[David Wilson]

And speaking of rare treasure...Del Tin Scottish Basket-hilt Claymore:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Awesome-19th-C-English-Sc...dZViewItem

I know, he's not advertising it as such, but that's what it is....

[Rob MacL.]

Not sure if this is REALLY what it says it is, but might be worth a look for those with a more discerning eye than mine:

Jody Samson Sculpted Sword w/ Angus Trim Blade:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&...SS:CA:1123

[Lin Robinson]

[Allen Andrews]

Cervenka longsword:

http://cgi.ebay.com/High-Quality-Hand-Forged-...dZViewItem

[Brian Nicholas]

Guys,

Take a look at this beauty. I noticed it the other day while surfing on ebay for swords (go figure).

It is truly a beautiful sword and it would be interesting to hear what you all have to say about it, such as what pattern and any clues as to the maker etc...

This is the url address, just copy and paste into your browser.

http://cgi.liveauctions.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI...5&rd=1

Enjoy and have a great saturday

Brian

[D Critchley]

The hilt is french from the 1840s I think. So it looks like a "cut and shut"
Pity, as you say the blade is very good, I like the way it's chisled as well as engraved and gilded.

[Brian Nicholas]

David, the sad part is someone just paid $2,100 dollars for an 1840's french hilt George III from the 1760s. Ouch that's gotta hurt.

[Morgan Butler]

[Carl Croushore]

Albion Stamford w/ custom scabbard here...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-Custom-Albion-Stamfo...dZViewItem

[Brian Nicholas]

I've found a few interesting finds on Ebay lately. A couple of the sellers have some real beauties and more in their othr listings.

I really like this 1803 British Foot Officers Sword, they took a 1796 Light Cavalry Sabre and really gussied it up for their officers. This is the listing for an original, the seller seems very reputable, and we have talked and is very knowledgeable and guarantees the authenticity of his swords check out his other itms.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?viewItem...amp;ih=009



I have found a site in Canada, that has what appears to be an outstading repro of this style of sword here's the link:
http://www.militaryheritage.com/1803sword.htm

Hope you enjoy the pics

Brian Nicholas

[Morgan Butler]

Here's a lovely piece of steel on Ebay. Unidentified yet gorgeous. Cant stop looking at it. Looks like British, early 19th century.

[Steve Grisetti]

[Brian Nicholas]

It amazes me the way people bid on these items. Why on earth would you bid up the price 4 days away from the end. The serious bidding takes place within the last 5-10 minutes, and all they due is drive up the price on something they have no intention of winning.

Morgan,that is a beautiful saber/sword. It has the blade and semi-reverse p grip of the 1796 Light Cavalry saber, which became all the rage for foot officer in the British Army. Their prior sword was next to useless, and British officer had a great deal of latitude when it came to purchasing their swords, so many began carry up-scale versions of the 1796LC. The 1803 was the direct result of so many un-official swords being in service, that Horse Guards finally said if you can't beat em join em, and came up with the 1803 Foot Officers sword.

The crown on the guard of the one you are watch definatley looks British to me. The lion pommel was all the rage, especially with Scottish Officers, the Lion being Scotland's armorial symbol. My guess this one of the variants that an officer had made for himself before the official changeover. I am anxious to see how this progresses.

Maybe David Critchley or a couple other of the boards more expert minds on the subject of 1796 will weigh in on this.

Thanks for showing it too us.

Best Regards
Brian Nicholas

[Nathan Robinson]

[Steve Maly]

Hey Morgan,

Do you have a link for that sword?

Steve

[Brian Nicholas]

Morgan,

Yes please, do you have a link for that sword on ebay, or if no link an auction number will do. I've been scouring ebay all night and can't find it. But sometimes these are listed in the strangest places and I sometimes think that the search engine gets lazy and doesnt look at everything.

THANKs
and Best Regards
Brian Nicholas

[Morgan Butler]

Sorry I didnt write you guys earlier. I checked ebay as soon as I read the new posts. Alas that Super beautiful mysterious sword has been taken from the listing!!!! A strange vision of steel that will haunt us forever.............But we have captured the pictures here foreverver!!! Interestingly the thread about it on SFI has been erased as well. Perhaps the seller was the one who posted it (?)
Too bad, I was preparing myself body, mind and spirit for a bidding war. Even if it was unidentified or hinky as far as its pedigree I would have liked it for its own sake. Even as a one of a kind mutt sword it looked awful nice to wield. I think Brians estimation that it might be an officers private purchase has real merit. Too damn lovely!

As for ebay impulsive bidding, its important too remember that the whole purpose of its format and the descriptions and photos of the sellers is to elict that kind of visceral response from potential buyers. So I sort of expect it as a frequent sailor on the E-bay seas.

[D Critchley]

It is a pretty sword, probably that of a militia officer. But the more I look at it though the more I wonder....

For instance, a sword like that would be about 2 years of a common labourers wage, so about $15-$20K in todays terms.

Would you pay $20K for this build quality? (see attachment)

Probably just a clumsy repair but I think I would want to see the sword properly before I bid on it.

David

[Brian Nicholas]

Hello David,

I was wondering if you were going to join in on this. Given your expertise on the 1796 and other swords from that period I was hoping you would.

It's a possibility that the defect you pointed out could have been done long after the sword was commissioned and purchased. Perhaps it's even a war wound. Most serious soldiers/officers had a dress sword and a field sword. But some of the young popinjay noble types would not have thpought twice about carrying thier dress sword in the field. This was the class of officer that sort of followed the school of thought that it wasn't what you actually did on the battle field that mattered so long as you were properly attired and accoutered. They labored under the belief that the enemy would surrender upon sight of such a dashing military figure. Although the pic was not too close up, the blade looked serviceable from a distance, and given the cost, I'm sure it was one of the finest blades available. Certainly capable in the right hands, of being a fighting sword.

Here is the Provenance for this mystery sword, please read the way it was written, with tongue firmly planted in cheek.

I can picture in my minds eye, the owner of such a beautiful sword, our noble hero, the young and dashing Right Honourable, Leftenant or better yet Grenadier Captain, Lord Snotty of Snobsbury, eldest son and heir of Lord Obnoxious Drunken Arrogant Buffoon (they all had to have 4 frist names), 12th Earl of Snobsbury, ABC, PDQ, XYZ,. Our young hero rides onto the battlefield on his pedigreed horse, whose cost would have fed the residents of Snobsbury for several years, and is still a bit tipsy from an absolutely long and grueling night which started off with a grand dinner at a local dignitaries estate, followed by a grand ball where our young lordling wooed and was wooed by every pretty young elligible girl within 30 miles, which in turn was followed up with some serious drinking, card palying and assorted debauchery with "Vakey" ( young lord Vacanteyes of Dimwitty upon Cesspool). Our dashing figure of the British Aristocracy and Vakey both attended Cambridge together, when they could make the time, and when this convenient war broke out with the damned frogies, our hero thought it would be a capital idea if their daddies bought them commissions in the 1st Snobsbury Regiment of Foot, which short of one of the Guards or Household regiments, was the most fashionable regiment in the army. Can't you see Lord Snotty now, damning the eyes of the wretched commoners that comprised the actual soldiery, and making snyde comments to Vakey about that uncouth lout Major Angus McAngus and his toady Captain Sturdy of the Light Company, who were both veterans of several campaigns and the only two officers in this fashionable regiment who could actually fight, understood basic infantry tactics, and earned the respect of the sergeants and soldiers. Lord Snottty is now standing in his place as Captain of the Grenadier Company, slashing at wild flowers and tall grass with the beautiful sword we saw pictured, which he had commisioned from the renowned cutlers Dewey, Cheatem and Howe, (which incidently was the only thing young Snotty managed to cut down before the day was done), all the while telling the enthusiastic and cherubic, young Ensign Greengills that as soon as the Frenchies catch sight of the of the 1st Snobs, they'd turn tail and run all the way back to Paris, and of course grousing about how damned inconvenient this battle was , as He and Vakey had planned to go fox hunting with a couple decent old chaps from the The Queen Mother's Own Arrogant Hussars, with whom they had played cards last night. And what a dueced bad turn of luck that was loosing so much coin, and could young Greengills , the son a modest innkeeper who had scraped and save every farthing he could so his boy could buy a place in such a fashionable regiment as the 1st Snobs so his boy could build a future for himself and young Sunny Brighteyes, to whom Greengills was engaged, see his way clear to lend a brother officer some coin, just until daddie sent this month's allowance of 100 Pounds of course. Poor young Greengills just staring back, wondering what 100 pounds even looked like. Well needless to say once the French drummers begin beating "Old Trousers" as the redcoats called it, and they crested the rise and caught site of the 1st Snobs, they didn't turn tail and run as young Snotty had foretold. Instead poor Snotty spent most of the day either on his back or scrabbling through the dirt , utterly ruining his immaculately tailored uniform, which he had purchased from the famed London Tailors, Hogwash, Bootlick and Lickspittle. In fact hte day nearly came to a very abrupt end for our hero were it not for the fact that he conveniently managed to place young Greengills between himself and a savage sword blow from some gigantic French Sergeant. Fortunatey Sergeant O'Paddy was nearby and finished off that beast of a Frenchman before he came over Greengills' body for a fresh swing. Damned shame about poor Greengills, now would you look at the damage that bloody frog did to my sword guard, Snotty thinks to himself as he bends down to retrive young Greengills' purse. Better he take it and put it to good use, you know what wretched thieves the common soldiers are, besisdes Greengills was about to lend him the money anyway. He'd pay it back to that young girl, now what was her name, that the lad was always going on about. As he rose back to his feet, he reminded himself to give that bogtrotter O'Paddy a Guinea for helping him vindicate poor young Greengills' death and it came to him that the notch on his sword guard would actually serve him well as he regailed London society about his glorius actions of the day and his revenge against the garlic breathed frenchman who practically murdered the poor defenseless Greengills.

This seems like a suitable provenance to go with Morgan's mystery sword.

Have a great Memorial day weekend and Don't Forget Our Troops who are over in Iraq and Afgahnistan doing the dirty work of fighting one of King George the Second's and the Honourable East Haliburton Company's (affectionately known as Dick Company) little wars.

Best Regards
Brian Nicholas

[D Critchley]

"Dimwitty upon Cesspool"

I think I've been there


Sadly it's probably a militia sword though, these very onamental ones often are. In which case the nearest it got to active service was marching up and down the village green after church on a Sunday morning.

Here's my one with similar bars, a little earlier... from about 1775. A little shorter and lighter as it's meant to poke colonials in woodland not frenchmen in Spanish countryside. It was probably carried with a fusil or private purchase musket.