Hello,

Could someone help a newby identify this sword? Loa = 27.5", blade 22.5" x 1" wide On top of back near guard "T" or "E" "RLLV" "L" or "I"

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Thanks
Kevin

Looks like a French, I think, Lebel bayonet blade.

Sorry, that would be a French chassepot Yataghan bayonet - could be British. Look at bayonets of the - Crimean war - Franco-Prussian war era.

Pardon my ignorance of the subject . . . how does it attach to a gun. The hilt looks like a normal sword hilt :D

Thanks

I thought it may be a French Briquette manufactured at Tulle.

Its possible that the blade has been rehilted at a later date. The blade looks very bayonet like and some c19th bayonets could be quite long and have sword style hilts, almost infantry hangers that double as a bayonet.

I thought it was probably re-hilted with a home made guard. This wouldn't have been an uncommon practice. waste not want not. The hilt looks European.

Looks like a French hanger, early to mid1800's maybe.

This is way past my period of knowledge but I'm guessing it's a re-hilted sword bayonet. Here are some pics of bayonets with similar shaped blades:

1866 Chassepot
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1856 Enfield
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Wow, what a klutz I am. I was getting a book down from a shelf and I knocked the sword in question off the shelf too. Well the sword fell point first right onto my right big toe. It can still puncture flesh. This beast may be a altered bayonet. The fuller doesn't seem to match any bayonet fuller of this basic shape that I can find. The guard appears to be of the same age and condition as the blade. The handle is a sore spot, along with my toe, it is bulky and isn't as graceful as the guard and blade.

Thanks
Kevin

Could have shortened it somewhat to get the current guard and grip on...altering the appearance of where the fuller sits in relation to the guard in the process.

I reckon it looks like an arsenal conversion using a bayonet blade. It seems a lot of trouble for an individual to go to to make a sword !
There are cases of conversions done for local use, where new weapons for equipping units were not readily available. Possibly naval or perhaps a locally produced side arm for native troops.