straight, double-edged blade (broken?), probably to enable the weapon's use as a naval hanger.

militaria item Silver smallsword, Inspecteur aux Revues
- French
This sword, dating from 1805-09, would have been carried by an Inspecteur aux (or 'des') Revues (the equivalent of Commissary in the British Army), responsible for pay, provisions (hence the ears of wheat on the guard and knuckle bow) and the depot system. Before this, they simply carried an ordinary infantry sword. The sword is rare.

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testimonials

I picked up the parcel today ... I am very pleased I decided to buy this.

C T, Denmark, 09.08.2013

Bayonets arived today and as always they're great. Thanks again.

G D, UK, 02.12.2011

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