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Post by Deepbluedave on Jan 25, 2014 13:55:04 GMT
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Paul
Member
Senior Forumite
Posts: 1,771
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Post by Paul on Jan 25, 2014 14:09:49 GMT
Pretty nice Dave
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Post by Deepbluedave on Jan 25, 2014 14:49:59 GMT
It seems to be a 1845 model but not 100% sure at this time.
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Post by Dave Kelly on Jan 25, 2014 20:41:26 GMT
Close. Model 1821 French Infantry Officer's Sabre. Scabbard was typically a leather case with brass furniture; no wood core. Wind up with a lot of these having no scabbards. Must be a Solingen blade if there is no Klingenthal data on the back blade. Grip wire is gone but otherwise looks to be in excellent condition.
You're going to get serious about 19th Century stuff Dave best join Oldswords.com. For $10.00 a year there's a bunch of data on identification and a sword gallery, and a buyers market (which is mostly pricey dealers stuff, but it's great for marketing research.) Blankwaffen is the German sword collectors forum. They have a great sword gallery mostly dedicated to central euro swords, but it fills a knowledge gap. It's also free
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Jan 25, 2014 21:33:20 GMT
deepbluedave:
Please accept my condolences; from now on, you will never be quite happy with the balance and feel of the various India-produced saber/sabre replicas. They will feel, in your hands, and certainly in comparison with your French real deal, like unto the proverbial crowbar. (That is assuming that the 1821 French Infantry Officer's Sabre has any of the dynamic handling characteristics of the 1822 Legere-----and while all assumptions carry a degree of risk, I think it's a fair assumption to make.)
Vive le France.
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Uhlan
Member
Posts: 3,121
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Post by Uhlan on Jan 25, 2014 23:10:56 GMT
Very nice Dave. Vive la France, vive les sabres authentiques, merde aux reproductions. That said, repros are a good way to start in the sabre business and I thank Windlass, Weapon Edge and Universal for giving a lot of people the chance to learn about the sabres and culture and history behind them. I am playing with the idea to market my repros in the near future, but will probably keep the Hajek. Dunno yet. By the way, I have a mint Mle 1822 incoming. Will post it next week. Cheers, Ulahn.
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Post by Deepbluedave on Jan 26, 2014 7:19:41 GMT
Thanks for the info and help.
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Jan 26, 2014 11:28:18 GMT
DBD:
What's the blade length on that saber? 30? 32?
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Post by Anders on Jan 26, 2014 16:41:44 GMT
I have one almost identical to that, except mine is Dutch: It's an 1850 Infantry Officer model, if memory serves. I knew there was a French sword of the same design and there is also a very similar Russian saber. (I originally wanted the Russian one, but they are very hard to find.) I guess a lot of countries in the mid-1800s used the same contractors for their swords? I actually consider it a bit too light for my taste, while at the same time having a bit too much forward balance. Still, it's a very swashbucklish kind of sword and I'd love to have a mint condition one, or a very close reproduction. Incindentally, mine isn't really sharp at all yet it has multiple notches in the edge, so it has evidently seen some kind of action against another sword. Or perhaps someone just played too roughly with it? Mine is exactly 31", for the record.
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Post by Deepbluedave on Jan 26, 2014 17:46:28 GMT
Kilted the blade is 30" inches, taking Dave K's advice I joined "Old Swords" and found this model which as far as I can tell is the same, "1821 French Infantry Officers sword". Anders it is not too clear in the photos but there is a second fuller just above the main one for 3/4 of the blade length, just as in the "Old Swords" directory.
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Post by Anders on Jan 26, 2014 19:21:21 GMT
I see it now, and I think the same was true for the Russian one. To bad mine doesn't have it, because it's pretty attractive.
Oh, and I went back and looked at my old SFI posts and turns out mine is specifically a Dutch M1852 infantry officer's saber. Thinking back, I may have been in the market for a French M1821 as well, but the Dutch ones are cheaper and easier to find. The site I bought it at even has a couple more now.
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Jan 26, 2014 20:00:22 GMT
Thank you!
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Post by Deepbluedave on Feb 1, 2014 13:24:50 GMT
Spent a couple of hours cleaning this one, here's the new photos. The guard came up a treat and the blade has only a few areas with a slight patina. This was my first attempt at cleaning up an old sword and was the reason I bought it, didn't want to ruin something expensive on lack of knowledge, but overall it cost me less than a Cold Steel sword and is original, now to put an edge on it and do some cutting.
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Post by Kilted Cossack on Feb 1, 2014 20:37:45 GMT
That's a win right there.
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Post by Dave Kelly on Feb 1, 2014 22:57:22 GMT
That, my friend, is why the French kept using brass. :lol: LIGHT targets. Still an antique. How these are made put a lot of stress on the tang and grip. Bad hit on something solid can crack or chip the grip or bend the tang at the pommel. Not to stop the fun; just proceed with awareness.
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Post by William Swiger on Feb 24, 2014 20:09:32 GMT
What did you use to clean it?
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Post by Deepbluedave on Feb 25, 2014 3:37:29 GMT
Bill just some brasso on a soft scotbright pad same on the blade but with oil, toothbrush for the fiddly areas, plenty of elbow grease and just took my time, lots of wiping and buffing with a soft cloth.
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Post by William Swiger on Feb 25, 2014 12:42:41 GMT
I still have some brasso in the storage room from the old days. ;-)
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Feb 25, 2014 13:04:38 GMT
Brasso - great multi use polish! does a great job on acrylic plastics too!
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