Passau Wolf of Solingen

[urbanspaceman]

I was reading the Mortuary Sword section of Stuart Mowbray's book this morning and came across this:
The blade on one of the Cromwell swords from the Cromwell museum is marked Clemens Wilms : Solingen as well as Andria Ferara.
Needs thinking about, but seems proof positive that the blade was labeled Andria Ferara by the trader, probably because the Clemens Wilms name was not significant enough to hype up the quality.
As I said, needs thinking about because I suspect this was always the case. I know that early 1700s, here in the UK, Birmingham smiths were using false markings. The Cutlers Company were forever trying to prevent this but... It is not beyond the bounds of possibility that they were falsely using the Bushy Tailed Fox and not buying blade blanks from Shotley Bridge, although I suspect not.

[Jim McDougall]

That seems logical as the ANDREA FERARA was more an eponym signifying a high quality blade in the manner that EISENHAUER was on other German blades later. The fact that there was indeed an Italian maker actually named Andrea Ferara did not necessarily have to be regarded as a known fact for example with the Scots. Familiar with the Latin lingua francia, it simply meant loosely, good or true steel.

The personal name of the cutler or sword purveyor being added was their own mark of their commercial propriety, so both names combined would not be irregular. However in most cases, the blades made in Solingen with ANDREA FERARA inscribed was on both sides of the blade, so it would have been difficult to add another.

While the ANDREA FERARA blades are invariably known to have been destined to Scottish sword slippers, these blades were on occasion known to enter other spheres, probably through secondary routing through trade networks. In the case of this example, an ANDREA FERARA blade has reached the British Isles, but into the English sphere, and Hounslow, where a degree of Solingen blades went, despite the German makers installed there.

Regret not having better images of the ANDREA FERARA blade.

A Scottish ribbon hilt of same period c. 1640 of the 'mortuary' perhaps slightly earlier.

As the ANDREA FERARA blades coming out of Solingen were from different shops and of course times, there was occasional variation.

It seems that spurious and purloined markings, names and devices were used as required to move blades commercially of course, and the bane of those of researching

[Ed]

Another, late, example.

[JeffS]

Another late one found on a Timor sword which resembles Ed's blade. Ed - is it possible to show the full sword?