[George Rasche]

I am a new member of this group and have a question about how to properly reassemble a U.S. Model 1860 cavalry saber.

I have always wanted to own a sword, and finally found one I could afford at an antique shop last weekend. It is very rough and has been much abused by previous owners. It is marked Mansfield & Lamb, 1862, and was apparently once plated (now rust covered and plating is almost all flaked off). To make things worse, the point of the blade has been rounded off (now about 34 1/2 inches long) and a HOLE has been put in the tip and another in the top of the hilt for hanging!

There was no scabbard with the sword. The hilt appears to be brass (non-magnetic) and is also plated and pitted badly. The wooden handle has been painted, apparently white and then later black, and the wire (which IS magnetic and therefore not brass) has been removed except for about a quarter of an inch at one end. The pommel is not fastened to the tang which is threaded at the end. There was no nut of any kind with it when I bought it.

My main question is: How was the tang originally fastened to the pommel? Pictures I've seen seem to show the hole in the back of the pommel leaded over. Should there be a nut somewhere to hold the handle, hilt, and pommel to the tang (and blade)? And finally, is there any chance that my sword is original?

[Sean Flynt]

I would guess that it's genuine but...plating? This piece should be nothing but brass, steel, wood and leather. I don't know why the tang would be threaded, as these should be peened. On the other hand, I've never seen a bare 1860 blade. See photos of mine for a typical untouched antique:

http://www.myArmoury.com/feature_lost_1860sab.html

[George Rasche]

Thank you for taking time to reply. (Very nice pictures and article, by the way!)

I appreciate your information but I am still bothered by the threading on the tang. It seems to be a standard size (like 1/4-16?) as I have nuts that fit it in my scrap parts cans in my garage! I had thought that if that was correct, maybe pouring lead into the end of the pommel when assembled would also allow it to be repaired without destroying the tang or the pommel by peening. There is a picture on another site that looks very smooth, more like it was leaded than peened.

http://www.militariacollecting.com/upload1/po...236042.jpg

Any thoughts anyone?

[William Goodwin]

I would think they should have been peened also....

for more information contact Tom Nardi @

http://www.cds1.net/~nardi/swords/index.htm

He should have plenty of info. / help


cheers,