Skip to content
Menu
  • About Antique-Swords.com (ex Antique-Swords.eu / SwordSales.eu)
  • Antique American & European Swords For Sale
  • Antique British Naval / Royal Navy Swords For Sale
  • Antique Islamic, Oriental & Ethnographic Swords For Sale
  • Antique Swords – UK based worldwide sword & sabre sales.
  • Antique swords buyer – are you selling a sword?
  • Antique-Swords.EU
  • Australian Antique Sword Dealers
  • Bayonets For Sale
  • Canadian Antique Sword Dealers
  • Copyright Antique-Swords.eu / Pinterest warning
  • Current, Vintage & Antique British Infantry Swords For Sale
  • Documentation / Provenance / Proof / Certifications
  • Enquiry / Inquiry Form
  • EU / European Union Antique Sword Dealers
  • Fairbairn-Sykes (F-S) Fighting Knives For Sale
  • French AN XIII Cuirassier Sabres Article
  • French Swords (Epées) and Sabres For Sale
  • General Enquiry Form
  • German Daggers to Germanic Swords & Sabres (Sabel) For Sale
  • glossary
  • I am interested in buying
  • I have a sword / item for sale
  • I Want A Valuation / ID Of An Item Of Mine
  • Invalid Activation Link
  • Invalid Reference Number
  • Japanese Katanas, Wakizashis, Sabres, Dirks and Tantos For Sale
    • Edo Period Japanese Tsuba for Tantos, Wakizashis and Katanas For Sale
  • Moro, Indonesian & Malaysian Keris / Kris For Sale
  • New item notification system
  • New Zealand, Antique Swords For Sale
  • Newsletter
  • Other British Military Swords (including Artillery) For Sale
  • Other Edged Weapons / Bayonets / Truncheons For Sale
  • Packing, Shipping & Insurance
  • Privacy Policy
  • Search
  • Search Term
  • Sold Antique Swords / Items
  • Sold Archive 1
  • Special offers & discounts on our antique swords, sabres, etc.
  • Subscription Not Found
  • Sword / Militaria Auctions
  • Sword Forum Information / Archives
  • Sword Identifications & Valuations
  • Sword sales, contact us, terms & conditions, etc.
  • Sword, Sabre & Military Articles & Research
  • SwordSales EU
  • test 5
  • test2
  • Thank you
  • Thank you for confirming your subscription
  • UK / Great Britain Antique Swords Buyers & Sellers
  • Unscbscribe
  • US / United States Antique Sword Dealers
  • Vintage & Antique British Cavalry Swords / Sabres For Sale
  • Vintage & Antique Scottish Swords & Dirks For Sale
  • Vintage, F-S and Antique Daggers For Sale
  • Worldwide Antique Sword Dealers
  • Write a review
  • Write a review about a purchase you made and had delivered (this review section is for confirmed buyers only).
  • WW2 Nazi German Daggers / Dirks Article
Antique Swords .Com Display Cases Contact Antique-Swords.com Home / Index
January 16, 2021August 23, 2021

1800’s Strap Guard Napoleonic British Royal Naval Cutlass, Sold

In very good condition for its age, a rare “Strap Guard” British Royal Naval cutlass made by Woolley and Deakin of Birmingham, England, with period enlarged grip.

1800's Strap Guard Napoleonic British Royal Naval Cutlass, Sold
Image O77 1
This Item Has Now Been SoldPlease look for others like it on our site

Sorry, this item has been sold (NB: we do not divulge sold prices). However, we have a search facility to help you find more similar items. Plus a feature that allows you to enter your email and keywords (for what you are looking for) to be notified by email when anything comes in. Or you can simply browse the various categories. See the left hand navigation column.

A rare Napoleonic British RN cutlass we have had examples of before but not like this one. This cutlass has had the grip enlarged, clearly period, almost certainly by the ship’s / squadron’s blacksmith (they used to have blacksmiths on ships), plus with hammered guard, again likely to have been the possibly idle work os the ship’s smith. The original (slimmer) grip appears to be complete under the enlarged grip. The narrow smooth grips of the so called 1800 pattern cutlass was its greatest issue and the reason it was quite soon after replaced by the 1804P.

Image O77 3 Image O77 4

This was probably done under the order of the captain or even the Admiral of the squadron. The idle time unofficial enhancement of the guard suggests a time at sea when the ship was in clam waters waiting for enemy vessels to come out from their harbours, such as the time spent by the English fleet under the command of Lord Horatio Nelson as he waited for the French and Spanish navy to leave the Port of Cadiz, just before the Battle of Trafalgar. Clearly, the grip modification shows the cutlass was expected to see action. Clearly, the dimpling shows signs of a lazy wait before action (sea bound RN ships would be rolling around in the waves and swell to make such idle work impossible). Given this model of cutlass was superceded in 1804, it was however still the one mainly in use on RN ships at the time of Trafalgar and beyond. There is a very good chance this cutlass was at Trafalgar.

Strap guard cutlasses are much rarer than figure of eight hilt cutlasses. Strap guard cutlasses take up less storage space than those with full disc guards, so this cutlass was most probably stowed in an open barrel or trunk on one of the gun decks of a British warship, amongst the canons, the noise, the smoke, the splintering wood.

The 25 5/8 inch blade is in good condition for its age, with markings still clear, but is very slightly shorter than other examples from Wooley and Deakin (others being 26 1/4 inches), and has some damage evident to the forward / end cutting edge that appears to be period and suggests it may well have seen action and been repointed during its service life (it would likely have stayed in service for several if not many years after Trafalgar). The blade is a tiny bit loose in the hilt. The guard is very good, as is the grip.

What a rare and evocative cutlass; an absolute must for the serious cutlass collector. Our price is just £1250. Please quote item reference number O77. Further / full sized images available upon request. Box 1391-1m (2.178)

Image O77 4 Image O77 5

Swords, etc. for sale

  • British Infantry
  • Scottish
  • British Cavalry
  • British Navy
  • Other British
  • French
  • German
  • Japanese
  • American & European
  • Islamic, Oriental, Ethno
  • Keris / Kris
  • Daggers
  • Other Weapons
  • Home / Index

Sword help / info

  • Contact Us / Buying
  • About Antique-Swords
  • Identification & valuations
  • Selling a sword?
  • Packing / Shipping
  • Articles / Research

Other

  • Sword / Militaria Auctions
  • Offers / Discounts!
  • Sold Sword Archives
  • Sold Items
  • Item Search
  • New item Notification
  • Reviews
  • Privacy

Buyer country info

  • British Flag UK / Great Britain
  • EU Flag European Union
  • US Flag USA / United States
  • Canadian Flag Canada
  • Australian Flag Australia
  • New Zealand Flag New Zealand
  • UN Worldwide Flag Rest of the World
Copyright © Antique Swords .Com (formerly SwordSales EU / Antique-Swords EU) - All rights reserved