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Originally Posted by M ELEY
Very nice briquet. As discussed before with these types, many were infantry swords, but some definitely were for sea service. It is an interesting side note that many boarding cutlasses did NOT have a sharpened blade except at the extreme tip. The reason for this is that in the close quarters of a ship, a favourite tactic was to strike for an opponent's head with the 'dull' end, knocking them senseless, splitting their scalp open and taking the fight out of them. This was such a common tactic that the Americans came up with a leather padded boarding helmet to cushion the noggin. Maritime reports of battle injuries from tactics such as this show many head injuries, concussions, fractured skulls, etc. A full slash on a crowded deck was often impossible, but an overhead bashing was more practical. Does your sword have any stamps on it, perhaps of a tiny anchor?
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it's quite common for the forte to be unsharpened, thus better for parrying an opponent without notching your blade, the foible would be sharp, especially the 'sweet spot'. Thrusting swords might even only have the first 6 inches or so sharp, as that's more than enough to kill.