Felddegen with pewter grip

[MacCathain]

Originally Posted by Victrix

...it looks to me like “F 53” which could be some sort of rack or armoury number?

I thought the same when I first examined it, but the "F" is so well-defined that I doubt the following stamp, sloppy as it is, is alphanumeric or it would have been equally clear as the "F". Surely, whomever stamped the "F" would have done a better job of imprinting "53," should that have been their purpose.

That aside, I doubt that "rack numbers" we know from the Victorian age would have been used in the last half of the 17th century.

It strikes me as a stamp that was not cleanly impressed, perhaps indicating that it was one that may have been used on many other weapons before being applied to this hilt, hence the lack of detail. That's all conjecture, of course.

I'll try to render the graphic that I see, and I will post it in a bit.

Thanks for your input.

[Victrix]

Great to see this sword in all its beauty. At first glance it looks like a “35” clumsily inscribed on the guard. The rounded bits of these digits are obviously challenging for a non-professional without the right tools. Judging by the condition of the sword it’s possible that it had its working life extended into the 18thC.

[MacCathain]

Fair point, Victrix.

I can now confirm that whatever the image may be -- numerals or a graphic -- it was not made by a stamp. Close inspection with a high-power loupe shows the edges are slightly undercut, which could only mean that they were incised rather than stamped.

Comparing the felddegen to other similar examples, it seems the blade on this example is more narrow across the ricasso (27.5 mm/1.1 inches) than most.

Could that be a clue as to its age? If a wider blade equates to an older weapon, perhaps this one is a later transitional piece?

[Victrix]

Given the modest length and probable stiffness of the blade it is likely an infantryman’s sword. It would be used for close quarter fighting and need thrust and well as cut capabilities. It looks like a 17thC felddegen. I would not rule out that the sword continued to be used into 18thC when the armoury number might have been added (town/castle guard sidearm?). I love these swords with the auspicious number and running wolf on the blade.