beestonboxer Posted 31 October , 2015 Share Posted 31 October , 2015 Two questions. Did this type of saw back sword see any service in the Great War ? And possibly the second question may not need answering depending on the answer to the first question. Has anyone got an image of troops during the Great War with this type of sword ? Any other info much appreciated. Questions are referring to this type of sword in general I cant see anything that may suggest this sword was used in the GW markings on this example are Wester and co Solingen on one side and the date 1891 and serial number 21964 on the other. Its a new purchase slightly over polished but in very, very nice condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolyboy11 Posted 31 October , 2015 Share Posted 31 October , 2015 I think this may be Swiss but I'm not sure which model ........ Rolyboy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shippingsteel Posted 1 November , 2015 Share Posted 1 November , 2015 Yes it is definitely a Swiss Pioneer Short Sword. It is possibly an M1880 but don't quote me on that either, I am not really certain.? You should find a small 'Helvetia cross' marking somewhere on the ricasso. Blade length should be about 520mm, overall 670mm. And to answer your question regarding Great War usage, of course if it is Swiss issue than no service other than as a Neutral army. Cheers, S>S EDIT. I recalled we had seen one of these before and found the old thread HERE. They were certainly still in use with the Swiss army. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beestonboxer Posted 1 November , 2015 Author Share Posted 1 November , 2015 Yes it is definitely a Swiss Pioneer Short Sword. It is possibly an M1880 but don't quote me on that either, I am not really certain.? You should find a small 'Helvetia cross' marking somewhere on the ricasso. Blade length should be about 520mm, overall 670mm. And to answer your question regarding Great War usage, of course if it is Swiss issue than no service other than as a Neutral army. Cheers, S>S EDIT. I recalled we had seen one of these before and found the old thread HERE. They were certainly still in use with the Swiss army. Thanks for the information , spot on with the lengths. There is however no cross on the sword or any other markings so looks like it could possibly never have got to the Swiss Army or maybe never have been stamped. I thought with the german makers name that it may have been a weapon that saw service in the German Army. Thanks again Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shippingsteel Posted 1 November , 2015 Share Posted 1 November , 2015 This is the kind of marking you would be expecting to find on the ricasso, the cross being the Swiss property marking. Apparently some turn up unmarked ... The manufacturer of your sword Wester & Co of Solingen are a noted supplier of these swords to the Swiss army with a few examples to be found on the net. Cheers, S>S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 1 November , 2015 Share Posted 1 November , 2015 ... I thought with the german makers name that it may have been a weapon that saw service in the German Army. ... Reasonable assumption but the Solingen metalsmiths were making blades and and razors and scissors, etc., for everyone! In fact by 1913, Solingen was supplying almost 60% of the world cutlery market, mainly through the 'kotten-industrie' ... As for the Isaac Wester concern, I gather it was in business from about 1825 to 1883/1890, supplying swords to the US of A, the French, among others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 2 November , 2015 Share Posted 2 November , 2015 Beestonboxer, Here's a nice example for comparison! See: https://www.michaeldlong.com/Catalogue/Edged-Weapons/Side-arms/Swiss/Swiss-brass-hilted-short-sword-with-saw-back-blade.aspx Now, find yourself a scabbard, and you are away - although perhaps best to lock this thread as it is no longer GW related... Trajan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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