ID 28" Metal Sword No Makers Mark # Only

M

mlis

Joined
Jul 10, 2007
Messages
5
I'm new around here and Cougar Allen suggested posting this here.

I am helping a friend identify a sword he found in a relatives attic.

All parts of the sword are metal as is the scabbard.

Length is 28" in the scabbard and the blade is 22 9/16" long.

The only marks on it are on the base of the scabbard. On one side "R 93193" is stamped and on the other "J". Thank you for any assistance in identifying this sword.

Sword w/scabbard
http://www.flickr.com/photos/67315266@N00/772258256/

Scabbard "R 93193"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/67315266@N00/772258330/

Scabbard "J"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/6731526...n/photostream/
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The blade style (yataghan) and scabbard is French, and the handle style is USA, but if I was a betting man, I would say it was made for Mexico. Is the hilt brass? The loop on the scabbard is to fit a leather belt frog, which attaches the scabbard to your belt. The number is an issue number which ties that scabbard to a particular soldier. There should be a matching number on the blade, or a _similar_ number if the blade and scabbard were separated in storage.

This is why I think it is French.

http://arms2armor.com/Bayonets/fren1866.htm

This shows a belt frog

http://arms2armor.com/Bayonets/frn1892a.htm

There is also the possibility that the blade and scabbard ARE french, but the hilt has been cast on at a later date.
 
Thank you for the information.

Is the hilt brass?

I just checked it with a magnet and it did stick. I have looked and can not find a number on the blade.
 
TemplarKnight21c said:
The yataghan is a Turkish sword, not French, if I remember correctly.
Click to expand...

The Yataghan STYLE (and I did stipulate STYLE) is French for the Chassepot rifle which is also French. So, to put it another way the French bayonet for the chassepot rifle is in the yataghan style of the Turks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yatagan

and also from Wikipedia

While most sword bayonets have straight blades, a popular variant in the 19th century featured sinuous, S-curved blades like those found on the Turkish sword called the yataghan. Today, sword bayonets of this style are said to have "yataghan" blades, or to be "yataghan-bladed".

MLIS, so the hilt is steel? Does it rust? That would age it as not stainless. I still suspect a marrying of parts here.
 
Andrew Taylor: There is very light rust on the hilt. I am going to try and borrow a better camera this weekend so I can take some better close up photos.
 
It is a yatagan bayonet blade mounted with a infantry hanger hilt. This style of sword bayonet was used globally (France, Germany, Britain, US, Spain, Japan... and a host of others) from 1840-1870s. The blades often were mounted as hangers and issued to various infantry and police units. Later in the period, many of the manufacturers used their inventory of parts and molds to produce any number of society swords; including everything from retirement (walking out sword) and parade pieces, to tourist souvenirs. The hilt on this one seems vaguely Eastern European: but it may have been produced by any of the various makers for anyone.

n2s
 
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