EL6944 - An excellent early Victorian light cavalry officer's sword. Carrying no maker or retailer's mark, this sword has an unusual and very pretty floral etching to both sides of the ricasso. This makes it hard to date or attribute, but my feeling is that the lack of proof slug probably means this dates to around 1845-50, and it it probably the work of a Birmingham maker such as Reeves. The blade is in excellent condition, with very detailed and crisp high quality etching, and it has been as well service sharpened as any sword I have seen for a long time. This serious and well done service sharpening presumably indicates that this sword was carried in one of the wars around the 1840s or 1850s, such as the Sikh Wars or Crimean War. It sits in the scabbard beautifully and sheaths very smoothly. The hilt has some patina matching that of the scabbard, but is mechanically in good condition, with everything tight and no movement. The grip is in very good to excellent condition, with all the shagreen and wire in good preservation. The blade is 35.5 inches long and this sword feels great in the hand.
