[Bartek M]

Hello

I would appreciate any information you could provide about a cavalry sabre I have. It is supposed to be from second half of 18th century, of middle European origin. It was bought from a Canadian collector.

Here are the images:

http://imgur.com/a/y9YrA

btw. the first photo is a little distorted, the handle doesn't look as long really.

Measurements:

Weight: 1080 g
Total length: 96.5 cm
Blade length: 82.5 cm
Blade width: 41 mm near the handle, 43 mm in the widest point.
Grip length: 12 cm
Total handle length: 14 cm
Blade thickness: 7 mm near the handle, tapering to 5 mm 25 cm from the handle, to 3 mm at the CoP
Point of balance: 18 cm from handle
Center of percussion: approximately 60 cm from the handle

There is a crude looking smiling half-moon near the handle. The blade has one big and one small fuller.

It's near impossible to do any finesse wrist moves with it, but when swung 'from the arm', with some body rotation, it strikes with scary speed and power and remains stable throughout the movement.

Here are the results of my internet search, sabres that have some similarities to mine:

http://www.antique-swords.eu/I98-Late-18C-Pol...Sabre.html

http://www.antiquesword101.com/tribal-art.php...d=25719329

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Authentic-Antiqu...rmvSB=true

(only the handle is similar)

http://www.goantiques.com/antique-18th-century-2110876

http://www.schweden-kavallerie.de

(click 'sabel', the first, third and the fourth sabre from the top)

Any information welcome. If you have an idea of it's value, please send me a PM.

[E.B. Erickson]

Hello Bartek,
Your sword is going to be very hard, if not impossible, to identify. The problem is that every country in Europe and the British Isles used that basic hilt type, especially after about 1750.

The blade fullering points to the 1700s, but again, the combination of one wide and one narrow fuller was used by many countries during that time.

The blade decoration helps a little bit, as that big half moon etching could indicate a German blade. However, the etched moon is usually accompanied by a sun and stars. It may be possible to find other examples of blades etched like yours, and hopefully they will be identified as to nationality.

I would search the net using "hussar" or "hussar saber" as your key words, as the hussars of Poland and then Austria set the fashion for this style of sword. You might also try "German hussar sword" or other nationality's names and see what you get.

Hope you find some answers! --ElJay

[Niels Just Rasmussen]

I think Peter Münich in Solingen (~1595-1660) was one of the early users of engraved sun, moon and stars as talismans.
.
This talismanic idea could have been used by other later German swordmakers.
Tricky as I've read that the Solingen archives was destroyed in WW2, so it has to be rediscovered who used what precise engraving.

As the Solingen blades were often exported in great numbers to other countries, where it got it's finish, it could be from many places around Europe.......