African Sword with European Mark

[thinreadline]

Originally Posted by Iain

A pity the rest of the text is faded. However, the mark closely resembles one attributed to a British based maker P. Spitzer. Since this is clearly a "G" somebody, I would guess it could be a continuation of the same workshop perhaps. The style of the head at least is a pretty good match.

G Spitzer I know from later bayonet blades, but there's probably been a lot of folks with the name over time.

Hi again Ian ,
I cannot locate the maker P- Spitzer but I have just checked out a ref in John Walters German Bayonets book...he mentions a Carl Gustav Spitzer 1873 - 1972 Solingen, Felder Str.
Stamp; a wide variety of marks applied including BAAS and Codex, devices used include a lion, a lion and a fish, a hammock, crossed open pocket iknives and the head of a farmer.
As you say , a late comer into the bayonet field not known to have been involved in the manufacture of edged weapons until c1938.
(Ref Walter p 158) .

[thinreadline]

I enquired with a friend who has an extensive library and he has just checked the two volume set by Schlesinger of the Solingen rolls/registers and has found a Gottried Spitzer 1865 and a Hans Peter Spitzer 1719 .

[manteris1]

you guys are the best....................jimmy

[thinreadline]

And just to add further to the mystery .. here is an Italian pistol from the 1860s with a very similar GS on it !

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by thinreadline

And just to add further to the mystery .. here is an Italian pistol from the 1860s with a very similar GS on it !

Salaams thinredline, Was that not Guillaume Scholberg of Liege ?.. Famous Belgian gunmaking family.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[thinreadline]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Salaams thinredline, Was that not Guillaume Scholberg of Liege ?.. Famous Belgian gunmaking family.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

You may well be right ..... but I have seen GS on a number of Italian guns too , including this one .