Possible French and Indian Wars?

umrgolf · Mar 5, 2011

I posted this a couple years ago because I wasn't even sure that it was a sword block.. With the help of Buckleboy, it was posted on swordforum.com and id'ed as a French small sword quillion block. This was found in upstate NY, and I'm curious to hear thoughts about the age of this item or if it's possibly related to the French and Indian Wars. I showed the pics to a guy yesterday who firmly believes that it is. :dontknow:

faces are possibly 17th century French sword masters

Front Side

Back Side

Close-ups (2 different faces)

traderoftreasures · Mar 5, 2011

well the mustache looks french and age looks to be late 1700's to early 1800's

dfx willy · Mar 5, 2011

that looks way cool! id say your on the money on that one. what a great find. willy

steelheadwill · Mar 5, 2011

Beautiful Piece :thumbsup:

Believe you are correct.

jeff of pa · Mar 5, 2011

That's one of the Most Intresting looking Finds
I'v seen in Awhile !

umrgolf · Mar 5, 2011

Thanks for the comments.. Im hoping someone is able to dig up pics of a similar piece attributed to both France and the mid-18th century

umrgolf · Mar 5, 2011

traderoftreasures said:
well the mustache looks french and age looks to be late 1700's to early 1800's

can you tell me how you determined this?

Tnmountains · Mar 5, 2011

I would try this site umrgolf. Maybe even send them a picture. I have done business with them and they are great to deal with. They always carry many ornamental short dress swords.

http://www.michaeldlong.com/

Good luck!
TnMtns

traderoftreasures · Mar 5, 2011

umrgolf said:
traderoftreasures said:

well the mustache looks french and age looks to be late 1700's to early 1800's

Click to expand...

can you tell me how you determined this?

I guessed....mostly because the style mustache was popular around that time period
. :dontknow:

BuckleBoy · Mar 5, 2011

Unfortunately I don't know any more about this than the guys on the sword forum do, which is why I suggested that you post there.

I think this is one of the most interesting relics ever posted on the forum. Glad to see you got some information on it.

Cheers,

Buckles

umrgolf · Mar 6, 2011

TnMountains said:
I would try this site umrgolf. Maybe even send them a picture. I have done business with them and they are great to deal with. They always carry many ornamental short dress swords.

http://www.michaeldlong.com/

Good luck!
TnMtns

gonna shoot him an email, thanks for the link :icon_thumleft:

traderoftreasures said:
umrgolf said:

traderoftreasures said:

well the mustache looks french and age looks to be late 1700's to early 1800's

Click to expand...

can you tell me how you determined this?

Click to expand...

I guessed....mostly because the style mustache was popular around that time period
.

I see, was just curious

BuckleBoy said:
Unfortunately I don't know any more about this than the guys on the sword forum do, which is why I suggested that you post there.

I think this is one of the most interesting relics ever posted on the forum. Glad to see you got some information on it.

Cheers,

Buckles

Thanks BB, hoping to turn over a little more info

CC Hunter · Mar 6, 2011

umrgolf,

You have quite the interesting and fascinating item there.

The identification as attributed to being a quillion block from an early edged weapon, appears to be quite accurate. The blade may have likely been a smaller variation of a rapier, rather than what one would consider a sword.

Your information gathered from a forum dedicated to swords and such, likely provides a more educated base than we may venture here. Was a period of manufacture time-frame forthcoming along with the identification on the site swordforum.com?

An quillion block of similar style from an early blade is shown here, that I found in 2002 on a site that produced items exclusively post Revolutionary War up to the Civil War (1790's through 1860's). This was an early plantation site that was in an area of great activity during the American Revolution, yet never produced a single marked button of the war era (out of 1000+ buttons). Hence the evidence appeared to support the particular site as being occupied only after the conflict.

Until definite supporting documentation is sourced, it may be premature to ascribe a period of use on such a relic, as being French & Indian War period, of say the 1750's. My impression is though, we can safely say at least late 18th century, based on the context of a similar example.

CC Hunter

umrgolf · Mar 6, 2011

CC Hunter said:
umrgolf,

You have quite the interesting and fascinating item there.

The identification as attributed to being a quillion block from an early edged weapon, appears to be quite accurate. The blade may have likely been a smaller variation of a rapier, rather than what one would consider a sword.

Your information gathered from a forum dedicated to swords and such, likely provides a more educated base than we may venture here. Was a period of manufacture time-frame forthcoming along with the identification on the site swordforum.com?

An quillion block of similar style from an early blade is shown here, that I found in 2002 on a site that produced items exclusively post Revolutionary War up to the Civil War (1790's through 1860's). This was an early plantation site that was in an area of great activity during the American Revolution, yet never produced a single marked button of the war era (out of 1000+ buttons). Hence the evidence appeared to support the particular site as being occupied only after the conflict.

Until definite supporting documentation is sourced, it may be premature to ascribe a period of use on such a relic, as being French & Indian War period, of say the 1750's. My impression is though, we can safely say at least late 18th century, based on the context of a similar example.

CC Hunter

Wow, great pic of something similar. When it was posted on swordforum, they never gave a date range if I recall, and if they did it was vague. I agree it is very small, something along the lines of a large dagger :dontknow:

At least I'm getting somewhere on the date now. Thanks for your extensive and detailed reply. :headbang: