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Post by eastman on Oct 30, 2022 22:39:58 GMT
I was looking at listings for antique military swords and that leads to this question.
Officer's dress swords from the pre-WW I era are described as having wire wrapped plastic grips. From my understanding, the first synthetic plastic was Bakelite, and that didn't appear on the market until 1909. Are these grips really plastic or could it have been horn under the wire (used in the 18th & 19th centuries in ways plastics are used today)?
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Uhlan
Member
Posts: 3,121
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Post by Uhlan on Oct 31, 2022 17:38:36 GMT
Horn, bone, ivory and often wood covered with ray skin and later, as you say, Bakelite. Later still, say after WWII, there can be plastic. Where did you find this information if I may ask?
Cheers.
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Post by eastman on Nov 1, 2022 0:29:08 GMT
Horn, bone, ivory and often wood covered with ray skin and later, as you say, Bakelite. Later still, say after WWII, there can be plastic. Where did you find this information if I may ask? Cheers.
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Uhlan
Member
Posts: 3,121
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Post by Uhlan on Nov 1, 2022 5:23:22 GMT
I bought from Stewards some years back. Nice folk. Sometimes they have something special. Back to the Degen :: I am 100% sure that's Bakelite. Germans used it in a great many sabre and Degen designs. Also ,,Imperial Germany'' so from before the end of WWI. Way to early for what we call ,,plastic''.
Cheers.
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Post by eastman on Nov 2, 2022 0:06:28 GMT
so as long as it is late Imperial, then it is good to go
thanks for the feedback
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Post by eastman on Nov 13, 2022 1:03:26 GMT
I bought the cheaper one they had at Stewart's. I love the blade, it is a wonderful small sword type. The hilt probably originally had leather or felt washers on each side of the guard. These are missing and the guard flops around. The wire is also far too mobile. The tang cap is soldered on, not peened. I'm thinking about melting out the solder and replacing the missing washers. Probably go with a black oil tanned leather like latigo.
MDGA - Make Degen Great Again
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