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Post by toros on Oct 24, 2023 21:37:54 GMT
I would like to hear your opinions on this French sabre. Am I correctly identifying this model as an XIII after modification? Personally, I'm not entirely fond of the handle. Regards Toros
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Post by maxdchouinard on Oct 25, 2023 12:38:46 GMT
Both swords you are showing have had a very long life. The serial number on the scabbard and sword started in 1845, and the scabbards themselves are of the 1816 model. It's very much possible that the grip was also replaced, possibly around the Crimean war to meet the demand for the new 1854 by recycling old latte sabres. The regulations do talk about replacing damaged parts on these old swords by swapping them for newer ones.
It's possible that the work was so massive that chatellerault was given the responsibility for it, since many of not most are showing chatellerault poinçons on the hilts.
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Post by toros on Oct 26, 2023 10:39:28 GMT
Thank you for your opinion, I didn't consider the possibility of later modifications or repairs. I asked because French sabres were often copied, and I'm not yet skilled enough to determine on my own whether it's an original. What would you say about the sabre in the second post? It seems that apart from the blade modification, it resembles an XIII in other aspects, doesn't it?
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Post by maxdchouinard on Oct 26, 2023 20:40:41 GMT
Thank you for your opinion, I didn't consider the possibility of later modifications or repairs. I asked because French sabres were often copied, and I'm not yet skilled enough to determine on my own whether it's an original. What would you say about the sabre in the second post? It seems that apart from the blade modification, it resembles an XIII in other aspects, doesn't it? French Napoleonic swords are probably among the most faked swords around, so one should always be very careful and consider anything that is too good to be true to indeed be so. I think it's also best to acquire a lot of knowledge before making a purchase to avoid disappointments. There are so many kinds of forgeries that it's very hard to keep track, but I think the idea of repair, and even more so of repair with parts from subsequent models was somewhat ignored in the past, and so many swords got marked as forgeries while they were most probably mix and match works from regimental armourers. The sabre in your second post looks ok, though the pictures are masking some details. It was also marked post 1845, but here the serial number on the guard does not match the scabbard, which means they were put together recently. The guard also has what could be the poinçon of Bisch in Chatellerault, or that of an artillery controller assigned to inspect a regiment's weapon stock. This is a fairly common feature on these repurposed sabres. The wiring looks replaced, which given the service life wouldn't be much of an issue, but it looks to me like someone went and try to create some artificial wear on it, which is not a good sign. I would pass on this one personally, too many details missing, and a few red flags.
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Post by sabre on Nov 2, 2023 11:11:01 GMT
Looks ok but think the scabbard numbers being of more modern form have been stamped recently to match the sword number. The V marking on the guard looks a little large I have this marking one of my Model AN XIII swords and it's a lot smaller ?.
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Post by toros on Nov 10, 2023 19:45:49 GMT
maxdchouinard thank you for your opinion, I will give up this time (the seller was not willing to provide more photos with details).
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pellius
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Post by pellius on Nov 10, 2023 21:16:38 GMT
…the seller was not willing to provide more photos with details... Seems a little sketchy.
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