1840 NCO and musician sword (and bonus review of DGW replica
Jan 8, 2015 5:54:11 GMT
Post by Afoo on Jan 8, 2015 5:54:11 GMT
Hello all. I recently picked up historical examples of both the full length and musician versions of the 1840 NCO sword, and figured I would post a bit about them here. Both swords are matched with replica scabbards from Dixie Gun works, which I will review at the end.
When I began looking into collecting swords, the first one which caught my eye was the Windlass 1840 NCO sword. It was cheap and, according to the reviews, well built. I also liked the fact that it was so....different from all the other cavalry sabers from KoA that I was looking at at the time. I liked its dead straight, no-nonsense thrusting blade and the simple brass furniture. From the various resources pulled from the internet, I learnt that the sword was issued to NCO's (surprise) from the 1840-1875, though some units still use it for ceremonial purposes. A shorter "musician" variant of the 1840 was produced for issue to musicians, medical staff and other personnel who required a smaller, lighter personal defense weapon. Both versions of the sword saw great use during the Civil War and the adventures into Mexico, though its thrust-centric design, weak hand protection, and somewhat dubious workmanship due to the rate at which they were produced to meet Civil War demand likely hindered its effectiveness. In my mind, these liabilities only served to give the 1840 a working class hero, rough and ready Bruce Springsteen feel.
I did not end up getting the Windlass 1840 for reasons explained below. Instead, I managed to get original versions of both the musician and full sized NCO sword
First up is the full sized NCO sword. The shell guard is a bit bent on this example. However, given their flimsy nature, this is not unexpected. When compared to the other examples available on ebay, this is actually quite good. What really impressed me about this sword is its brass furniture. Considering that this was a mass-produced item for NCO's rather than high ranking officers, the workmanship is incredible. The subtle concave curvature of the shell guards, the rounded off shape of the protruding cross guard and the even curve of the knucklebow make it a very elegant piece to look at. This level of detail, especially the curvature of the shell guards makes it very easy to identify reproduction 1840's. However, it also means that I cannot ever buy the Windlass replica. It may be a good piece, but the crude brass fittings, especially those plain, featureless shell guards, will always be a bit of a letdown to me.
In terms of the blade, there is nothing special. Here you have a single-fullered, single-edged blade terminating in a rather business-like point. The blade actually feels extremely similar to that of the 1907 Peurto Seguro sword, though I have no numbers to back that up (the 1907 is currently with my brother). While the grip is long enough for open-handed fencing, its narrow shape and lack of support encourages the full hammer grip. Luckily, it feels heavy enough in the hand to give confidence in both the cut and the thrust.
The musician sword is significantly shorter, with the simplified knuckle-bow guard. Once again, the guard is wonderfully made, and looks far better than repros such as those available from Dixie Gun Works. The blade is also similar to the full sized 1840 in terms of shape and design. Not surprisingly, the reduced length and weight make it much more lively in the hand, though at the cost of reduced confidence when cutting. While both swords have their weaknesses, they still remain effective weapons, and I would not hesitate to take either one into battle.
To sum up, the 1840 NCO is simply a militarized smallsword which is more durable than a spadroon, but still nimble and quick to fence if needed. As such, it occupies a unique niche in the world of swords.
~~
While both swords are quite fun to own and wave around, the musician sword has some condition issues – chief among them is a bent tang, which in turn has resulted in the grip coming loose. I am considering fixing this myself, and have two options. The first is that I straighten the tang and re-peen it in place. However, I am reluctant to risk damaging the brass furniture. The second option is to inject some epoxy into the gap. It’s quick and dirty, but relatively foolproof. Any options or advice would be appreciated.
Bent tang
~~
The scabbards are both from Dixie gun works for ~$45. One scabbard was an older model obtained from the previous owner of the full sized 1840 – date of purchase unknown. The second is a newer model purchased by myself this month. In the images, the older scabbard will be shown on TOP. While they are both very similar, there are some subtle differences.
Both swords in their scabbards
Both scabbards are done in black leather with brass fittings. The fittings themselves are of decently high quality, with both the attachment hook and drag being well formed and aesthetically pleasing. The interior appears to be lined with some extremely soft (possibly reconstituted) wood product. While it sounds cheap, it certainly does its job, so I can’t complain. While these scabbards were designed for the replica NCO sword from Dixie Gun works, both my original 1840 NCO and musician swords fit nice and snug, with no looseness or wiggling. The leather seam at the back appears to be nicely done for the price point. Its not invisible, but neither is it intrusive.
One thing which I noticed is that the brass fittings appear to be held in with some sort of staple (circled). This raises the possibility that the business end of the staple will rub against the blade and causing damage. While I have not had any problems with it of yet, I did notice that the previous owner of the second hand scabbard has had some of the staples removed, perhaps for this very reason.
Interior of scabbard
Staples holding the brass fittings together
It should be noted that Dixie Gun Works also produces a smaller scabbard specifically for the musician sword. Keen eyed readers will note that I have opted for the full sized version for mine. As noted before, the scabbards are made to suit the replica swords also sold by Dixie Gun Works. As it turns out, their replica musician sword is actually 1.5 inches shorter than the original, meaning mine did not fit.
This was inconvenient since their website gave an incorrect measurement for the length of the scabbard – they had changed the pattern without updating the website (it has since been corrected). As such, I initially ordered their musician sword scabbard, and had to return it for the full sized one. The DGW staff was very understanding, and gave me a credit for shipping, but I was still a little bit annoyed. I guess the lesson here is ask questions when buying!
Anyways, there is my long rant about the 1840 sword. Hope it proves useful.
When I began looking into collecting swords, the first one which caught my eye was the Windlass 1840 NCO sword. It was cheap and, according to the reviews, well built. I also liked the fact that it was so....different from all the other cavalry sabers from KoA that I was looking at at the time. I liked its dead straight, no-nonsense thrusting blade and the simple brass furniture. From the various resources pulled from the internet, I learnt that the sword was issued to NCO's (surprise) from the 1840-1875, though some units still use it for ceremonial purposes. A shorter "musician" variant of the 1840 was produced for issue to musicians, medical staff and other personnel who required a smaller, lighter personal defense weapon. Both versions of the sword saw great use during the Civil War and the adventures into Mexico, though its thrust-centric design, weak hand protection, and somewhat dubious workmanship due to the rate at which they were produced to meet Civil War demand likely hindered its effectiveness. In my mind, these liabilities only served to give the 1840 a working class hero, rough and ready Bruce Springsteen feel.
I did not end up getting the Windlass 1840 for reasons explained below. Instead, I managed to get original versions of both the musician and full sized NCO sword
First up is the full sized NCO sword. The shell guard is a bit bent on this example. However, given their flimsy nature, this is not unexpected. When compared to the other examples available on ebay, this is actually quite good. What really impressed me about this sword is its brass furniture. Considering that this was a mass-produced item for NCO's rather than high ranking officers, the workmanship is incredible. The subtle concave curvature of the shell guards, the rounded off shape of the protruding cross guard and the even curve of the knucklebow make it a very elegant piece to look at. This level of detail, especially the curvature of the shell guards makes it very easy to identify reproduction 1840's. However, it also means that I cannot ever buy the Windlass replica. It may be a good piece, but the crude brass fittings, especially those plain, featureless shell guards, will always be a bit of a letdown to me.
In terms of the blade, there is nothing special. Here you have a single-fullered, single-edged blade terminating in a rather business-like point. The blade actually feels extremely similar to that of the 1907 Peurto Seguro sword, though I have no numbers to back that up (the 1907 is currently with my brother). While the grip is long enough for open-handed fencing, its narrow shape and lack of support encourages the full hammer grip. Luckily, it feels heavy enough in the hand to give confidence in both the cut and the thrust.
The musician sword is significantly shorter, with the simplified knuckle-bow guard. Once again, the guard is wonderfully made, and looks far better than repros such as those available from Dixie Gun Works. The blade is also similar to the full sized 1840 in terms of shape and design. Not surprisingly, the reduced length and weight make it much more lively in the hand, though at the cost of reduced confidence when cutting. While both swords have their weaknesses, they still remain effective weapons, and I would not hesitate to take either one into battle.
To sum up, the 1840 NCO is simply a militarized smallsword which is more durable than a spadroon, but still nimble and quick to fence if needed. As such, it occupies a unique niche in the world of swords.
~~
While both swords are quite fun to own and wave around, the musician sword has some condition issues – chief among them is a bent tang, which in turn has resulted in the grip coming loose. I am considering fixing this myself, and have two options. The first is that I straighten the tang and re-peen it in place. However, I am reluctant to risk damaging the brass furniture. The second option is to inject some epoxy into the gap. It’s quick and dirty, but relatively foolproof. Any options or advice would be appreciated.
Bent tang
~~
The scabbards are both from Dixie gun works for ~$45. One scabbard was an older model obtained from the previous owner of the full sized 1840 – date of purchase unknown. The second is a newer model purchased by myself this month. In the images, the older scabbard will be shown on TOP. While they are both very similar, there are some subtle differences.
Both swords in their scabbards
Both scabbards are done in black leather with brass fittings. The fittings themselves are of decently high quality, with both the attachment hook and drag being well formed and aesthetically pleasing. The interior appears to be lined with some extremely soft (possibly reconstituted) wood product. While it sounds cheap, it certainly does its job, so I can’t complain. While these scabbards were designed for the replica NCO sword from Dixie Gun works, both my original 1840 NCO and musician swords fit nice and snug, with no looseness or wiggling. The leather seam at the back appears to be nicely done for the price point. Its not invisible, but neither is it intrusive.
One thing which I noticed is that the brass fittings appear to be held in with some sort of staple (circled). This raises the possibility that the business end of the staple will rub against the blade and causing damage. While I have not had any problems with it of yet, I did notice that the previous owner of the second hand scabbard has had some of the staples removed, perhaps for this very reason.
Interior of scabbard
Staples holding the brass fittings together
It should be noted that Dixie Gun Works also produces a smaller scabbard specifically for the musician sword. Keen eyed readers will note that I have opted for the full sized version for mine. As noted before, the scabbards are made to suit the replica swords also sold by Dixie Gun Works. As it turns out, their replica musician sword is actually 1.5 inches shorter than the original, meaning mine did not fit.
This was inconvenient since their website gave an incorrect measurement for the length of the scabbard – they had changed the pattern without updating the website (it has since been corrected). As such, I initially ordered their musician sword scabbard, and had to return it for the full sized one. The DGW staff was very understanding, and gave me a credit for shipping, but I was still a little bit annoyed. I guess the lesson here is ask questions when buying!
Anyways, there is my long rant about the 1840 sword. Hope it proves useful.