Price: SOLD
Price: SOLD
Here is one of the most distinctive Southern made swords to have been used during the Civil War. Known as the Virginia Manufactory sword, these were originally manufactured with a 40.5-inch long blade and trimmed down to about 30-inches and refitted with a new scabbard for re-issue (William Albaugh III, ‘A Photographic Supplement of Confederate Swords' ,p 171). This particular blade is just under 22-inches, which most have been found to be. I would grade this sword to be above average for attic condition as the blade is clean and very stable with even pitting throughout. The distinctive iron guard also shows pitting and matches the overall look of the blade & iron back strap perfectly. The leather grip is present with double twist wire wrap present. There are no markings on the sword, though when present often are found atop the blade with many being issued to the ‘1st Virginia Regt’. These swords were originally manufactured during the early 1800’s and once refitted were issued to Confederate Cavalry troopers, with approximately 10,000 being produced. This is a great sword with a great history and you won’t have to surf the web long to take notice of the fact that a Southern manufactured, Confederate used sword under $1,000.00 is hard to find.
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Price: $1,495.00
M1850 Ames foot officer's sword w/ Ames manufacturing marks. The blade measures just under 30.5-inches and has a nice smooth bright finish throughout and the original washer is present. There is virtually no pitting noted at all and all of the etching can still be seen. Void of any inspector's marks, this likely commercially purchased sword and was probably manufactured 1863 on. The "Ames Mfg. Co / Chicopee / Mass" etching is the only one that you have to study to see, otherwise panoply of arms and floral motifs can be seen along with a thick script 'US'. Above the eagle is the banner with 'E. Pluribus Unum' which appears to have been dry needle inscribed. The brass has a nice bright brass patina throughout. The shark skin grip is 99% complete and you can see in the images the typical gap down the seam of the wrap where it has shrunk. The brass wire wrap remains tight and complete. This sword also has its original leather lapped and glued scabbard, which actually is in full length, its just missing the drag. This could be replaced if one desired and the attachment point of the drag is still present, so we know it's pretty much all there. The sword fits in it nicely all the way up to the washer. The brass mounts match the guard perfectly and have both rings as well. The Ames manufacturing mark can be seen on the top mount. This is a great looking sword overall and if given to the right person could be restored to its original form.
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Price: $850.00
M1860 Ames light cavalry saber with New Jersey markings (N.J.). The blade has a bright look throughout with peppered patina. There is no active oxidation noted, leaving the blade with a smooth feel. The washer is present as are all of the proper markings on the ricasso. On one side you have the "Ames Mfg. / Chicopee / Mass" and on the reverse 'N.J. / US / D.R. / 1864'. The good thing here is that the scabbard is also marked with 'N.J.' and the inspector 'D.R.' so we know that it is original to the sword. The brass has a nice mellow patina throughout with some dark splotches noted. The leather wrap is original, as is the brass wire and both are solid and in relatively good condition with only mild crazing to indicate its age. The scabbard has a nice dark patina throughout and is stable with no active oxidation or pitting noted. Both rings are present and again, the drag is marked both 'N.J.' and 'DR'. This particular sword came out of a GAR hall and you can see on the top mount there is a ring and a hole in the drag where it was hung on the wall. It is a great looking sword that is all original and has a great overall character. D.R. are the initials of David Rice who was an Army Sub-inspector based at the Springfield Armory. Mr. Rice would inspect swords between1835-1863. You may note that the date of the sword post-dates the David Rice's tenure. This sword was manufactured early in 1864 and was more than likely put together with the oversupply of components inspected in 1863 when the inspector was visiting. It does have the N.J. and possibly could have been supplied to New Jersey by virtue of the 1808 Act, however due to the dates the first hypothesis is most likely the scenario.
Price: $775.00
M1840 Kirschbaum 'wrist breaker' w/ scabbard. Attic looking heavy cavalry saber with a great looking blade. The brass has a dark attic patina throughout which gives a great aged look. The leather is a possible re-wrap, but looks old, with the wire wrap which is really tight. The brass guard has a little rattle to it, which is only mentioned for exactness. The blade has a nice finish with very little to not pitting whatsoever and is complete in length. The 'knights head' on the ricasso is very clear and easily seen. This is the maker's mark for Kirschbaum, which was one of the foremost importers of swords during the war. The scabbard is complete with no rust spots that I can see, has both rings, and drag. The sword fits well into the scabbard with no rattle. The leather washer is missing. This is would be a great sword for the war room has it has that 'been there' feel, with an overall aura of the 'Old South'. This was a popular model both North & South, especially for the seasoned cavalryman who preferred them over the lighter M1860.
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Price: $325.00
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Roman style imported artillery short sword without scabbard. The brass has a nice mellow patina with an attic appeal to it. The blade is nice with a bright finish and very little to no pitting. There is a rack number '996' on the cross bar. This is really nice looking sword.
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M1860 Mansfield & Lamb with a rare early date of 1862. The sword is complete with original scabbard and leather wire wrap. The scabbard shows the normal dings and dents associated with use and age. There is no active rust on the scabbard and remains intact with throat and rings. The blade has a nice clean finish with very light pitting noted peppered throughout and the leather washer is present. The brass has a nice mellow patina, as one likes to see. The markings show up well on both sides of the ricasso, with ‘U.S. / L.D / 1862 opposite the Mansfield & Lamb. The sword fits tightly into the scabbard with no wiggle. This is an overall very solid sword with the aesthetics and the early date to add eye appeal and value to any collection. Mansfield and Lamb has a manufacturing history dating back to 1824 and was at that time under a different name. Located in Forestdale, Rhode Island (which the firm owned), the manufacturer like so many at the beginning of the war had very little to no experience in making edged weapons. Thought the firm was very successful in manufacturing scythes and operating a cotton mill, by August 1861 they would be awarded a government contract for 10,000 cavalry sabers. The company only delivered approximately 6,000 sword by April 1862, causing the firm to nearly lose their contract. Between the Government hearings regarding their lack in production and their own growing pains in poor manufacturing between late 1861 and 1862 somewhat accounts for the rarity of the early dated Mansfield and Lamb swords. According to Thillmann's Civil War Cavalry & Artillery Sabers the initial 1861 order of 10,000 swords were delivered and approximately 500 swords between February and June 1862.
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Price: SOLD
Scarce M1840 Sheble & Fisher cavalry saber in overall good condition. The grip is all original and the leather shows the typical crazing associated with age. The double wound copper wire remains tight. The brass exhibits a nice mellow patina throughout. The blade has a nice clean finish with very minimal pitting noted, nothing more than to be expected, and the trademark scallop leather washer is present as well. The original scabbard is complete with throat and rings. The downer is that the scabbard appears to have been lacquered and having looked at it closer, matches the brass guard almost perfectly. The scabbard shows no signs of deterioration and remains patent throughout, with that in mind, if one wishes to remove this; I believe you would find a near perfect scabbard in condition and patina. This is a beautiful sword overall and just by the maker alone with enhance most collections. It is unknown if the firm Sheble & Fisher had a government contract for its M1840 cavalry saber due to it not having any inspector's marks or 'US' on the ricasso. To date there has been no records of any government contract with Sheble & Fisher for their swords. These swords are out there, but not commonly seen on the market. What makes it even more interesting is that because there are no records of purchases, it is unknown how many were made.
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Price: $550.00
M1840 Imported ‘unmarked’ sword purchased out of Dyersburg, Tn. The leather and wire wrap is missing from the handle showing the wooden grip. The brass has a dark patina throughout with a number ‘40’ on the basket next to the pommel cap. The blade shows very mild surface oxidation, which with a little oil and cloth should come off, and in doing so would bring out a great look to the blade. The scabbard shows moderate pitting throughout giving the overall effect of a ‘barn find’. The scabbard’s throat and spring are present and hold the blade perfectly still, which leads one to believe that these are original to each other. The overall construction and feel of this sword in very good and with a re-wrap and a little oil, this will make a great war room addition. The family’s verbal history with the sword is that this belonged to their ancestor who fought in a Missouri regiment during the war. I've seen on some sites where they claim you can hear a relic whistle Dixie if you held it up to your ear, quite frankly I never believed it, until I held this one. Crank up your speakers boys, and listen close, because you might hear it too!!!!! (Sorry Spicer, I couldn't hold it back any longer, this ones dedicated to you!!!!!)
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Price: SOLD
New Jersey Marked M1860 Ames Cavalry saber dated '1864'. The blade has a nice bright finish with no pitting whatsoever. The Ames stamping is light, as seen on most of them. On the other side of the ricasso is 'N.J. / US / D.R. / 1864' which is easily seen. The leather washer is present. The brass has a nice mellow patina throughout with the typical signs of use. The leather wrap is in good shape and all of the wire is present and tight. The scabbard shows nice age with the original throat and rings present. The 'N.J.' is also stamped onto the drag. The cool thing about this sword is that the inspector's marks 'D.R.' (Daniel Reynolds) can be seen on the ricasso, pommel cap, and the drag of the scabbard, indicating that the scabbard is original to the sword. The Ames swords represent one of, if not the largest edge weapons contracts the government made during the war years. In 1864, Ames delivered approximately 30,000 M1860 light cavalry sabers at a cost of $6.00.
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Price: $1,395.00
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M1840 Cavalry saber by Charles Hammond, one of the most obscure and most little known about sword manufacturers during the civil war. The brass guard has a nice mellow patina throughout. The leather wrap is missing, however all of the original wire is present. The blade is in terrific shape with no pitting at all and has a bright finish. The ricasso has the proper 'C. Hammond' mark. The sword fits tightly with no wiggle into its scabbard which has a nice attic patina throughout. There is no oxidation noted at all on the scabbard which is complete with all its hardware. There are four marks noted on the hilt, pommel cap and drag of the scabbard. These swords are mentioned in Albaugh's Confederate Sword book, however it is generally agreed upon that these swords have no association with Confederate use in regards to contractual or government purchase. Its interesting to note that Hammond never received a federal contract for cavalry sabers either and in a nutshell we really don't know how many of them are out there. There are many hypothesis as to where these swords went, one being that they were sent to fulfill a state contract or even possibly a sub-contract for a larger firm. This one is a really nice sword that you could have re-wrapped for little of nothing and have the original wire to do it with. I will leave that up to you. Either way a hard sword to find in its own right.
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Price: $1,350.00
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Confederate Pike with a blade length of 13inches and an overall length of 18.5inches. The blade shows very minor pitting and has a nice dark patina throughout. The brass throat is in good shape with a mellow aged look. Looking up into the throat, you can still see remnants of the wood staff broke which was broke off at some point. On the ricasso of the blade is a small star and I have highlighted it in one of the images. This style of pike is believed to be of Richmond manufacture and represents the nostalgia of the Napoleonic campaigns that would bleed over into the American Civil War. Many variations of Pikes and Bridle Cutters have been found here and around the Donelson Campaigns.
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Price: $1,750.00 Sale Pending
Rare version of the Model 1840 Artillery Sword by Sheble & Fisher. The condition of the sword is in overall great condition. The blade is bright and has light surface oxidation which is as commonly seen on most swords. The brass guard and knucklebow has a nice mellow patina throughout and shows the normal dings and marks noted on a piece that has seen action. The leather wrap is over 90% present and is original. The double wound copper wire is also present which uncharacteristic of an American made sword. The grip does have a split partially down one side and can be seen in the images. On the ricasso, you can see the "Sheble & Fisher / PHILD", there is no date mentioned to be on these swords. There were two types of these swords and based on some of the characteristics, I believe this one to be the second of two variations base on the fact that it came in a M1860 cavalry scabbard, which the 2nd variation fits perfectly. The scabbard itself has a dark attic patina throughout with both hanger rings present. Because of the rarity of these sabers it is unknown how many were actually made or how many were contracted. I do believe it is quite possible that the type 2 variations were shipped in cavalry sabers and though I do not have extensive research to back this claim up, it would make sense. Especially since the firm also manufactured M1860 swords and by the fact that this sword was obtained directly from the family here in west-central Tennessee in a M1860 scabbard. Thus, the next owner of this sword will be only the second since the family. Please reference "Civil War Cavalry & Artillery Sabers" by John H. Thillmann, 2001; Pg. 406-407.
Price: $2,700.00
This Confederate Side Knife, which was made from a file, measures at 19" long, while the blade itself measures out at 14". The blade is lightly pitted in a couple areas on one side, while the other remains fairly smooth. Evidence of the file, which it was made, is evident down both sides of the blade from cross guard to the point. The width of the blade is 1.25" at its base and has a nice smooth patina throughout. The cross guard is 3.5" wide. The wooden handle is solid and has a nice and consistent worn look and feel. The particular piece came out of an East Tennessee Estate a year or two ago. Along with this knife comes a letter of authenticity from Larry Hicklen. This is a 100% authentic Confederate Knife.