Ohio State University ROTC 1902 sword

[Aragorn243]

Picked up this Ohio State University ROTC sword at an antique shop Sunday. The 5-digit number is the same I've seen on another OSU sword so not sure what it is. No sword image I've found so far has a painted scabbard like this, but it does look like OSU's colors. More so in real time, the photo is darker than reality. Having gone through ROTC myself, no swords that I can remember, I don't think they would approve of alteration of this type but who knows. I have not found a good photo with these swords in it. I found one that has an older model sword and one that has this model, but they cut the photo off just below the handle. The second photo is on OSU's ROTC history page.

[Flying10uk]

If memory serves me correctly the term used for the type of paint on the scabbard is "leatherette finish" of which there is course and fine. How much like leather it it looks is a bit debatable. A completely different paint to Hammerite, before someone suggests it.

[browningautorifle]

"leatherette finish"

I can see that, yes. When newish it would look about right.

[Aragorn243]

Other than being chipped here and there, the paint doesn't look bad. I just need to figure out if it's supposed to be there or not. I suspect the ROTC program stopped using swords long before the internet so photo's unlikely. The few that I've found don't have paint, the other examples of ROTC swords don't have paint. But if this were used more recently, say in the 60's or 70's for their color guard at football games where school colors would be more significant, I'd leave it on.

No rush in any case. I'm just going to hang it up for now.

I can't find a "history" of leatherette finish paint either which might help narrow down when it could have been done.

[Flying10uk]

I think that some paint suppliers use the term "textured" as an alternative to "leatherette" but meaning exactly the same thing.