Sword identification needed please -- myArmoury.com

Greg Marr

I recently purchaced what I believe to be a french cavalry sabre but I wanted to try to find out more about it. The makers mark is slightly worn but it should be good enough to identify it. The blade itself appears to be imported from spain as it has "inporte" stamped on the tang.

Any info on this would be appreciated.
Greg

Glen A Cleeton · Posted: Sat 01 Jan, 2011 2:08 pm Post subject:

Hi Greg, welcome aboard.

My wag from the single shot of the backstrap and threaded tang kind of resembles late 19th century infantry, civilian officials as well as general staff and field swords of a French infantry pattern. The letters you are showing are not a makers mark. Does the hilt have three branches and the grip finger grooves?

Pictures of the overall and specifications like length of the blade, width of the blade are going to be helpful is folk being able to help much. A south American model? Italian? Really hard to judge or determine much from the one picture of the back.

Cheers

GC

Sam Barris · Posted: Sat 01 Jan, 2011 4:19 pm Post subject:

I concur. Those letters are probably the initials of the original owner.

Greg Marr · Posted: Fri 07 Jan, 2011 9:37 am Post subject:

sorry about the lack of photographs! Il add more now and hopefully that will be a little easier to identify.
Also from what I could see there would have origionally be brass wire or wires wrapped around the wooden grooves on the grip.

Would a photo of the tang be useful?

Thanks

Greg

Simon G. · Posted: Fri 07 Jan, 2011 9:48 am Post subject:

Pretty sure it's a cuirassier sword, because of the straight blade. See this one : http://www.swordsales.eu/Waterloo-Captured-Fr...Sabre.html
Not the same model obviously but notice the similarity of the knuckle-bow. The Napoleonic-era cuirassier sword (as shown in this link) is obviously the most well-known, but cuirassiers were around in the French military until 1915 (!). So it's quite possibly a later model.
I don't find any cuirassier sword matching exactly your sword at the moment, Greg, but you should probably look in that direction.

Good luck,

Simon

PS - cuirassiers are heavy cavalry, armored with a cuirasse. In French their sword is more precisely called latte. In French this word primarily refers to a long, narrow, straight piece of wood (akin to the English "lath" and probably of the same origin) used in carpentry (notably for making beds). This probably alludes to the long, straight blade of the sword, as opposed to other, curved cavalry blades.

Jonathan Hopkins · Posted: Fri 07 Jan, 2011 1:12 pm Post subject:

It is a French M1882 infantry officer's sword, or it is based on that model.

Greg Marr · Posted: Tue 18 Jan, 2011 5:15 am Post subject:

Thanks very much for you help guys:)

I was thinking of restoring the grip by adding a brass wrap to it. Nothing too major just enough to get it looking more.. complete and also maintaining the blade is a concern for me.

How would you go about with blade care for a sword such as this?

Jonathan Hopkins · Posted: Tue 18 Jan, 2011 8:29 am Post subject:

I recommend this article: Conserving Antique Swords.