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Post by gearadoga on Jun 27, 2020 23:30:49 GMT
Hello, everyone. It was suggested to me that I crosspost this over into this section from the beginner's area, as I might get more info here. I recently came across a purported WWI-era British infantry officer's sword that would fit well with my collection of First World War arms. Issue is, I don't know much, if anything, about antique swords, and I wanted to be certain that it was the real deal before I spend any money on it. From what I can tell, it's got a Gothic hilt with a more modern (for the time) blade. It's got a mark on the hilt that reads "FENTON BROS. LTD SHEFFIELD" which seems accurate for the period. The blade itself doesn't bear any kind of maker's mark, which I thought was odd. The star near the hilt does not have a proof slug, rather the word "PROVED" in a small circle, which does seem to be something Fenton did. There's no name or regiment etched on the sword itself, which was somewhat disappointing. The biggest thing that made me suspicious of it's authenticity was the fact that the grips seem to be leather rather than shagreen (Atleast, it does in my eyes.) All in all, it seemed to deviate enough from the standard patterns I see online to make me want to defer to people with more experience with these weapons than I. Any info or opinions would be greatly appreciated, thank you!
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Post by christopher jonasson on Jul 2, 2020 12:33:00 GMT
Crude guard badly pierced almost looks like a recasting (copied), miss (double) stamped Fenton Bros, prove mark not centered either, backstrap seems to vary in thickness..
However the grip wiring does look authentic to me and leather was used on grips . Shoddy work or Pakistan ?
I would look for some other sword
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Post by christopher jonasson on Jul 8, 2020 11:08:30 GMT
Looking at it again the star also looks off center and not well etched (looks more like its engraved) but the the rest of the etching is good enough, KGV monogram does look good If this sword is not highly priced it may be worth buying.. Problem with many swords is that some bits are good and some not so, all comes down to what you want and buying a less "nice" sword may leave you in the "need" to buy a nicer sword thus money wasted
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Post by victoriansword on Jul 10, 2020 1:26:54 GMT
Aside from the leather grip, the sword is pretty typical of Fenton Brothers quality during WWI. It’s a genuine antique and not a copy, although it is on the lower end of the spectrum as far as fit and finish.
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Post by gearadoga on Jul 22, 2020 23:45:35 GMT
Thank you all very much for your replies. I haven't been able to take a trip over to the shop that had the sword up for sale, as the whole pandemic situation has been preventing me from heading over there. I do remember the sword being priced for $325, though Im not sure if that is too high for a sword of slightly lower quality.
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Post by gearadoga on Jul 24, 2020 15:08:16 GMT
Aside from the leather grip, the sword is pretty typical of Fenton Brothers quality during WWI. It’s a genuine antique and not a copy, although it is on the lower end of the spectrum as far as fit and finish. Could you please tell me more about Fenton Brothers, or point me to a source where I could read about them? From what I can tell they were active during the George V era, and made slightly more budget-oriented swords.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2020 16:02:16 GMT
More dates and info from Old Swords (a subscription site, worth it) oldswords.com/maker-list.phpEngland Sheffield Fenton Brothers 1860 1872 Norfolk Lane England Sheffield Fenton Bros. 1873 1895 66 Porter St. & Earl St. England London Fenton Bros. 1873 22 Bartletts Building England Sheffield Fenton Bros. Ltd. 1896 1938 Note: Partners and brothers: John Frederick Fenton and Frank Fenton. Silversmiths and electroplaters. In c.1873, opened London office at 22 bartletts Building. John Frederick Fenton died in 1883. Frank Fenton died in 1884. John Frederick Fenton's sons Samuel and Alfred John took over the company. Samuel Fenton died in 1893; Alfred John Fenton died c.1895. William Stainforth became director and manager. Then made silver-hilted knives and swords ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You might scare up old advertising Cheers GC
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Post by gearadoga on Jul 24, 2020 21:34:59 GMT
More dates and info from Old Swords (a subscription site, worth it) oldswords.com/maker-list.phpEngland Sheffield Fenton Brothers 1860 1872 Norfolk Lane England Sheffield Fenton Bros. 1873 1895 66 Porter St. & Earl St. England London Fenton Bros. 1873 22 Bartletts Building England Sheffield Fenton Bros. Ltd. 1896 1938 Note: Partners and brothers: John Frederick Fenton and Frank Fenton. Silversmiths and electroplaters. In c.1873, opened London office at 22 bartletts Building. John Frederick Fenton died in 1883. Frank Fenton died in 1884. John Frederick Fenton's sons Samuel and Alfred John took over the company. Samuel Fenton died in 1893; Alfred John Fenton died c.1895. William Stainforth became director and manager. Then made silver-hilted knives and swords ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You might scare up old advertising Cheers GC Very interesting stuff, thank you for the info. Unfortunately the sword doesnt have any Fenton markings on the blade that I can see, which makes me wonder if it was a replacement blade put onto an older hilt during its service. Or maybe it was one rushed together as the war escalated, who knows.
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