[Sean Flynt]

Can anybody ID this weapon? It looks almost like a late 18th/early 19th c. saber with a chain in place of a knucklebow. Might be a studio prop. The photo, a tintype, is from the southeastern US, ca. 1861-1865. The subject is allegedly one of the confederates in the family attic, but I don't know much about his service. If this was his personal weapon, it has left the immediate family. The photographer has added gold paint in some areas of the sword, which complicates ID. Anyway, I thought I'd check with y'all first in the off-chance that somebody would know exactly what it is. Next stop, Neumann...

[Robert Zamoida]

It might, and I stress might , be a Pattern 1812 Dragoon Saber that was re-hilted and modified. From what I can see in the picture, it has the curvature, fuller length and breadth, and similar tip design to a Pattern 1796 British Cavalry Saber, which was the basis for the Pattern 1812 Dragoon Saber. Hope this helps!

[Sean Flynt]

That DOES help! Many thanks! After getting hold of a book on rev. war arms during lunch, I'm increasingly convinced that this is a late 18th/early 19th. c. saber, as you suggest. Many of them exhibit that swollen tip and simple knucklebow. Many of the American sabers shown exhibt very simple and thin gaurds and stirrup knuckleobws that are VERY thin when viewed from the side, and likely would be very difficult to resolve with this particular photographic process, with its shallow depth of field and lack of fine detail. If you look closely at the hilt in the above image you can just make out traces of gold paint that outline a stirrup or wide "D" shaped hilt. Unless I'm imagining it, I'm also seeing a linear shadow between the spots of paint. If the subject moved the hilt even slightly during the long exposure, such a thin piece of metal could appear almost transparent. Anyway, I now think it's a thin sheet-metal gaurd and bow. Any other suggestions, folks?

[Sean Flynt]

I should have pointed out that the tintype process created a mirror image of the subject. In other words, this subject is holding the weapon in his right hand and we're looking at the outboard side of the hilt and blade.

[Robert Zamoida]

Actually, now that you mention it, it does look like a stirrup type hilt. Maybe it was a Pattern 1812 Dragoon Saber. I wonder if the picture could be digitally enhanced, so you could get a better look at it.

[Sean Flynt]

Robert: While hunting for photos of the M1812 dragoon saber, I found a photo of the M1833 (enlisted men's model). It looks like the best candidate so far. It appears to be a VERY close physical match, and makes the most sense chronologically. Have a look at this page:
http://www.angelfire.com/wa/swordcollector/US...ragoon.JPG
The plain EM's hilt at top looks right, and the full view of the blade on the officer's model looks dead-on. That pronounced back is unmistakable.
Thanks for the lead! What a great resource this forum is!
-Sean

[Sean Flynt]

Have a look at this. The blade of this particular 1833 looks slightly straighter, but both weapons show that strong rib on the back of the blade that appears to run from gaurd to tip. At first glance it looks as if the rear quillon of the 1833 is more strongly downcurved, but if you look closely at the tintype and ignore the gold paint you can see a shadow of a quillon in exactly the right place to match the 1833's. The knucklebow of the 1833 looks like it corresponds to the gold paint/shadow of the tintype knucklebow. Blade length and the swelling near the tip closely matches, too. Whaddaya think? Do we have a winner?

[Ryan Harger]

I tried to optimize it but didn't get any where. Don't have any other pictures do you?

[Sean Flynt]

Unfortunately, I have only a color photocopy of the tintype, so this is a scan of a scan.