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

Description

RARE CIVIL WAR ERA S & K SCHNITZLER & KIRSCHBAUM HEAVY CAVALRY SABER DRAGOON
CIVIL WAR OR EARLIER
NO SCABBARD
VERY HEAVY HANDLE (may have been the one considered the "wrist breaker")
USED BY THE CONFEDERACY.
GENERAL NATHAN BEDFORD FORREST owned a similar one
.
Links and quotes for more information:
"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
http://ww2.rediscov.com/spring/VFPCGI.exeIDCFile=/spring/DETAILS.IDC,SPECIFIC=15345,DATABASE=objects
"In 1840 there was a decision to reform the swords used by the Regular Army. This may have been prompted by the creation of the dragoon regiments during the 1830s and dissatisfaction with the model-1833 Dragoon Saber design. In 1839 the War Department ordered a number of European edge weapons of various designs for testing. It convened a board of officers by authority of an order issued August 28, 1840 to study the various European designs.
An order was placed with the German firm of Schnitzler and Kirschbaum in Solingen, then the leading center of blade production in Europe, for a quantity of the
various designs chosen. The swords were delivered in 1841 and became the model-1840 pattern for many of the sword types used for the remainder of the 19th Century. These included the
cavalry sabers
,
non-commissioned officers swords
, musician's swords and
light artillery sabers.
The NCO swords and musician swords were a hybrid of French and German models. The light artillery saber was based on the Model-1829 French model. The model-1840 (old wrist breaker) cavalry saber was based on the French model-1822 pattern. A redesigned model that was lighter by about a pound and better balanced is often called the model-1860 cavalry saber (despite the fact that the first production was in 1857). However, because of existing stocks the Model-1840 cavalry saber was heavily used during the Civil War and was still the model pattern used by the European exporters. Officer's cavalry sabers were similar to the enlisted model but had ornamentation of the hilt and etching on the blade."
http://howardlanham.tripod.com/link11d.htm
http://books.google.com/books?id=x-jHvwHa0oAC&pg=PA265&lpg=PA265&dq=schnitzler+and+kirschbaum&source=bl&ots=HLUDV-5FPj&sig=xO2ncmxCSTTElAoliFxg6UXjwis&hl=en&sa=X&ei=BhS0UJa0LIio9gTPwoDgDg&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=schnitzler%20and%20kirschbaum&f=false
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_1840_Cavalry_Saber
Measures approximately:
Almost 41.5" long Overall
35" long Blade
Weighs approximately:
2.75 pounds
Condition:
Very top of the tip of the point of the blade is broken, but could be easily repaired.  Leather wrapped & wired nicely.  Darkening of Blade.  No Scabbard.
Item sold "AS-IS"--
see photos.
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