Info Request on Civil War Era Briquet Sword

[Anthony H.]

Hello all, Wondered if anyone might have info on the origin of this sword. I was cleaning out a closet and came across this sword that I've had since I was a kid.

I remember being told that it was a Civil war era sword that was made in Germany. I got it out tonight and put some oil on it. The sheath is in two pieces at this point unfortunately. It has a Knights Head stamp and a stamp further down the side that I believe says "Steilberg Munitions". I've searched around and seen several of the same style, but none (so far) with both stamps. Any info would be great, thanks!

 

[The Zieg]

Hello all, Wondered if anyone might have info on the origin of this sword. I was cleaning out a closet and came across this sword that I've had since I was a kid.

I remember being told that it was a Civil war era sword that was made in Germany. I got it out tonight and put some oil on it. The sheath is in two pieces at this point unfortunately. It has a Knights Head stamp and a stamp further down the side that I believe says "Steilberg Munitions". I've searched around and seen several of the same style, but none (so far) with both stamps. Any info would be great, thanks!

What I gather from a short Google search:

The knight's helm maker's mark indicates Germany's Kirschbaum forge and Steilberg is the retailer.

The sword pattern reminds me of European police swords. Is the blade sharpened? They would have been issued to policemen just before a riot and kept blunt more often than not.

Zieg

 

[Anthony H.]

What I gather from a short Google search:

The knight's helm maker's mark indicates Germany's Kirschbaum forge and Steilberg is the retailer.

The sword pattern reminds me of European police swords. Is the blade sharpened? They would have been issued to policemen just before a riot and kept blunt more often than not.

Zieg

Thanks, it does have an edge, but it is not sharp.

 

[not2sharp]

These swords were first used by French Infantry during the Napoleonic era, and then widely adopted by many other European military such as Spain and Germany. They were tough and relatively inexpensive to make. Period of greatest use would have been during the first half of the 19th century (France introduces them around 1800). At one point all of Napoleon’s grenadiers infantry were armed with these. The French version would have been common at the battle of Waterloo.

Link:
https://collections.royalarmouries....o/arms-and-armour/type/rac-narrative-589.html

n2s

 

[horseclover]

I posted to another venue last night

Welcome aboard

Some poking around comes up with some details. I'll look in a book in the morning but.........

There was an L. Steilberg Jr /Munster i/W retailer working around the turn of the century but as late as the 1920s.

The knight's bust is for Kirschbaum and was used from 1862-1883. Weyersburg merged with them in 1883. For a couple of decades after the merge, both the Weyersburg kings head and knight's bust appear together but then in the 20th century, WKC began just using the knight's bust. Without confirming dates in a book, my hunch is that it is a 20th century item, as I don't know the retailer from mid 19th century and finding WWI period swords marked to them from more than one sword maker.

I find nothing else in my one book, which covers makers but not retailers. I may stumble on something else but the surnames are fairly common. I don't see any military markings or numbers, so it is fairly impossible who the customer/country bought it.

Cheers
GC

https://sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/63388/sword-help-briquet

 

[Anthony H.]

Yep, I put it in that forum and here, to see what info could be found.

 

[Garrett White]

Hello all, Wondered if anyone might have info on the origin of this sword. I was cleaning out a closet and came across this sword that I've had since I was a kid.

I remember being told that it was a Civil war era sword that was made in Germany. I got it out tonight and put some oil on it. The sheath is in two pieces at this point unfortunately. It has a Knights Head stamp and a stamp further down the side that I believe says "Steilberg Munitions". I've searched around and seen several of the same style, but none (so far) with both stamps. Any info would be great, thanks!

The theme of war has been heard very often lately, and if we talk about the war, then only about the history of the war. I've read some research on this phenomenon at https://writingbros.com/essay-examples/war/ and I really don't understand why so many people in today's world want war, both locally and internationally.

An incredibly beautiful sword.