Hi Mr Sword is

[bamaman]

I'm a history fan. As most of you know throughout history, in m many cultures m any of the swords made were given names by their creator. For instance King Arthur had Excalibur Did anyone in the War name his sword or had a sword that was already named?

 

[Sheltowee]

Think Robert E. Lee referred to his blade as "Ginsu". I think…….

 

[bayonet]

I'm a history fan. As most of you know throughout history, in m many cultures m any of the swords made were given names by their creator. For instance King Arthur had Excalibur Did anyone in the War name his sword or had a sword that was already named?

Your "a history fan"? Didn't anyone tell you King Arthur and Excalibur is a make believe myth as in Fiction? Oh my poor boy what are they teaching you youngsters in Schools these days!

 

[Sheltowee]

Your "a history fan"? Didn't anyone tell you King Arthur and Excalibur is a make believe myth as in Fiction? Oh my poor boy what are they teaching you youngsters in Schools these days!

Oh no….. now you've opened a can of worms. Is Arthur legend or legit?

But seriously, it could be that bamaman's reference to Excalibur was just to highlight the example of a named sword. Fictional or factual.

 

[John Hartwell]

Outside of myth/fiction, I don't know of any named swords. Not that some durn fool might not have done so.

[added: some Oriental (ie Japanese) tradition may have been different, I suppose.]

 

[infomanpa]

You mistakenly posted this in the Gettysburg forum.

 

[7thWisconsin]

I have never heard of any American Civil War swords having names. I don´t think that´s an American characteristic. (The French king´s official sword was ¨Joyuese.¨ At least parts of it are supposed to have belonged to Charlemagne. You can see it in coronation portraits.)

 

[Cavalier]

There was John Shipp, a 19 century British cavalryman famous for his exploits with the cold steel, who was at one time a member of the 24th. Dragoons. He referred to his favorite weapon as his "Old Twenty Fourther".

Not as dramatic as Excalibur and King Author I guess. But its my impression he really existed.

If I remember correctly this guy had quite a life too.

John

 

[R. Porter]

An interesting question. A quick search of the Internet turns up:

List of historical swords - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Many of these, if not most, seem to have been given names by people who were not their original owner or creator, and may have served to punch up a story or legend about a famous figure. The only North American sword on this list is The Sword of State of South Carolina, which doesn't really fit the bill of a named sword.

Usually what shows up when you search for a named sword or sword with a name during the American Civil War is a sword that an owner has scratched or stamped his name or initials on or a presentation sword with the name of the recipient stamped, engraved, or etched on the sword or its scabbard. The practice of naming a weapon did exist in America, for example David Crockett had Betsy, Pretty Betsy, and Old Betsy. Daniel Boon had Tick-Licker, Simon Kenton had Jacob, Buffalo Bill had Lucretia Borgia and there were others.

On The Naming Of Rifles - Frontier Partisans

Being the lore-besotted romantic that I am, you’d think that I would name all my rifles. Nope. Never have.

frontierpartisans.com

So, while my brief research didn't turn up any named swords, it did turn up named rifles. Perhaps there is something of substance in that. A new weapon for new mythic heroes? A break from Old World traditions? Obsolete symbols of power left in the past? Old Wrist Breaker was not the name of a particular sword but maybe it started out that way. Maybe further research will turn up individual names for American Civil War swords, but they will probably be for unsung heroes. If they were the swords of the heroes that we know, we would already know them.

Disclaimer: I didn't really search that hard, so if someone pops up with a name for General Forrest's sword(s) or the sword of Heros von Borcke or someone else I will not be surprised, but I suspect more soldiers North and South, high or low rank, named their firearms than named their swords.

 

[Old Soldier]

I never had a sword when I was serving, but I always had a rifle or SMG. They all had just one name - 'Me bundook' (British military slang/ Hindi for 'my gun') " Where's me bundook?"

 

[bamaman]

Your "a history fan"? Didn't anyone tell you King Arthur and Excalibur is a make believe myth as in Fiction? Oh my poor boy what are they teaching you youngsters in Schools these days!

I suppose that Frodo having a sword named Sting is mythical also?

 

[Patrick H]

I haven't heard of it, but I'm about as far from being an expert as you will find here. But who knows? Individuals might have had names or at least nicknames for their swords and rifles.

 

[R. Porter]

I suppose that Frodo having a sword named Sting is mythical also?

I never understood why he named it after a musician.

 

[Northern Light]

Men give other things they own nicknames, why not a sword? Oh course, they don't always talk about those nicknames......

 

[bayonet]

Men give other things they own nicknames, why not a sword? Oh course, they don't always talk about those nicknames......

Gee its been the Ladies that give "other things" nicknames in my experience (mostly)

 

[Northern Light]

Gee its been the Ladies that give "other things" nicknames in my experience (mostly)

Haha, not in mine! All the men I know have nicknames for their cars....

 

[Cavalier]

@bayonet In my career job we almost all had nicknames. I never heard my wife or daughter refer to any of their coworkers by a nickname. Just my personal experience however.

John

 

[R. Porter]

In my experience it has been women who gave nicknames to cars. I can remember a caiman green Ford Escort wagon named, "Ruby." I think there have been others whose names I can't recall.

 

[bayonet]

@bayonet In my career job we almost all had nicknames. I never heard my wife or daughter refer to any of their coworkers by a nickname. Just my personal experience however.

John

I think the joke went over your head. Have a Woman review it for you and then explain it to you.

 

[Cavalier]

@bayonet: Went over my head...........it sure did! I should have picked up on that immediately. Sharp as a bowling ball I am!

John