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  1. #1
    Legacy Member lawrence_n's Avatar
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    Pattern 1822 Infantry Officer's sword

    Picked up a bit of a project sword. It's an 1822 pattern Infantry Officer's sword in very nice shape. The blade has no nicks or rust blossoms and remnants of the blue still remain. The grip has no wire or shark skin loss and is still nice and tight with no wiggle or play. Since the design of the blade itself was changed to a Wilkinson pattern in 1845, this sword had to be made between 1822-1845. I haven't seen one in this kind of condition for a long time. The bad news is that there's no scabbard and that's probably a hard item to find. The brass guard had been pretty badly bashed about but on a good note, the brass is fairly malleable and with some wood blocks and clamps I'm in the process of gently tweaking out the worst of the damage. I'm about 50% done and by the time I'm finished it'll be about 90% back to rights. Nice, eh?
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    Advisory Panel browningautorifle's Avatar
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    VERY nice sword, that's a pipe back isn't it... Seldom seen except in museums, the scabbard would have been of leather wouldn't it? Just brass fittings, that's why they didn't survive. Nice.
    Regards, Jim

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    Legacy Member lawrence_n's Avatar
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    It is indeed a pipe back with what was referred to as a "quill" point. These swords are around, but uncommon and especially in this condition. The scabbard would have been black leather with brass or gilt brass mountings. Unless there was a sword somewhere irreparably damaged but with a good scabbard, the odds against my finding a proper mating scabbard are pretty slim.

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    Quote Originally Posted by lawrence_n View Post
    the odds against my finding a proper mating scabbard are pretty slim.
    I wonder if a more recent copy of a Navy sword scabbard would fit this one? Those can be had and then sell the blade separate... You'd need to actually fit it first though...

    Last Pipebacks I saw was in Cornwall On and Ft Henry at Kingston... Still surprised me to see them even in museum.
    Regards, Jim

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    Contributing Member Flying10uk's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by lawrence_n View Post
    The brass guard had been pretty badly bashed about but on a good note, the brass is fairly malleable and with some wood blocks and clamps I'm in the process of gently tweaking out the worst of the damage. I'm about 50% done and by the time I'm finished it'll be about 90% back to rights.
    Beware of "Work Hardening" of the brass. Failure to do so may result in a fracture/breakage of the brass. Some grades of brass will "Work Harden" more easily than others.

    Sometimes things are best left "as is".

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    Legacy Member lawrence_n's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Flying10uk View Post
    Beware of "Work Hardening" of the brass. Failure to do so may result in a fracture/breakage of the brass. Some grades of brass will "Work Harden" more easily than others.

    Sometimes things are best left "as is".
    In some cases, I'd agree with you but with this guard specifically, the issues had to be addressed. I was, and am, very conscious of the quality of the brass and I was quite pleased that it proved to be so malleable. The key word in my post was "gently". It's already looking much better than it did and I estimate that I can correct about 90% of the damage. If the gods favour me, maybe a tad more.

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    Advisory Panel browningautorifle's Avatar
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    The brass was an essential metal for cross guards and baskets, brass will take the edge of an opponent's blade and hold it as it digs in. This allows a parry. Steel later worked fine for using a basket to smash an opponent but at the time, it was simple enough to replace a smashed basket at battles end. I expect this one was bent through time after service, although I don't doubt for a minute this sword saw combat.
    Regards, Jim

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    Legacy Member lawrence_n's Avatar
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    According the old guy from whom I bought it, the sword was found along with some other items in the rafters of an old barn in Oakville (On.) when it was still largely rural. To my eye, the damage appears to be crush related. Something fairly heavy was dropped on it or it was caught between two pretty solid objects. It may well have seen combat though it doesn't appear to have the edge that I'd associate with a battle sword. Still, I wouldn't want to get slashed with it.

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    Quote Originally Posted by lawrence_n View Post
    doesn't appear to have the edge that I'd associate with a battle sword.
    Hard to tell from here but if no nicks them maybe not. Even our current officers played with their swords and those saw some unusual damages... No doubt though, at the time they were a battle weapon. The regulations required that an officer "Report to the armorer and have an edge on his sword at all times in the event of war..." This only was removed about 1914...or just before or after... Long time to keep such a regulation.
    Regards, Jim

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    Legacy Member lawrence_n's Avatar
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    Well! I don't know if this makes it more valuable or not, I have some feelers out to those who know more than I, but it would seem that the sword was most likely an East India Company officer's sword. I was puzzled by the lack of ornamentation on the pommel and back of the brass grip. Pictures show a stepped pommel and a leaf patter climbing up the back of grip on the military swords and since they had to conform to accepted sealed patterns mine should have looked the same. The pommel on mine is plain and there is no decoration on the brass backstrap on the grip.

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