WW1 training cutlass?

[Vpep]

I saw this at my last militaria collectors club meeting last night.has any one ever seen one of these before. It has no markings, and the grip is just black painted wood. I had to Glenn these photos from online, so unfortunately I can't show you anymore detail. Any information about this interesting piece would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Vic

[zzyzzogeton]

I realize this is an old post, but it was never answered so here goes ---

 

I have 4 of these, bought as pairs from old collectors.  One of the guys told me they were "pre-WW1 training cutlasses" and the other told me that they were introduced circa the 1880s.

 

In periodic searches over time, I have seen references to 1860, 1885, 1900, and 1902 as the introduction dates with no documentation proving when they were introduced.

 

The 1860 date was associated with a comment that that was when the M1860 cutlass was introduced, so it made sense that similarily shaped training weapons came into use at the same time.  1885 was part of a sales write up by International Military Antiques stating that it was a 1917 training cutlass, while also quoting "an old collector" for it being an 1885 trainer and "circa 1900".

 

There is pictoral documentation that SOME training cutlasses of the 1860s to 1890s were fashioned of oval-shaped oak blades with steel hand guards.  There are also old fuzzy black and white photos from the 1880 and 1890s showing US Navy cutlass training that MAY be metal bladed trainers but you can't really tell what they are from the bad pictures.

 

I have also seen them described as 1880 to 1910 gymnasium training cutlasses for weight training with nothing to do with the US Navy, or any other navy for that matter.  I have never seen them advertised in old sporting goods catalogs but late-1890/early 1900s catalogs are few and far between.

 

So. what are they?  No one seems to really know,

[reschenk]

I've seen similar training cutlasses with steel blades retailed by Horstmann and stamped with the king's head mark of the Solingen sword maker Weyersberg.  Presumably this would date them to pre-1883 when Weyersberg merged with Kirschbaum to form the new firm of WKC.  It would be interesting to know if these training cutlasses were purchase by the Navy of were just used privately.