How do I find out informtion about a sword I own?

I have what seems to be a ceremonial sword that was found inside of a wall of a boarding house in the 1930s in Eastern Kentucky.

It sort of looks like what I have seen as a Knights of Columbus sword but it doesn't have KOC written on it.

I've got pictures if anybody might help me...I'll send them.

Thanks.

Post the pictures in thread. Look for add attachment under the message window.

Hey Bill. There's a site, arms2armor.com that has a pretty good collection of pictures of american society swords. I'd look at that or do a search for one of the lesser known societies that you know to have ceremonial swords. Knights of Pythias or Patriarchs Militant for example. Putting up a picture however would let all of us weigh in with our experience and opinions and that is usually fun.W.

Here's the link referenced above. It is not all inclusive but does show some of the old militia swords as well. These were the root of most fraternal patterns.
http://arms2armor.com/Swords/usswords.htm

Another helpful page
http://www.ruble-enterprises.com/society.htm

Yet another

http://hometown.aol.com/machood/frat.html

from there

"If it doesn't have the eagle or a bust of Columbus, it is not a KOC sword"

Worth noting though that the full figural eagle pommel is used on other hilts, both for military and other fraternities. There are a couple of different eagles as well.

If the sword is entirely unmarked, there is a good chance of other than KOC association. A great many swords get attributed to them but the bust of Columbus and eagle are pretty conclusive. One may also see the rather common militia swords billed as fraternal and vice versa A dealer I often roll my eyes at has a clearly (to me) marked Masonic variant billed as a military sword.

Pictures of the sword in question would narrow it down pretty quickly. If you are unable to attach them, you could also try uploading them to a hosting site like www.imageshack.com or www.photobucket.com then sharing the gallery or links.

Cheers

GC

OK, here is a pic of the sword.

Thank you very much for the info you've provided so far. I'll check out all links.

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Hi Bill,

It is a Knight's Templar sword. The monogram is of the owner's initials and the name is likely etched on the blade as well. These can be closely dated by the owner's name. One can often narrow down the scope of the search with some genealogic study. In this case, finding out when the wall was built and by whom would be a good start. The sword probably didn't travel far from the original owner, so local history may come well into play. A local lodge may have a record of the fellow.

Here are two more very good references for these swords.

Phoenix Masonry Site

Templar History Site

There is likely some indication on the base of the blade as to who the maker/supplier was. Do you have a picture of the other side?

Cheers

GC

Thanks a lot for the info and resources.

One more question. If I wanted to sell my Knights Templar sword, should I try to spin shin it and get it as clean as possible? Or does that lower the value?

Thanks.