Wanting help to buy a Civil War sabre

Stopsign32v

Cadet
Joined
May 16, 2018
Sitting here watching the most humble videos ever for about the 3rd time, Ken Burns Civil War.

Has me wanting a Civil War sabre. Where should I look and how much should I pay?
 
The obvious choice is the M1860 light cavalry saber. It is the iconic symbol of the CW cavalry. The earlier the date the better. 1865-dated examples had little chance of having made it into the field. My favorite date is the 1860 saber. Buchanan's Secretary of War, John Floyd, directed 1200 of these sent to Virginia in early 1860. These “Virginia” Ames sabers were used to arm JEB Stuart’s 1st Virginia Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. See John Thillmann “Civil War Cavalry and Artillery Sabers”
 
If you want authentic, check the Horse Soldier in Gettysburg. They have an online page, and are one of the best as far as authentic equipment.
 
The best way is to determine just what type of sword you want. Then do research on them as far makers marks, condition, price etc. Then hit the CW shows. The Richmond show is this weekend and the Chattanooga show (I will be there) is next weekend. This will give you a chance to look over the many options and price and a chance to hold them and get a feel for them before you buy one. Bottom line is Research Research Research. Please let us know what you end up with or if you have any questions on one before you buy it.
 
The obvious choice is the M1860 light cavalry saber. It is the iconic symbol of the CW cavalry. The earlier the date the better. 1865-dated examples had little chance of having made it into the field. My favorite date is the 1860 saber. Buchanan's Secretary of War, John Floyd, directed 1200 of these sent to Virginia in early 1860. These “Virginia” Ames sabers were used to arm JEB Stuart’s 1st Virginia Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. See John Thillmann “Civil War Cavalry and Artillery Sabers”

I think this is what I want. I want original but I don't want to drop a ton of money into one.

Is a foot officer's sword out of the question for under $1000?
 
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The best way is to determine just what type of sword you want. Then do research on them as far makers marks, condition, price etc. Then hit the CW shows. The Richmond show is this weekend and the Chattanooga show (I will be there) is next weekend. This will give you a chance to look over the many options and price and a chance to hold them and get a feel for them before you buy one. Bottom line is Research Research Research. Please let us know what you end up with or if you have any questions on one before you buy it.

Where can I find a list of shows and locations? Would be amazing to go to one if it isn't too far away.

Edit just looked at CW show listings and it seems on the east coast they like to stick around VA and TN. Why on earth, of all places, would there not be one in South Carolina?!
 
I think this is what I want. I want original but I don't want to drop a ton of money into one.

Is a foot officer's sword out of the question for under $1000?

It should be quite possible to find one for under a thousand. Here is a rather nice French-made one currently on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sword-Sabe...179250?hash=item4d98088df2:g:tNEAAOSwOFtc9J~S

I mention this one primarily to give you a word of warning: If you buy a M1850, be sure the blade etching includes US-specific
motifs. The M1850 is an almost exact copy of a French Mle1845 swords and you see a lot of these French swords advertised as US CW foot officer swords.
 
It should be quite possible to find one for under a thousand. Here is a rather nice French-made one currently on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sword-Sabe...179250?hash=item4d98088df2:g:tNEAAOSwOFtc9J~S

I mention this one primarily to give you a word of warning: If you buy a M1850, be sure the blade etching includes US-specific
motifs. The M1850 is an almost exact copy of a French Mle1845 swords and you see a lot of these French swords advertised as US CW foot officer swords.

Wow that is nice. How often do those pop up? I'd love to get one like that but I wasn't expecting to drop $800 RIGHT NOW.
 
Window shop for awhile using basic internet search terms. There are many dozens of dealers, as well as auction sites. A first step is determining exactly what your standards are and your budget. To be honest, $1,000 is not too much to spend on the "right" piece. Condition and scarcity play a huge part.

A rough guide of value is a list such as this
http://swordrestorationtn.com/values.htm

Start to consider also if you are going to display the item. To be honest there are plenty of books that offer a lot to look at, as well as studying images and information online. I collect tens of thousands of images for swords I am interested in and it enables me to see swords I would never imagine spending on. Of sixty or so swords I own, only two have cost more than $1000 and they are much older than the period you are looking at.

If it is to be just the one sword, spend as much as you can for the sword in the best condition. If it is to be just the one sword, it seems to me you have some homework to do and a lot of the information is out there for you to explore. Again, simple search terms through internet searches.

Cheers
GC
 
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Thanks everyone to your help, such great advice here and trust me I have been searching like crazy. I never imagined (civil war) sword collecting could be this in depth.

I do believe I have nailed down what particular sword I want, a 1840 'wrist breaker'
 
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