THE YEAR 1827 BROUGHT ABOUT a radical change in the design of British naval officers’ swords. The Napoleonic stirrup hilt was replaced by a solid gilt brass, half-basket hilt. It was based on the “Gothic-hilted” 1822 Pattern Infantry Officer’s Sword, and in place of the royal cypher and crown found on the Army version, there is a fouled anchor and crown. The lionshead pommel remained as a defining feature of this sword. The official regulations for this new sword were as follows:
“Hilt – solid, half basket guard, with raised bars and crown and anchor badge, lion head back-piece, white fishskin grip, bound with three gilt wires…”
“Blade – slightly curved, with a round back…with a double-edged spear point.”
Scabbard – black leather, top locket plain, four inches long, with plain broad hook…horse shoe bottom; the hilt and mountings of brass, lacquered.”
Knot – blue and gold rope…”
Early examples have a wide pipe back, quill-pointed blade. Engraving is usually etched and lacking the blue and gilt blade decoration seen on the previous pattern. In 1846, a “Wilkinson” single-fullered blade replaced the pipe back blade. It is interesting to note that Wilkinson believed that the pipe back blade was pretty useless as a fighting weapon. Mr John Latham, head of the firm, commented that the pipe back was “….the worst possible arrangement of hilt, blade and shape that could possibly be contrived.” Allowing for the fact that it was in Wilkinson’s commercial interest to disparage the pipe back, his opinion has plenty of truth. The pipe back did have a strengthened spine in order to allow more power to be engaged when thrusting the blade, but this arrangement hindered the ability to cut, and unless the user was able to thrust effectively, he would be at a great disadvantage when his opponent parried the thrust.
Some of the finest pieces are from the early period of the sword‘s introduction (circa 1830), including terrific detail to lionshead pommels and elegant late-Georgian blade decoration. John Prosser of London was a noted manufacturer of these high quality swords.
Another blade type associated with this pattern is the “claymore blade”. They were popular during the late-19th Century and copied the style used on Scottish Highland basket-hilted broadswords. It was distinguished by two narrow fullers running for most of the blade length.
© Harvey Withers Military Publishing, 2024