A Simply Stunning Most Rare Napoleonic Wars Type of a 1796 Infantry Officer's Sword, Monogrammed With Its Owner's Title and Monogram, Plus His Patriotic Motto “The Love Of, My Country, & Freedom” Etched Upon The Acutely Tapering “Needle Point’ Blade.

A most rare blade type, modelled on a 15th-16th century needle point double edged broadsword form known as the type XVII.
The mercurial gilt hilt is near to mint as possible, and it has a folding guard, but with an extraordinarily rare form of blued steel hinge arrangement. The diamond section blade has overall salt and pepper pitting, and bears, in fine etching, the owners title initial, H above his monogram, A. A., and below the monogram, is a Tarlton helmet, and below that a patriotic motto, within three scrolls, The Love Of, My Country, & Freedom. A most unusual form of bespoke blade for the 1796 infantry pattern sword, far better for combat than the standard single edged straight blade, perfect if one is a trained swordsman in the art of hand to hand rapier combat. Perfect for the thrust due to its strength and rigidity, ideal for the cut being double edged. And superb for the parry being quatrefoil, which gives it extra strength. An officer trained to use such a sword would be a formidable foe indeed. One can easily see this by simply by looking at its full length profile in the photographs. It’s appearance of a rigid reinforced needle is incredibly impressive.

After considerable research this incredible sword may indeed have been most likely commissioned for the Hon Alexander Abercromby, we can find no other British army serving officer with this rank and initials. He first served in the Gordon Highlanders, then he transferred to command the 29th Foot, the North Gloucestershires, in Busaco in the Peninsular War, then in 1815 he served under Wellington as Wellington's Assistant Quartermaster General for the 2nd Foot Guards, at Quatre Bras and Waterloo, in the War of 100 Days, Napoleon's last battles and his final foiled attempt to regain his empire.

Born on 4 March 1784, Abercromby entered the army at an early age, and served as a volunteer with the 92nd Regiment, the Gordon Highlanders, in the expedition to the Helder in 1799. He soon obtained a commission, and saw service with his regiment in Egypt. He was appointed aide-de-camp to his father's old lieutenant and friend, Sir John Moore, during his command in Sicily in 1806, but was not with him in Spain.

Like his brother, Sir John, he was rapidly promoted, and in 1808, when only twenty-four, became lieutenant-colonel of the 28th Regiment. He accompanied his regiment when it was sent to Portugal to reinforce Lord Wellesley after the battle of Talavera. He commanded it at the battle of Busaco, and in the lines of Torres Vedras, and as senior colonel had the good fortune to command his brigade at the battle of Albuera. His services there were very conspicuous, and his brigade has been immortalised by Napier. He was soon superseded, but commanded his regiment at the surprise of Arroyo de Molinos and the storming of the forts at Almaraz.

In 1812 he was removed to the staff of the army, and was present as assistant-quartermaster-general at the battles of Vittoria, the Pyrenees, and Orthes. He served in the same capacity in 1815, and was present at Quatre-Bras, Waterloo, and the storming of Péronne. Péronne, on the banks of the Somme, was captured on 26 June during the Allied advance on Paris following the victory at Waterloo

He was the son of Lieutenant General Sir Ralph Abercromby KB (7 October 1734 – 28 March 1801) who was a British soldier and politician. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-general in the British Army, was appointed Governor of Trinidad, served as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland, and was noted for his services during the French Revolutionary Wars, ultimately in the Egyptian campaign. His strategies are ranked amongst the most daring and brilliant exploits of the British army. No doubt Alexander gained his considerable combat tactical skills from his father. To be Colonel of a regiment at 24 and to be in command of a battle was no mean feat based entirely on merit.

For his active services he was promoted to a colonelcy in the 2nd or Coldstream Guards,

The last photo in the gallery of the other 10th hussars sword shows a photograph of one section of the collection in the museum of Waterloo, taken in around 1900, showing all the weapons of Waterloo en situ, including all the protagonists {British, French, Prussian and Belgian muskets, swords, pistols, armour uniforms, etc}. The museum was founded and owned by a veteran of the 7th Hussars that fought at Waterloo.  read more

Code: 24749

A Fabulous & Rare US Civil War General's Sabre With Its Original Civil War General Officer's Pattern 'Acorn' Sword Knot, & Steel Combat Scabbard. Superb Deluxe Etched Blade

A near pair to three other Civil War General's swords, currently in American museums or in private ownership, of, General W.T.Sherman, Major General J.E.B. Stuart, and Lt General John Bell Hood. The sword knot is also a near pair to one {with its sword} of Civil War Brigadier General Champlin. We also show in the gallery General JEB Stuarts hat, that has a pair of interlinked Civil War General's pattern acorn sword knots around the brim. General Sherman's sword is currently offered at auction with a suggested price of $60,000

Our sword has superb quality elaborate hilt embellished decor for a general, and a stunning, deluxe etched blade with maker's name, and the original wirebound sharkskin grip. In its steel, blackened, combat scabbard. All in superb condition. the General’s knot is also in very good condition for age.

An American Civil War import, commissioned from either French or German swordsmiths, and interestingly, almost all the other General's swords within the various US museums were either commissioned in France or Germany, and not domestically produced.
One of the most famous Colonel’s of the Civil War was Robert Gould Shaw of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. Robert Gould Shaw (1837-1863) carried his British import sword at the assault on Fort Wagner, Folly Island, S.C. on 18 July 1863. Where sadly he was KIA. The sword was a gift from his uncle George R. Russell, and in a letter to his father, dated 1 July 1863, Shaw acknowledges receiving “a box of Uncle George’s containing a beautiful English sword...” With sword in-hand, Colonel Shaw, of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, was shot in the chest and killed while mounting the parapet of Ft. Wagner. The sword and other personal effects were taken from his body during the night and presumed lost. In June of 1865, the U.S. Colored Troops, under the command of Gen. Charles Jackson Paine, U.S.V., found the sword "in the possession of a rebel officer" near Goldsboro, N.C. The sword was returned to the Shaw family in 1865 by Capt. Solon A. Carter, U.S.V. but was misplaced after 1900 until it's recent discovery in 2017. That sword is now within the collections of the Massachuetts Historical Society, donated to them by the Shaw family.

James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart (February 6, 1833 – May 12, 1864) was a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb,” from the initials of his given names. Stuart was a cavalry commander known for his mastery of reconnaissance and the use of cavalry in support of offensive operations. While he cultivated a cavalier image (red-lined gray cape, the yellow waist sash of a regular cavalry officer, hat cocked to the side with an ostrich plume, red flower in his lapel, often sporting cologne), his serious work made him the trusted eyes and ears of Robert E. Lee's army and inspired Southern morale.3

Stuart graduated from West Point in 1854 and served in Texas and Kansas with the U.S. Army. Stuart was a veteran of the frontier conflicts with Native Americans and the violence of Bleeding Kansas, and he participated in the capture of John Brown at Harpers Ferry. He resigned his commission when his home state of Virginia seceded, to serve in the Confederate Army, first under Stonewall Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley, but then in increasingly important cavalry commands of the Army of Northern Virginia, playing a role in all of that army's campaigns until his death.

He established a reputation as an audacious cavalry commander and on two occasions (during the Peninsula Campaign and the Maryland Campaign) circumnavigated the Union Army of the Potomac, bringing fame to himself and embarrassment to the North. At the Battle of Chancellorsville, he distinguished himself as a temporary commander of the wounded Stonewall Jackson's infantry corps.

Stuart's most famous campaign, the Gettysburg Campaign, was flawed when his long separation from Lee's army left Lee unaware of Union troop movements so that Lee was surprised and almost trapped at the Battle of Gettysburg. Stuart received criticism from the Southern press as well as the proponents of the Lost Cause movement after the war. During the 1864 Overland Campaign, Union Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan's cavalry launched an offensive to defeat Stuart, who was mortally wounded at the Battle of Yellow Tavern.

J.E.B Stuart’s sword was made in Paris. U.S. Army officers were responsible for providing their own side arms, so Stuart either ordered it himself or was given it as a gift. It now resides with his hat, in the American Civil War Museum

John Bell Hood (June 12 or June 29,3 1831 – August 30, 1879) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood's impetuosity led to high losses among his troops as he moved up in rank. Bruce Catton wrote that "the decision to replace Johnston with Hood was probably the single largest mistake that either government made during the war." Hood's education at the United States Military Academy led to a career as a junior officer in the infantry and cavalry of the antebellum U.S. Army in California and Texas. At the start of the Civil War, he offered his services to his adopted state of Texas. He achieved his reputation for aggressive leadership as a brigade commander in the army of Robert E. Lee during the Seven Days Battles in 1862, after which he was promoted to division command. He led a division under James Longstreet in the campaigns of 1862–63. At the Battle of Gettysburg, he was severely wounded, rendering his left arm mostly useless for the rest of his life.4 Transferred with many of Longstreet's troops to the Western Theater, Hood led a massive assault into a gap in the U.S. line at the Battle of Chickamauga but was wounded again, requiring the amputation of his right leg.

Hood returned to field service during the Atlanta Campaign of 1864 and, at the age of 33, was promoted to temporary full general and command of the Army of Tennessee at the outskirts of Atlanta, making him the youngest soldier on either side of the war to be given command of an army. There, he dissipated his army in a series of unsuccessful assaults and was forced to evacuate the besieged city. Leading his men through Alabama and into Tennessee, his army was severely damaged in a massive frontal assault at the Battle of Franklin. The Battle of Franklin was fought on November 30, 1864 in Franklin, Tennessee; in Williamson County. John Bell Hood's Army of Tennessee (around 33,000 men) faced off with John M. Schofield's Army of the Ohio and the Cumberland (around 30,000 men). Often cited as "the bloodiest five hours" during the American Civil War, the Confederates lost between 6,500 - 7,500 men, with 1,750 dead. The Federals lost around 2,000 - 2,500 men, with just 250 or less killed. Hood lost 30,000 men in just six months (from July 1864 until December 15). The Battle of Franklin was fought mostly at night. Several Confederate Generals were killed, including Patrick Cleburne, and the Rebels also lost 50% of their field commanders. Hood would limp into Nashville two weeks later before suffering his final defeat before retreating to Pulaski in mid December. Hundreds of wounded Confederate soldiers were taken to the John and Carrie McGavock home - Carnton - after the battle. She became known as the Widow of the South. The McGavock's eventually donated two acres to inter the Confederate dead. Almost 1,500 Rebel soldiers are buried in McGavock Confederate Cemetery, just in view of the Carnton house.

Hood’s sword was purchased from Coulaux & Cie, Klingenthal, France. Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood used his cavalry saber during his service in the Confederate Army. It now resides in the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond Va. Hood also had another sword an infantry Militia pattern dress sword, imported from Germany made by P.D.Lunschloss & Companie, that now resides in the American Civil War Museum.

Sadly, we do not know the name of the general officer to whom our sabre once originally belonged.  read more

Code: 25224

A Simply Stunning Ancestral Bladed WW2 Officer's Sword With a Blade Circa 1665 Yamashiro Koku Jyu Minamoto Tsuahiro(山城国住源綱廣)

This blade was signed by Yamashiro Koku Jyu Minamoto Tsuahiro(山城国住源綱廣). He was active in sword-forging during the Kanbun-Jyokyo era(1661-1688: early Edo period), judging from his remaining work and historical records. Therefore, we believe it was made about 350 years ago.

Yamashiro koku is the province’s name in the Kyoto area, and Jyu means living in Japanese. The signature indicates that this blade was created when Tsunahiro lived in Yamashiro Koku. There are also records of him signing as Omi no Kami Minamoto Tsunahiro. Omi no Kami is the title given to only selected swordsmiths whose sword-forging techniques were excellent.

Yamashiro province was famous for its sword-making style called Yamashiro-Den. Yamashiro-Den's origin dates back to the Heian period(794 A.D) when the capital city was moved from Nara to Kyoto. The swordsmiths in Yamashiro province initially prospered by forging swords for court nobles and imperial families. Later on, they also forged swords for feudal lords after Samurai military government took control of Japan. There are so many renowned swordsmiths from this region. It is said that the founder of Yamashiro-Den was Sanjo Munechika. And there are seven prestigious schools in this region. One of the most characteristics of Yamashiro-Den is its elegant design and beautiful Jigane.  read more

Code: 26014

A Most Attractive Chinese Duǎn Dāo (短刀) Dagger With Gold Inlaid Fittings And Mounts. From The Last Century.

With cord bound hilt, over soft metal mounts, gold inlaid pommel, gilt highlighted iron sword guard, silver covered blade collar and single edged blade.The whole design is very much in the Japanese taste. Black lacquer scabbard.

The blade has a beautiful, etched, running Damascus pattern throughout its whole length.

Small wear mark to the black lacquer on the reverse side.
More photos and details to add on Monday  read more

Code: 26025

A Simply Superb Early 1933 SA 'Rohm Erased' Dagger by E. Pack & Sohn In Such Fine Condition It Is Unlikely To Be Improved Upon By Finding a Better Example

Early SA dagger by E. Pack
A stunning example of a very early 1933 SA dagger, especially considering it was likely worn by an SA member for upwards of 10 years, made by the famous 'Rohm' SA Honour Dagger maker Ernst Pack & Sohn. All nickel fittings with anodised scabbard. Complete with an early leather and nickel hanger how it should be. The blade is in very good condition with a lot of original polish and crossgrain and in most part mirror bright, with just the very usual wear marks created by the retaining spring in the scabbard. The reverse side had the Ernst Rohm dedication that was ordered removed after his execution for fabricated treason.

A very fine piece indeed, a stunning example that can elevate every collection.

From the Sturmabteilung gruppe, in Nordmark. Nm SA der NSDAP Gruppe Nordmark made by Ernst Packe Solingen. Group Nordmark was part of the SA-Obergruppe II { Hannover } Group leader Viktor Lutze
SA group North Sea (provisionally in command unit with the upper group, consisting of the previous group North Sea and the subgroup Hamburg),
SA Group Lower Saxony,

SA group Nordmark (without subgroup Hamburg). Excellent blade with traditional obverse motto 'Alles Fur Deutchland' It has very good professional jeweller grade, Rohm removal. In order to remove its original Ernst Rohm 'Honour' dedication on the reverse side of the blade in June 1934. This dagger was used by one of Hitler's earliest 'Old Guard' 'Brownshirt' Stormtroopers and at one time it had a rare loyalty inscription dedicated to the SA leader Ernst Rohm.

Ernst Julius Günther Röhm was a German military officer and an early member of the Nazi Party. As one of the members of its predecessor, the German Workers' Party, he was a close friend and early ally of Adolf Hitler and a co-founder of the Sturmabteilung (SA, "Storm Battalion"), the Nazi Party's militia, and later was its commander. This Rohm 'Honour Dagger' was and one of only 4,600 made for SA Gruppe Nordmark, Nm. He who was one of Hitler's most loyal and faithful of followers. However, due to the alleged conspiracy against Hitler by Röhm that was simply invented by the psychotic Heinrich Himmler, leader of the SS Rohm, alongside his senior staff, was executed in a classic putsch, in an event known as 'The Night of the Long Knives'. After this slaughter of Rohm and his senior staff the owners of so called Rohm Honour Daggers were ordered to remove the name of Rohm and its dedication on the dagger's blade removed immediately. This is one of those rare early daggers.
The SA evolved out of the remnants of the Freikorps movement of the post-WWI years. The Freikorps were nationalistic organisations primarily composed of disaffected, disenchanted, and angry German combat veterans who believed that their government had betrayed Germany and sold them out by surrendering and submitting to the humiliating terms of the Versailles Treaty. The Freikorps were in opposition to the new Weimar Republic. Ernst Röhm was commander of the Bavarian Freikorps and was given the nickname "The Machine Gun King of Bavaria" because he was responsible for storing and issuing illegal machine guns to Freikorps units in Bavaria. He later became commander of the SA. During the 1920s and 1930s the SA functioned as a private militia that Hitler used to intimidate rivals and disrupt the meetings of competing political parties, especially those of the Social Democrats and the Communists. Also known as the "brownshirts" or "stormtroopers", the SA became notorious for their street battles with the Communists.The violent confrontations between the two groups contributed to the destabilisation of Germany's inter-war experiment with democracy, the Weimar Republic. In June 1932, one of the worst months of political violence, there were over 400 street battles, resulting in 82 deaths.This very destabilisation had been crucial in Hitler's rise to power, however, not least because it convinced many Germans that once Hitler became chancellor, the endemic street violence would end.

When provided with so-called 'evidence' of Röhm's conspiracy and treason Hitler initially refused to believe the dossier provided by Himler's protégé, Heydrich, as he had liked Röhm and always believed him loyal. Röhm had been one of his first supporters and, without his ability to obtain army funds in the early days of the movement, it is unlikely that the Nazis would have ever become established. The SA under Röhm's leadership had also played a vital role in destroying the opposition during the elections of 1932 and 1933. However, Adolf Hitler had his own reasons for wanting Röhm removed. Powerful supporters of Hitler had been complaining about Röhm for some time. The generals were fearful due to knowing Röhm's desire to have the SA, a force of over 3 million men, absorb the much smaller German Army into its ranks under his leadership. Further, reports of a huge cache of weapons in the hands of SA members, gave the army commanders even more concern. Industrialists, who had provided the funds for the Nazi victory, were unhappy with Röhm's socialistic views on the economy, bearing in mind the entire Third Reich, so-called 'Nazi' hierarchy, short for National Socialist Worker's Party, was an extreme 'left wing' socialist organisation, and his claims that the real revolution had still to take place. Only Hitler's ally, Mussolini and the Italian's were extreme 'right wing', and therefore Fascist's, a most frequent and common historical mistake.

Matters came to a head in June 1934 when President von Hindenburg, who had the complete loyalty of the Army, informed Hitler that if he didn't move to curb the SA then Hindenburg would dissolve the Government and declare martial law. Finally, Hitler used the purge to attack or eliminate German critics of his new regime, especially those loyal to Vice-Chancellor Franz von Papen, as well as to settle scores with old enemies.

At least 85 people died during the purge, although the final death toll may have been in the hundreds, with high estimates running from 700 to 1,000. More than a thousand perceived opponents were arrested. The purge strengthened and consolidated the support of the Wehrmacht for Hitler. It also provided a legal grounding for the Nazi regime, as the German courts and cabinet quickly swept aside centuries of legal prohibition against extrajudicial killings to demonstrate their loyalty to the regime. The Night of the Long Knives was a turning point for the German government. It established Hitler as the supreme administrator of justice of the German people, as he put it in his July 13 speech to the Reichstag.

Before its execution, its planners sometimes referred to the purge as Hummingbird, the codeword used to send the execution squads into action on the day of the purge. The codename for the operation appears to have been chosen arbitrarily. The phrase "Night of the Long Knives" in the German language predates the killings and refers generally to acts of vengeance.
After the purge the organization of the SA Sturmabeitlung continued, but was from then on subordinate to Himmler's SS, where before it was superior to the SS. This dagger is in jolly good order for its age, the fittings are very good indeed, in solid nickel, and the scabbard has its highly distinctive anodised scabbard.  read more

Code: 26021

What A Unique And Incredible Christmas Gift This Could Be, A Stunning Mid Victorian Antique Gadget Rifle Gun Stick Fully Set Within Its Original Hard Canvas Travelling Gun Case With All Accompanying Tools. Unique Collectors Piece From Victorian England

Circa 1850. With twin, sleeved barrels, one rifled for a rifle bullet of around .36 cal, the other for lead shot. The rifle barrel sleeve, is, say, for the assassin's bullet, the lead shot barrel, for personal defence {or wildfowl}

What a remarkable original antique collectors item, made by a fine Victorian Suffolk gunsmith, that is, without question one of the greatest conversation pieces of the antique ‘gadget weapon’ world.

Photos to be added later today.

Straight out of a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes mystery. One could easily imagine, one such as Holmes’ arch nemesis, the diabolically fiendish and most inscrutable villain of Victorian England, Professor Moriarty, being armed with such a remarkable, concealed, rifled assassin’s piece.

A stout lacquered walking stick that belies its hidden purpose as a hidden rifle. That could be fired dozens of times from a single charge of its pneumatic pump system.

The "hidden gun stick" originated from a desire for discreet self-defense, emerging around the 18th and 19th centuries as a way to conceal a firearm within a walking stick. While sword canes with hidden blades have a longer history, the walking stick gun is a more early modern invention, a costly curio for gentlemen who wanted to be armed without drawing attention. Especially useful as a poachers arm.

In the mid Victorian era, from whence this came, the walking stick was a common accessory for wealthy men. Yet the concealed weapon stick combined this fashion staple with the element of surprise for self-defense.

Sometime around the late 1840s to early 1850s, a new pneumatic gun appeared: The walking stic gun. For at least two centuries prior to the air version’s appearance, normal walking sticks had been principal accessories for gentlemen. In the uncertain streets and avenues of 18th- and 19th-century towns and cities, as well as being a fashion statement, a iron stick could serve as a handy self-defense weapon, either as a bludgeon or, in specialized pieces, by the implementation of concealed blades or bullet-firing mechanisms.

In the 18th and 19th centuries as carrying swords became less socially acceptable, people began hiding weapons in plain sight, with the gun stick being one such evolution.
Gun sticks were expensive to produce, and they were not as practical as conventional weapons. They were often seen as a luxury item, a talking point, or a concealed weapon for gentlemen, and as the century passed the evolved with disguised percussion black powder actions, or as this beauty, with an air powered system that required a pumped air pressure action.
Similar to the gun stick, the sword stick was instead of a firearm, a blade is concealed inside the walking stick.
Poacher's guns was a more practical and easily concealed version of a sporting gun, but intended for a different purpose.
Other disguised hidden weapons thuat utilised the concept of hiding weapons in common objects is an ancient one. Examples include early Japanese
Shikomizue: A Japanese walking stick that conceals a blade, or a Gupta: A straight sword concealed within a wooden cane, used in India.

This beauty has a stunning quality Damascus steel stirrup pump with detachable T section handle in order to hand charge the top section air reservoir. The stick was then assembled to resemble an innocuous gentleman’s walking aid, complete with key, folding cleaning-ram rod, rifle insert.

In purely practical terms, the distinction is that cane guns, far more costly to produce and, generally speaking, an affectation, ostensibly carried by gentlemen who wished, at all times, to be able to take "targets of opportunity", were a curio, a talking point, or a concealed offensive weapon, one that might easily escape detection unless closely examined. In addition to gentleman's canes, guns have also been concealed in other common items such as umbrellas and walking sticks.

In the picture gallery we show a photo from the Presidential Centre Library collection, a historic sword stick that is part of the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Centre Library collection in Fremont, Ohio, gifted from the Waggoner family, the sword-cane was said to have been presented to Mr Waggoner by General George Washington in honour of Waggoner's service in Washington's Life Guard during the American Revolutionary War.

The method of loading and discharging an air cane, while economical and reliable, also put some constraints on portability and spontaneity. Most operated thusly: First, two halves were unscrewed, and a hand pump fitted onto the rear reservoir section. One then stood on the pump’s handle and, using full-body force, gave the pump 350 to 400 hard strokes. The pump was then removed, and the two halves rejoined. A brass tip with attached ramrod was then unscrewed from the muzzle. Next, a round ball was rammed down the rifle barrel or lead shot for the smooth bore barrel, and seated at the base of either barrel. The shooter then took a key, inserted it in a square hole at the rear part of the forward section, and turned it to cock the piece. This also allowed a small button “trigger” to pop out of the side of the cane at the proper position where it could be naturally accessed by the thumb of the left hand when the cane was aimed. On full charge, a normal air gun stick could fire around 30 to ­40 times before having to be re-pumped. The first 15 to ­20 rounds would experience no decrease in velocity or accuracy. However, afterwards, power would drop dramatically. Depending on the gun, shooting ranges with bullets ran from 10 to 50 yards, with 20 to 25 not being uncommon. Shot was normally fired at closer distances, the rifle at longer.

One of other rare examples we once had, also a fully fitted and cased example, with twin sleeved barrels, Mark sold to Charlton (Chuck) Heston back in 1971. Chuck was the 26th president of the NRA, as well as a world famous movie star, and winner of the US Medal of Freedom. Charlton Heston once proclaimed to gun control advocates that they could only have his firearm after taking it "from my cold, dead hands."

Naturally this walking stick rifle cum shotgun is now solely, a superb, original antique collector’s item, an antique curio only, no longer to be used for its original purpose.  read more

Code: 26026

A Superb Quality, Antique, Edwardian Hallmarked Repoussé Silver Handled Sword-Stick. A Most Elegant & Sophisticated Beauty In Near Mint Condition. What An Absolute Stunningly Beautiful Antique Collector’s Piece.

A wonderful repoussé silver long handle in super condition, a long bamboo haft with superb patination and a quatrefoil four sided edged blade.

Repoussé silver came into popularity during the rococo revival period in decorative arts. Silversmiths nationwide used the technique, but Baltimore was its greatest champion. The silversmiths there created a regional style featuring masses of repoussé flowers with chased details. (Chasing is opposite to repoussé, as it refines the front of the piece, and the two techniques are often used together). Known today as “Baltimore repoussé,” Samuel Kirk introduced this type of decoration in 1828. It was thoroughly copied soon after, but unlike his competitors, Kirk’s iconic pattern, simply called Repoussé, is still made today under the name Kirk Stieff.

And while America fell under the spell of neoclassicism, art nouveau, and other decorative styles, repoussé silver—outfitted in its rococo glory—has never fallen out of favour. When accounting for the style’s longevity, writer Jack Tanis noted the following in an article for Silver magazine: “What you see is what you get, and what you get is an eyeful of pretty—drippingly saturated pretty.”

Lord Byron's was a most exponent of the use and carrying of the gentleman’s sword stick. His was exhibited in King's College London, bearing a mercurial gilt collar bearing his name, coronet and adopted surname Noel. Upon the death of Byron's mother-in-law Judith Noel, the Hon. Lady Milbanke, in 1822, her will required that he change his surname to "Noel" so as to inherit

An interesting 19th century conversation and collector's piece, and one can ponder over of the kind of gentleman who would have sought and required such a piece of personal defence paraphernalia. Although one likes to think that jolly old England had a London full of cheerful cockneys and laddish chimney sweeps, it was also plagued with political intrigue, nefarious characters and caddish swine prowling the endless foggy thoroughfares and dimly lit passageways. The swordstick was a popular fashion accessory for the wealthy during the 18th and 19th centuries. While the weapon's origins are unknown, it is apparent that the cane-sword's popularity peaked when decorative swords were steadily being replaced by canes as a result of the rising popularity of firearms, and the lessening influence of swords and other small arms.

The first sword canes were made for nobility by leading sword cutlers. Sixteenth century sword canes were often bequeathed in wills. Sword canes became more popular as the streets became less safe. Society dictated it mandatory that gentlemen of the 18th and especially 19th centuries would wear a cane when out and about, and it was common for the well-dressed gentleman to own and sport canes in a variety of styles, including a good and sound sword cane. Although Byron was proficient in the use of pistols, his lameness and his need to defend himself in some potentially dangerous situations made a swordstick doubly useful to him. He received lessons in London from the fencing master Henry Angelo and owned a number of swordsticks, some of which were supplied by his boxing instructor Gentleman John Jackson.

On Byron’s sword cane was the name NOEL BYRON, upon the ferrule of his one indicated that it was used after 1822, when Byron added the surname Noel after the death of his mother-in-law.

There are several references to sword sticks in the correspondence of Byron and his circle. Byron wrote to Hobhouse from Switzerland on 23 June 1816 asking him to Bring with you also for me some bottles of Calcined Magnesia a new Sword cane procured by Jackson he alone knows the sort (my last tumbled into this lake ) some of Waite's red tooth-powder & tooth-brushes a Taylor's Pawrsanias Pausanias and I forget the other things. Hobhouse responded on 9 July: Your commissions shall be punctually fulfilled whether as to muniments for the mind or body pistol brushes, cundums, potash Prafsanias Pausanias tooth powder and sword stick.

In the entry for 22 September 1816 in Byron's Alpine Journal he describes how, at the foot of the Jungfrau,
"Storm came on , thunder, lightning, hail, all in perfection and beautiful, I was on horseback the Guide wanted to carry my cane I was going to give it him when I recollected it was a Sword stick and I thought that the lightning might be attracted towards him kept it myself a good deal encumbered with it & my cloak as it was too heavy for a whip and the horse was stupid & stood still every other peal."

In a letter to Maria Gisborne of 6-10 April 1822, Mary Shelley described the "Pisan affray" of 24 March, in which Sergeant-Major Masi was pitch-forked by one of Byron's servants. She recounted how Byron rode to his own house, and got a sword stick from one of his servants.

Sword sticks came in all qualities, and for numerous purposes, from the simplest bamboo sword cane personal defender to stout customs officer’s ‘prod’, to offensive close quarter stiletto dagger canes and even to the other side of the world in the form of Japanese samurai’s shikome-sue, hidden swords.

We show two famous sword sticks in the gallery, one that belonged to Lord Byron, and another in a Presidential Centre Library collection, a historic sword stick is part of the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Centre Library collection in Fremont, Ohio from the Waggoner family, the sword-cane was said to have been presented to Mr Waggoner by General George Washington in honour of Waggoner's service in Washington's Life Guard during the American Revolutionary War.  read more

Code: 25262

Choose The Ideal Christmas Gift From Great Britain's Favourite Armoury Antiques & Collector's Shop. Some of The Best Ideas You Could Imagine, For Both Christmas & New Year, Have Come From The Lanes Armoury’. Our 105th Christmas in Brighton

Now moving on towards the end of November, as we all are, this would the perfect time to select a Christmas gift for a loved one {or oneself} from our unique and massive selection of original military antiques, ancient antiquities, and Ist edition novels. Also a fine time for deliveries worldwide to arrive before the Christmas festivities.

This is our 105th year of family trading this coming Christmas, and the dawn of our 106th year. However, we have actually traded in Brighton for well over 200 years, but until WW1 we were principally involved in the fishing trade, especially seafood. In the early 19th century we used to supply the Brighton Royal Pavilion, the palace of King George IVth {formerly the Prince Regent} with shellfish.

Every year, many, many millions of people visit Brighton, and many hundreds of thousands of them find there way here to us. In fact up to two or three thousand often visit us every opening day.
The world famous New York Times included our gallery in their list as one of the very best places to visit in the UK when travelling to Europe from America. Where else in the UK could you leave a store, after a jolly Christmas holiday visit, with a selection of original WW2 Officer’s uniform buttons for only £1.50p each, or an original solid gold and gemstone intaglio carved seal ring once worn 1700 years ago by an Imperial Roman senator. Where you might rub shoulders with a former American President’s First Lady, a Hollywood superstar, {our latest recent superstar visitor was British actor Tom Hardy, (who returned once again for another visit this weekend) another recent customer, a professor of textiles from America, who very kindly arranged for us to receive some conservation papers from the Met, or a retired Scottish teacher on a regular visit from the Outer Hebrides.

Incredible things seem to happen here every day, for example, just last week a very nice gentleman arrived here, after travelling all the way from Hong Kong, just to view and purchase one of our most special Japanese swords we were offering, and just as it was being packed up, after our business together was concluded, for its long journey to his home, another gentleman called on the phone with sincere interest in order to buy that very same sword, just a few minutes after the Hong Kong gentleman bought it, and bearing in mind we have many hundreds of swords on offer, and many thousands of intriguing pieces.
This remarkable occurrence was witnessed by one of our oldest friends and a very special regular customer, who was seated witnessing the whole turn of events, and he was amazed at the incredible coincidence, yet, he exclaimed, that so many hundreds of times he has been here in the past near 20 years, and he has seen, first hand, just how often that happens. We are truly a shop of most remarkably diverse visitors, and extraordinary coincidences.

As a former client, world renowned author, John Osborne, once said to Mark,
“It’s quite extraordinary, you can see just about everyone you could imagine here, and if you haven’t seen them yet, there’re probably on their way!’

Unique, ancient, antique and vintage beautiful items are our specialty, and be sure and certain that anything from us will be the best choice you can make this Christmas time. Recently arrived ! some stunning cannon balls fired at Waterloo. Plus another fabulous collection of original samurai swords, from the Koto to shinshinto period from 600 to 200 years old }arrives here today. Plus, our current selection ranges from a collection just acquired of really great and rare bayonets, British German & French, antique WW1 and WW2, from a collector who wanted the very best he could find over the past 40 years. Including rare French examples from the 'Russian contract' during WW1, that were uncovered in Ukraine in the late 90's, and some French Foreign Legion bayonets, acquired from a French Foreign Legion reserve armoury depot clear-out in the 70's. Plus stunning and rare Japanese samurai swords including a beautiful, original 'Tamashigiri Cutting Test' antique samurai katana signed by high rated master smith, Masashige Tegarayama, 手柄山正繁 with a highly rare Tamashigiri Cutting Test, By Gonnosuke Komatsubara, Dated 1799 to some super Ist Edition Charles Dickens novels, and various fabulous, wonderful and utterly beautiful antique Victorian dragoon dress helmets. Also a stunning collection of historical, provenanced original Napoleonic War cannon balls and a huge French Howitzer explosive round { now inert}.

All kinds of other unique and fabulous conversation pieces, including some delightful volumes, have been acquired lately, such as, for example, a 1st edition of The Third Man by Graham Greene, one of David senior’s fellow imbibers at our neighbours ancient establishment, The Cricketers, Brighton’s 500 year old inn.

Another part of our original Japanese katana acquisitions arrived, and as usual many are stunning beauties and A Superb Choice For This Christmas, And a Special Price Too! A Very Good World War II Imperial Japanese Army Officer's Katana with a famous family's silver clan mon

We have had arrive here recently, some more really wonderful, original pieces of history. And as usual, this occurs almost every single day, {except Sunday} sometimes many times in a day if we are fortunate. Being one of all the world’s collectors favourite stores, some incredible artifacts are almost magnetically drawn to our doorstep every opening hour.

Every item, as usual, will be accompanied with our unique, presentation quality, 'Certificate of Authenticity' that will not only fully certify it's genuineness, but it will detail the circumstance of it's origin, and where and when it may have been used in it's specific or generic history.
Where else in Britain could you walk out of the store this Christmas with an original souvenir from Alexander the Great's battle with the Persians in 334 B.C, from only £65, to a fabulous unique handmade gold, diamond and ruby 'Mystery Watch' once owned by movie legend, Elizabeth Taylor, for just under £180,000, or, a 2500 year old ancient Chinese sword that may very likely have once been the sword of a king!, and how about a fabulous 'Shaturnal' a Moghul War-Elephant cannon

We are very proud to offer a superb selection of ancient antiquities, swords, daggers and spears from all the major past empires and civilisations of the world from over the past 3,500 years. In fact many recognise our unique and original selection is likely the best and most comprehensive to be seen, and offered for sale, anywhere in Europe, and possibly even the world over.

This Christmas season we can offer thousands of pieces, including, such as, a fabulous complete set of Charles Dickens novels

"Outside of a dog, man's best friend is a book. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."

— GROUCHO MARX
{and yes, he was a visiting customer as well, in around March 1965}

And please be further assured, all gift purchases may be changed after Christmas for any form of suitable alternatives.

"Doesn't someone you know deserve something unique from The Lanes Armoury". Just look at a few of our thousands of pages of delectable offerings, that vary from a very rare Rowntree’s WW2 munitions factory Rescue Officer’s helmet, to an Iceni chieftain’s chariot rein mount from the Roman-Celtic war with Queen Boudicca in England 2000 years ago, to very rare Italian Renaissance 16th century prince's dagger, to crossbow bolts recovered from the Battle site of Bannockburn {23–24 June 1314}, to some exceptional swords from the Napoleonic Wars, some belonging to several of Napoleon's generals. One, is a presentational grade sabre, somewhat akin to the fabulous Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund swords awarded to hero’s of the wars with Napoleon {but fortunately, not for the 100,000 pounds plus cost that they can command today}, &, to a superb Gurkha’s WW2 military issue kukri for just a few hundred pounds. Everything is possible through our portals, for all budget ranges, from just a few pounds to six figures.

The Lanes Armoury described by the 'New York Times' as one of the very best stores and destinations to visit when in Europe.
A living, breathing gallery that is a huge walk around ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’, containing thousands of original historical and magical pieces from the ancient long past, to the near recent. In fact, from 300,000 years of human history, and 100 million years of world history.

We are certainly not the biggest premier store in Europe recommended by the New York Times, in fact we are probably the smallest, but what we lack in size, apparently, we more than make up for in amazement, and wonder, and, the family have been trading in antiques in Brighton for over 104 years. Prior to that, we traded in Brighton caught shellfish for the previous 100 plus years, with our licensed shellfish concessions for the entire Brighton coastline.

For example, we added recently items that range from a Samurai Ancestral Sword Around 600 years old {or more}, a WW2 Japanese Officer's Sword With An Ancestral Blade 450 Years Old, an original late Koto to shinto samurai’s daisho, a stunning ‘Agincourt’, hand-and-a-half knights sword, a Seige of Troy era Bronze Age sword, incredibly rare original Viking warriors sword around 1000 years old, a beautiful samurai’s disguised fan dagger, plus, Ancient Roman Gladiator's rings for both for a Gladiator and Gladiatrix, around 1700 years old.

Google just let us know our updated Google entry just past the amazing 1,000,000 { one million } searches in order to find out our location in order to visit us here in Brighton, England.

Twenty Four Years Ago, After 80 Years Trading in Brighton, We Were Honoured by Being Nominated & Awarded by BACA, In The Best Antique & Collectables Shop In Britain Awards 2001
Presented by MILLER'S Antiques Guide, THE BBC, HOMES & ANTIQUES MAGAZINE, for the British Antique & Collectables Awards. The version of the antique dealers ‘Oscars’ of Britain.


In the gallery, the first photo, is a wonderful daybreak photo, taken the at the farm two Christmas seasons ago, December 2023. Showing what some are calling the South of England's 'Sky-on-Fire' Daybreak. You can see in the far distance in his retirement paddock the late Judy Hawkins's beloved former UK 'Supreme Champion' Scottish Highland grey pony, that was a frequent competitor against the late queen's Highlands at Windsor Castle. In his prime, he had his own worldwide fan club, and competition followers. Photo 7 in the gallery is old “Governor’ and his little chum “Roger” waiting for their morning apples at our farm last year, sadly, they are now no longer with us. Photo 8 is a typical example of everyday new arrivals in the gallery. Photo 9 is Judy and Holly, ten years apart, first watching "Governor" in competition, then Holly alone, with her horse, following on in her late devoted grandmother's passion, and, the family tradition. Our family have been entranced by our love of animals since modern memory, but principally dogs and horses, for over 200 years. Of course, in regards to horses, the first 130 years was by necessity, as then you couldn’t get anything done, in both the domestic or business world, at all, without them, but the past 70 years has been for love, pleasure and joy alone.
This year has been a tough one for our equine life. First we lost Governor, then Roger, then just last week, Arrow. But the many decades of joy they brought us all, and hopefully the joyous life they all led with us here, more than makes up for our feelings of loss and sadness.

The last photo in the gallery is an autographed photo, given to Mark personally, by the late, great, 40th President of The United States, Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office of The White House.  read more

Code: 25540

A Perfect, Very Special Gift or Personal Choice. The Collected Ghost Stories of M. R. James Published in 1931, Printed in 1949 Edward Arnold & Co London

Every year around this time we try our best to find a super original early post war edition of probably the very finest book of ingenious yet disturbing ghost stories ever written.
This year we have managed once more.

Montague Rhodes James, who used the publication name M.R. James, was a noted British mediaeval scholar & provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905–18) & of Eton College (1918–36). He's best remembered for his ghost stories which are widely regarded as among the finest in English literature. One of James' most important achievements was to redefine the ghost story for the new century by dispensing with many of the formal Gothic trappings of his predecessors, replacing them with more realistic contemporary settings.
the stories contained are;
"Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book"
"Lost Hearts"
"The Mezzotint"
"The Ash Tree"
"Number 13"
"Count Magnus"
"'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad'"
"The Treasure of Abbot Thomas"
"A School Story"
"The Rose Garden"
"The Tractate Middoth"
"Casting the Runes"
"The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral"
"Martin's Close"
"Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance"
"The Residence at Whitminster"
"The Diary of Mr Poynter"
"An Episode of Cathedral History"
"The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance"
"Two Doctors"
"The Haunted Dolls' House"
"The Uncommon Prayer-Book"
"A Neighbour's Landmark"
"A View from a Hill"
"A Warning to the Curious"
"An Evening's Entertainment"
"Wailing Well"
"There Was a Man Dwelt by a Churchyard"
"Rats"
"After Dark in the Playing Fields"
plus " Stories i have tried to write"

According to James, the story must "put the reader into the position of saying to himself, 'If I'm not very careful, something of this kind may happen to me!'" He also perfected the technique of narrating supernatural events through implication and suggestion, letting his reader fill in the blanks, and focusing on the mundane details of his settings and characters in order to throw the horrific and bizarre elements into greater relief. He summed up his approach in his foreword to the anthology Ghosts and Marvels: "Two ingredients most valuable in the concocting of a ghost story are, to me, the atmosphere and the nicely managed crescendo. ... Let us, then, be introduced to the actors in a placid way; let us see them going about their ordinary business, undisturbed by forebodings, pleased with their surroundings; and into this calm environment let the ominous thing put out its head, unobtrusively at first, and then more insistently, until it holds the stage."

He also noted: "Another requisite, in my opinion, is that the ghost should be malevolent or odious: amiable and helpful apparitions are all very well in fairy tales or in local legends, but I have no use for them in a fictitious ghost story."

Despite his suggestion (in the essay "Stories I Have Tried to Write") that writers employ reticence in their work, many of James's tales depict scenes and images of savage and often disturbing violence. For example, in "Lost Hearts", pubescent children are taken in by a sinister dabbler in the occult who cuts their hearts from their still-living bodies. In a 1929 essay, James stated:

Reticence may be an elderly doctrine to preach, yet from the artistic point of view, I am sure it is a sound one. Reticence conduces to effect, blatancy ruins it, and there is much blatancy in a lot of recent stories. They drag in sex too, which is a fatal mistake; sex is tiresome enough in the novels; in a ghost story, or as the backbone of a ghost story, I have no patience with it. At the same time don't let us be mild and drab. Malevolence and terror, the glare of evil faces, 'the stony grin of unearthly malice', pursuing forms in darkness, and 'long-drawn, distant screams', are all in place, and so is a modicum of blood, shed with deliberation and carefully husbanded; the weltering and wallowing that I too often encounter merely recall the methods of M G Lewis.
The condition overall is good with commensurate wear for age, with its original paper slip cover, although the original slip cover does have a tear and a small section over the spine lacking. It bears the original 1949 owners name on the inner blank page.  read more

Code: 23812

A Fabulous Victorian Set of 24 of Charles Dickens Works, Superbly Bound In 17 Volumes By Chapman And Hall. The Ideal Christmas Present!

If you wanted a stunning set to enjoy or as an heirloom for future generations you would likely never see a better set of this type. Very good condition indeed, 17 beautiful volumes octavo, finest calf leather with marbled boards, five raised bands across each spine, with titles, in gilt on red leather with green leather title labels, and gilt decoratio. Marbled edges, with marbled end papers original illustrations, all contents clean and bright and bindings firm.
Charles Dickens
TWENTY-FOUR Works in Seventeen Volumes
COMPLETE
Sketches by Boz.

The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.

The Adventures of Oliver Twist & A Tale of Two Cities.

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.

The Old Curiosity Shop.

Barnaby Rudge.

The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit.

Christmas Books & Hard Times. Including A Christmas Carol

Dombey and Son.

The Personal History of David Copperfield.

Bleak House.

Little Dorrit.

Great Expectations & The Uncommercial Traveller.

Our Mutual Friend.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood & Reprinted Pieces.

American Notes for General Circulation & Pictures from Italy & A Child's History of England.

Christmas Stories & Master Humphrey's Clock.  read more

Code: 25195