This is the regulation US Navy cutlass and scabbard of the Civil War, issued to some members of gun crews to help repel borders, form boarding parties and hack through anti-boarding nets on enemy vessels to engage in close combat on cramped decks, or as an additional side arm in landing actions, patrol or guard duty. This pattern replaced the heavier and less elegant Model 1841, though many of those likely returned to service early in the war. Long known as the Model 1860, recent scholarship revealed the contract for this pattern was signed in June 1861, but the “Model 1860” designation holds firm among collectors.

The brass hilt has the full cup guard showing bright on the exterior with various light scratches and shallow rubs showing darker, a few small age spots, but no dents or no cracks, and a tight join to the knucklebow and counterguard. The tone of the pommel is slightly more subdued than the guard. The interior of guard has a darker coppery tone showing some rubbing on the inside of the counterguard from handling. As is typical, the grip does not have its wire binding- likely removed to avoid dealing with verdigris. The leather wrap is 80 percent there, exposing some of the wood core, mainly near the counterguard, where one would most firmly grasp it. The leather pad on the underside of the guard is gone, also usually case.

The upper inside of counterguard is clearly stamped 3 M / 26, following the Navy’s request to Ames, after receipt of the first 600, for them to be serial numbered, which would also serve as rack numbers and thus avoid having them defaced after distribution to particular vessels. Ames adopted the practice of using an “M” to indicate a thousand, making this one number 3,026, relatively early in the contract, which was extended several times and eventually reached something over 25,000, which were delivered on time, and mostly dated 1862, like this one, qualifying it for use throughout most of the war.

The blade is smooth metal overall, mostly semi-bright and a muted silver gray, showing a bit cleaner on the reverse, with the obverse showing a some shallow gray pitting around the tip, just forward of the fuller, and on the ricasso. The edge is good. The blade marking of inspection and acceptance by inspector Daniel Reynolds on the obverse ricasso is legible: “U.S.N. / D.R. / 1862,” with the “2” a little tougher to make out in the gray spotting. The Ames marking on the reverse ricasso is typically more difficult to make out from the narrow, shallow lettering, but is legible and the metal in better condition.

The scabbard is the standard Civil War pattern, full length, with a brass button on the upper obverse to secure it in the frog of the seaman’s waist belt, and has the seam closed on the reverse with a long line of copper rivets. Both the button and the rivets have a pleasing, aged patina. The rivet washers show some green and some black from the polishing of the scabbard from time to time while in service. The leather is solid, though with some typical creasing/bending at the tip, and various wear spots to the finish overall, which has not been retouched, colored, or treated with any preservatives or dressing. The throat bears serial/rack numbers reading “25 M / 26” indicating it was made considerably later in the contract, but likely in 1862 like the cutlass itself. These had plenty of opportunity to be switched around in service- once accounted for as ship’s arms, it is unlikely even the most scrupulous inspecting officer, to use a polite term, would be checking to see if the cutlass and scabbard numbers matched after they were handed out and put back in the ships arms racks after a drill or engagement.  [sr][ph:L]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS.

THANK YOU!