Model 1872 USMA West Point Sword - how do you date it?

[checkit]

While the Handle looks old on this, the Blade and Scabbard seem much newer. The Scabbard is stamped "18" in several places, while the blade is unmarked.

 

Any way to determine how old this is? Might this be a put-together piece?

 

[checkit]

2

 

 

[checkit]

3

[SARGE]

Don,

 

Your sword is a generic American Military Academy sword made after the form of the USMA sword. The West Point sword will have specific information on it including the Academy helmet logo on the guard. Generic Military Academy swords will sometimes have the name of the specific military academy etched on the blade (instead of USMA) but typically only have the "MA" logo on the guard.

 

The small numbers on the scabbard are assembly numbers used by the maker to assemble the correct parts to make up the sword and have no meaning to anyone except the fellow who put it together. Your sword does not look like a parts sword from the pictures but was probably used by one of the small Military Academies prior to WWII from the looks of it.

 

I hope this is helpful.

[checkit]

Thanks Sarge.

 

[ccyooper]

The blade should have a USMA etching if it is a West Point saber/sword. Athenas crest was added in the early 20s I believe, previous to that they were marked MA. Many military schools have used the generic MA handled blades. However, all versions of the 1872 pattern saber had USMA etched blades. The USMA museum web site may have some information about the cadet sabers, you should check there. I know, formally this may be a sword but at the academy they are called sabers. Typically I believe these are hard to date unless they were Ames or Springfield made, I also believe someone either wrote a book or dedicated a chapter to these blades. Maybe a forum member has the reference material. Good luck with your research.

[Spathologist]

According to Farrington's Swords and Sabers of the US Army 1867-1918, the cadet sword as described in para. 1789 of the Army Regulations of 1889, the USMA swords had unetched blades. While the scabbard is different from the Springfield Armory examples illustrated in the reference, I can see no obvious differences between the pre-1922 USMA sword in the reference and the one pictured above.

 

As for dating, white metal grips like the one pictured in this thread are noted to be in use by 1914.

 

A sword apparently identical to the one above is listed as number 543 in the Mowbray repro of the 1880s Ames catalog, though the description notes an etched diamond blade.

 

That said, Sarge is quite right when he notes that these swords, especially those not made at Springfield, were used by many military academies and it is unlikely that the example above is an actual USMA sword.

[reschenk]

According to Farrington's Swords and Sabers of the US Army 1867-1918, the cadet sword as described in para. 1789 of the Army Regulations of 1889, the USMA swords had unetched blades.

 

I have seen, however, early 20th century examples with good provenance with "U.S.M.A." etched blades. When this was added, and whether it was applied to all later-date Academy swords, I do not know.