[Dane Clark]

This was Found in a carriage house in upstate NY. The house was formerly owned for a long period by a veteran of the Civil war who served with the NYS 114th Vol. INF. so I'm speculating that it may be a war trophy, especially after reading the first hand accounted history of the regiment. I've read were the some confederates shortened the family sword for use as a large knife, I think this may be one of those.
What I'm also not sure of is how old this weapon is. The blade is sharp on both edges and it stands on the pommel easily, the pommel is a hammer like in mass, theres nothing dainty about it, yet it feels really comfortable in hand.
Do you sword experts think it's victorian era or earlier? German? Ect.

[Kevin Winter]

I'm not a sword expert, but, just looking at it I'd say your conclusion of a cut down sword are accurate. Whoever made the pommel and fullers did not do the point area. If the POB is in the hilt or further back, it supports your conclusion.

It's a great find. Also kind of sad.

[Justin Lee Hunt]

For what my humble opinion is worth, the shape of the blade does suggest a cut down sword. And if that is the case I would say that it is pre-Victorian. The point seems to be of a broad sword shape that would probably be late in period, but I haven't seen any examples of Victorian era broad swords.

[Sean Flynt]

The pommel is of distinctive 16th c. German longsword style. The blade, cross and grip wire look modern to me. The blade appears to have been mechanically ground to shape. It's a strange piece. I wouldn't think it's CSA. The pommel is really throwing me because, by itself, I'd say it's worth more than the assembled piece (assuming the assembled piece is modern). I mean, even if the pommel is modern it's worth more. If it's 16th c....

One possibility--the piece is a cut-down reproduction German longsword of low/medium quality. Many cheap swords of the last half-century have wire-bound grips. I can't think of any with a pommel of that type, though.

[Dane Clark]

Thanks for all the info, I'm a local american history nut with a minor in all history. I new nothing really about swords, but it was the craftmanship of the pommel that caught my eye, and where it came out of made me think it might be something. I wish I could load some better resolution photos, the blade is redone but you can see it was hand filed and hammered not machined down and not recently. on what looks to be part of the original edge of the blade , there looks like there was blade against blade damage, a narrow but deep V notch in a couple of places. I believe it spent most if not all the 20th century right where it was recently found.
Theres two reasons why i suggested it might be a war trophy, 1. The long time occupation of the home by a civil war vet who saw plenty of front line center action during the latter part of 1864.
2. About a month before this sword was found and dusted off I had watched an episode of Antique Road Show and one of the appraisers was explaining a large knife. He explained the blood grooves where actually fullers used to strengthen the blade and that it was actually a cut down sword, probably an old family sword passed down through generations and probably cut down during the civil war, there where a lot of Irish,scotts, english, and german in the South prior to the civil war.
I'll be damned if I can find that episode.

[Sa'ar Nudel]

I'm with Sean regarding the pommel here. I believe it is a "composite" piece, made of different, randomly found parts. The blade looks like a Kaskara's (19th century Sudanese broadsword either with imported European trade blade or localy-made lower grade blade).

[Christopher Lee]

Not sure if its an utter sidetrack or not but the first thing that i thought of was a victorian era repro that had been cut down or cobbled together. The general forms, patination, quality of work, etc reminded me of some pictures of a victorian two hander...