CIVIL WAR ERA S & K SCHNITZLER & KIRSCHBAUM HEAVY CAVALRY SABER DRAGOON

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CIVIL WAR ERA S & K SCHNITZLER & KIRSCHBAUM HEAVY CAVALRY SABER DRAGOON :
$1750.00

This nice cavalrysaber comes complete with scabbard, and both are in nice shape for a Civil War eracollectible.The only markings are the S&K mark on one side of the blade and a single inspector\'s mark on the other. S&K, a well known maker of sword blades, went out of business with the end of the Civil War.

There is an identical sword offered on with a starting offer of $4,000, without scabbard, and that offering has had at least two offers, not accepted. My sword is offered at a more attractive price, and has a nice solid scabbard, to boot.

Many swords were imported by both North and South during the War Between the States, and this heavy cavalry sabre is one of them.

The firm of Schnitzler and Kirschbaum was located in Solingen, Germany, receiving a sword trademark as early as 1822 but is believed to have been in business before that time. John Walter states that the firm was an important manufacturer in its heyday with saber contracts for the United States and the European countries of Austria and Switzerland, as well as the German states of Prussia and Bavaria. The firm also located an agent in London with the company listed as leasing offices at 27 Walbrook Street in at least 1857 and 1858. It was somewhat unusual for German firms to list themselves with a rented space in London, as most German firms were listed at a British agent\'s address. Presumably, they had this unusual company presence because they were after large contracts for the British army.
During the period of the 1840s through the 1860s, the German firm was one of the most respected importers of sabers to the United States. They had contracts for both cavalry and artillery sabers. S&K received the first U.S. Ordnance Department contract for the model 1840 cavalry and artillery sabers in 1840 and again for additional sabers in 1847. They also manufactured a large number of bayonets and were a manufacturer of sabers imported by others to the United States during the Civil War.
John Walter reports that no S&K-marked weapons are known from the period after 1864-65. He speculates that the partnership spilt up at this time and that possibly an offshoot of the firm was A.A. Schnitzler. This is a likely possibility, as no sabers with an A.A. Schnitzler ricasso mark are known on Civil War identified weapons. This would also confirm that any saber with the S&K ricasso or blade back stamp is a Civil War or earlier dated weapon. Examples are known with S&K on the obverse and Solingen on the ricasso reverse. These are believed to be U.S. Civil War imports.\" - Thillmann