A good example of a 18th Century Sri-Lankan Kastane Sword.  This is a distinctive style of far eastern sword that was carried throughout Sri-Lanka during the 18th and 19th Century.  It has a wooden grip with finely carved monster-head pommel and brass and iron decorated crossguard.  I have sold a number of these over the years and many of them tend to be in rather poor condition, especially with regards to the monster-head pommel, that can be damaged or rotten away.  This sword is in great shape and the pommel is still well defined and crisp.

There are also monster-head inverted hilt “pas-de-ane” that form from the crossguard.  What is a little unusual about this kastane is the size of the blade which is quite large for this form of sword – is almost machete-like in profile with a straight blade and double-edged.  Blade length is 24.5 inches (30 inches overall).

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SOLD

A very fine British Napoleonic Senior Infantry Officer’s Blue and Gilt Sword.  This is an interesting sword in that the style is very much in keeping with the 1796 Pattern Cavalry Officer’s Sword but the proportions make this definitely an infantry officer’s sword.  This pattern of sword was also copied by British infantry officers of the period and there is a actually more variations of style with infantry officers’ swords rather than the cavalry officers’ swords that tended to be based on the 1796 pattern.  This excellent sword comprises a steel stirrup hilt with finely chequered ivory grip that tended to be associated with senior infantry officers – we see this with the 1803 Pattern Infantry Officer’s Sword.  Grip is also in great condition.

The curved, double-edged, flatback blade retains most of the original blue and gilt decoration that has only faded a little commensurate with its age – still plenty of colour.  The decoration is very elaborate and varied and includes the royal coat of arms, royal cypher, myriad scrolling foliage and stands of arms.  The sword comes complete wit its original steel and leather mounted scabbard that is in good condition.  A great addition to any collection of British Napoleonic infantry officers’ swords.  Blade length is 28 inches (32 inches overall).

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A scarce and rare late-19th Century British 1889 Pattern NCO’s Sword – Gloucestershire Regiment.  This is an official British Army military pattern sword that was issued to Sergeants and comprises a brass Gothic hilt with inset and pierced royal cypher of Queen Victoria (1837-1901).  The grip is bound with fishskin and copper twistwire  and all fishskin and twistwire remains.

The blade is plain and straight, with a single fuller and double-edged towards the point.  It has numerous official issue and re-issue stamps and includes a maker’s mark for Mole of Birmingham, a major supplier of military pattern swords to the British Army at this point.  The sword is stamped at the front of the hilt to the Gloucestershire Regiment (GR) and this lettering is repeated on the scabbard throat.  Condition of the sword is very good for its age, with a good, clean blade.  Blade length is 32.5 inches (39 inches overall).

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A very large and substantial German 19th Century Heavy Cavalry Trooper’s Sword.  These swords were made by the German sword making company, Schnitzler and Kirshbaum, who produced huge quantities of military swords to countries throughout Europe and the world.  The sword comprises a large iron two-bar hilt with a grip wrapped in leather and bound with copper or brass twistwire.  The blade is very impressive and single-fullered – it would have been pretty devastating in the hand and especially when on horseback and at the gallop.

Condition of the sword is very good – many of these sword types are in pretty poor condition and have lost their grip wrap over time and also the scabbard.  Blade length is 35 inches (42 inches overall).

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A very good clean and fine Imperial German Model 1889 Infantry Officer’s Sword.  This is a classic Imperial German hilt style that has become associated with German infantry officers of the late-19th and early 20th Century and right through the First World War.  I would guess that this sword probably dates from around the First World War.  It comprises a gilt brass hilt with canted pommel and a folding hilt guard that is styled with an Imperial German state eagle.  The grip is made from a polished composite material and bound with brass twistwire.

Attached to the grip is the royal cypher of Emperor Wilhelm II (1888-1918).  The blade is double-fullered and retains most of the original nickel-plated polish.  Is stamped with a maker’s mark to the blade forte.  Comes complete with leather sword hanger to the steel scabbard.  Condition of the sword is very good.  Blade length is 30 inches (36 inches overall).

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SOLD

An original British 1804 Pattern Naval Seaman’s Cutlass.  This is an real and honest example of the classic “figure-of-eight” British Napoleonic naval cutlass of a type that was carried during the Napoleonic Wars and had a long and illustrious service life.  It is the most famous cutlass style associated with British seaman during the age of sail and wooden warships.  Up until the late-eighteenth century, short swords or hangers had been the mainstay of edged weapons for ordinary British sailors whilst on board a ship of war.

They were not issued to every man and it was usual to have one between five or six sailors.  The introduction of a tubular, smooth gripped cutlass in the 1790’s was the first serious attempt by the British Navy to introduce some kind of uniformity into the supply of cutlasses to naval ratings.  It had a distinctive “figure of eight” rolled iron hilt that varied considerably in  thickness.  There is some debate as to the origin of this style of cutlass and it has been suggested that they might actually be traced back to earlier American designs, particularly during the Revolutionary War.  The fledgling American Navy issued a cutlass (Model 1797) which bears a great resemblance to these British cutlasses and it is probable that the British actually copied the design from the Americans.  This is the later official, regulation version.  This cutlass comprises an iron hilt with grooved grip.  The blade is straight, unfullered and flat-backed.  It is also double-edged.  It obviously shows signs of wear, particularly in a salty environment but I believe this adds to the charm of the piece.  There are many copies of this sword in the market but this is 100% original and guaranteed for life.  Blade length is 28.5 inches (33.5 inches overall).

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A rare English C.1780 Naval Infantry Military Hanger Sword.  This is the type of sword that would have been carried by either English naval or infantry officers during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) and is typical of the style carried during this period.  It comprises a brass stirrup-type hilt with a grip bound with brass twistwire.  The pommel is of faceted globular form and very much the stylistic vogue during the late-18th Century, particularly amongst English military officers.  The blade is slightly curved and has a single fuller running just below the spine of the blade.

It is double-edged towards the end of the blade.  For similar examples of this sword type please take a look in George C Neumann’s excellent book – Swords and Blades of the American Revolution.  Condition of the sword is good for its great age with some commensurate age wear to the blade – both hilt and blade are solid with no movement.  A great piece.  Blade length is 24 inches (30 inches overall).

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An excellent British Named 1845 Pattern Infantry Officer’s Wilkinson Sword with a typical gilt brass “Gothic Hilt” and royal “VR” (Queen Victoria – 1837-1901) cypher to the pierced hilt.  The grip is bound with all its original fishskin and copper twistwire.  The blade has the owner’s monogram etched near the forte – the sword was owned by H W Dent of the Queens Regiment, West Surreys.  The sword was sold to him in December 1872 by Wilkinson Sword and the overall high quality of manufacture is typical of Wilkinson swords of the 19th Century.

The blade is very well etched with foliage and there is a royal crown and cypher to the centre.  Condition of the blade is excellent and it retains all original polish.  The sword comes complete with a fine brass service scabbard.  A good sword requiring more research.  Blade length is 32.5 inches (38 inches overall).

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An attractive Antique French Lagouile Folding Penknife.  This penknife features a shaped hardwood grip and cut steel backstrap.  The blade is marked to the famous French cutlery makers, Lagouile.   The ancestor of the laguiole is most likely the Arabo-Hispanic clasp knife of Andalusian Spain, the navaja and the design of the navaja was merged with that of local folding knives represented by older patterns such as the Capuchadou.  The result of this was the laguiole.

The laguiole was first designed in 1829 by Jean-Pierre Calmels and his concept of the knife became the pattern for this style, with the forged “bee” symbol emerging as a distinctive trademark. In 1840 the first awl or “trocar” was added to the some laguiole knife patterns.  All laguiole knives feature a slim, sinuous outline.  Condition of the knife is very good.  Blade length is 3.5 inches (7 inches overall).

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An original example of an Indian Islamic Persian 19th Century Mughal Dagger.  This probably dates from the early 1800’s and comprises a curved horn grip that is mounted with silver decoration to the ferrule and hilt securing pins.  The blade is plain and curved and of thick dimensions that would have enabled it to pierce chainmail and armour.  The overall condition is good for its age – some of the horn has been lost to one side of the pommel.

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A good late-19th Century British Army Boer War Campaign Cutlery Set.  The cutlery set comprises a knife and fork that fit into a hardwood case.  It is very typical of the kind of personal equipment that both officers and men would have carried amongst their own personal effects whilst on campaign duty.  The presence of a number of Victorian (Queen Victoria) crowns to the blade indicates that this was probably carried during the Boer War (1899-1902) or certainly no later than the First World War.  It is also marked that it was made in Sheffield, England.  During the 19th Century and 20th Century, Sheffield, England was the centre of blade making and produced huge quantities of knives edged cutlery that was sold throughout the world.  This would have been made in one of the numerous knife and blade making workshops of the city.

Sheffield knife makers

The city gained a reputation for high quality and innovation in blade making. This is a good example of this workmanship. and in fine condition.  Overall length of the knife and fork when inside the wooden case is 8 inches.

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A good example of an Antique Finnish Pukko Knife and Scabbard.  These distinctive knives are associated with Finland and other parts of Scandinavia and are still manufactured in these areas and have become synonymous with this particular country and its cultural traditions.

They come in a variety of hilt styles and this knife is distinguished by the its horn hilt and scabbard.  Both hilt and scabbard have white metal mounts.  In Finland and northern Scandinavia,the carving of the Pukko’s hilt is very important and great pride is taken during this process.  Over generations, this knife has become intimately tied to Nordic culture.  The knife comes complete with its original scabbard.

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 SOLD

Unusually long Antique European Ivorine-handled Penknife.  I assume that this had a particular purpose as the length of both the handle and the blade must have been specifically made for a practical use.  The penknife is well made with a long ivorine slab grip held together by steel pins that is in excellent condition.  The plain blade is nickel-plated and with all the original polish remaining.  I would guess that this  penknife was made in the early to mid-20th Century.

Blade is maker marked

The blade is maker marked “Gustoc” and also “ROSTFREI” and with two interlocking animals motif to the other side. Blade length is 4.75 inche (10.5 inches overall).  a nice and unusual addition for the collector of antique penknives.

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A very rare and original Boer War Afrikaner Regiment Military Shako Helmet.  This helmet was made for the Boer government or Z.A.R. (Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek) who were in existence from 1874-1902 and was also known as the Transvaal Republic.  It was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century.  Established in 1852, the republic was independent from 1856 to 1877 and again from the end of the First Boer War in 1881, when the Boers regained their independence from the British Empire, until 1900.  In 1900 the Z.A.R. was annexed by the United Kingdom during the Second Boer War although the official surrender of the territory only took place at the end of the war, on 31 May 1902. In 1910 it became the Transvaal Province of the Union of South Africa.  The first president of the South African Republic was Marthinus Wessel Pretorius, elected in 1857, son of Voortrekker leader Andries Pretorius, who commanded the Boers to victory at the Battle of Blood River.  The capital was established at Pretoria (founded 1855).  This shako was probably worn by a military unit although most Boer soldiers tended to wear their own civilian clothes as during the Boer Wars, they fought as a guerrilla army within the local Boer population and so did not want to be identified.  I do know that there was a Boer artillery regiment that was trained by German officers who wore a uniform and this might be from that regiment.  The condition of the shako is very good for its age with only minor age wear in places.

The inside of the helmet is stamped with a maker’s mark and indication that it was made for the Z.A.R. Comes complete with the original detachable feather plumes.  also retains the original chinscales chinstrap that hooks onto the lionshead ornaments on the side of the shako.   A great piece of Boer War history and rarely seen in the market.

SOLD

An original Antique 19th Century Silver-hilted Moroccan Jambiya Dagger.  With extensive and fine decoration to both the hilt and scabbard – is very intricate and comprises a series of inter-twined patterns.  The blade is typically plain and double-edged towards the point and is engraved with the letters, “GS”.  The hilt is made from dark hardwood.  Condition of the Jambiya is good with some age wear in places – actually adds to the character of the piece.

Many of thesee Moroccan Jambiyas are of poor quality and made for the tourist market – this is not one of those and was made to be used and carried.  Blade length is 8.25 inches (14 inches overall).

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An excellent Turkish 19th Century Yataghan Sword and Scabbard.  This is a well made and a fine example of the type of sword carried throughout Turkey and Eastern Europe during the 1800’s.  The sword comprises a deeply chased brass hilt with typical ears to the pommel.  The blade is also deeply engraved with designs of swirling foliage near the blade forte and it is double-edged towards the end of the blade.  The sword comes complete with a heavy brass scabbard.  Condition of the sword is very good for its age with numerous light dings to the scabbard that is a normal feature of this type of sword style.  Both sword and scabbard fit perfectly and there is no looseness – this is the same for the hilt and scabbard – rock solid – no movement.  Blade length is 22.5 inches (27 inches overall).

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A very fine English late-18th Century Infantry Officer’s Sword with distinctive iron slotted hilt and elaborate recurved hilt bars.  The grip is made from ebony and with copper banding.  The blade is plain with a single fuller and is slightly curved.  The hilt displays a very prominent tang button.  Condition of the sword is very good for its age and it has a fine age patina – there is a small age crack to front of the slotted hilt.  This type of sword is very typical of late-18th Century English military swords and very representative of the many different hilt and blade styles that were prevalent before British military swords became more regulated after 1786 with the introduction of the 1786 Pattern Infantry Officer’s Sword.  Blade length is 27.5 inches (34 inches overall).

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A very attractive 19th Century Officer’s Mother-of-Pearl Smallsword.  It is probably either French or Italian in origin and comprises a cast white metal hilt with mother-of-pearl slab grips.  The hilt is decorated with very elaborate rococo inspired patterns and the pommel has a pronounced tang button.  The blade is plain, straight and with a double edge and spear point.  These kind of swords were usually carried by senior officers, including diplomats and civilian officials and would have been worn at court or at official engagements.  Condition of the sword is very good and both hilt and blade are rock solid.  There is no scabbard with this sword.  Blade length is 31.5 inches (37 inches overall).

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A very rare Antique African Somalian Billao dagger. This sword originates from Somalia and was used mainly by the coastal people of Somalia. It has a long non-symmetrical leaf shape blade and the handle is made of sections of dark horn separated by a single section of a light colored metal – looks to be some kind of lead. The pommel is of a typical triangular, pronged shape and made from metal.  Condition of the short sword dagger is very good for its age with a nice age patina to the blade.  Have another couple of these for sale in both long and short sword form – please take a look at my other listings.  Blade length is 15.5 inches (24 inches overall).  This is a very distinctive short sword and dagger style and they are only found in this particular part of West Africa.

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A very rare Antique African Somalian Fighting short sword Billao dagger. This sword originates from Somalia and was used mainly by the coastal people of Somalia. It has a long non-symmetrical leaf shape blade and the handle is made of sections of dark horn separated by a single section of a light colored metal – looks to be some kind of lead. The pommel is of a typical triangular, pronged shape and made from metal.  Condition of the short sword dagger is very good for its age with a nice age patina to the blade.  Have another couple of these for sale in both long and short sword form – please take a look at my other listings.  Blade length is 15.5 inches (23.5 inches overall).  This is a very distinctive short sword and dagger style and they are only found in this particular part of West Africa.

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SOLD