Overview
This Ames 1862-dated government naval boarding cutlass that would have been carried by U.S. Navy seamen aboard ship during the Civil War. The blade measures 26” long, 1¼” wide at the ricasso and has a flat back with a single, wide, unstopped fuller. Blade has patina and light oxidation, and a couple small dings in the edge. The reverse ricasso is stamped “[anchor] / P / U.S.N. / D.R. / 1862” while the obverse ricasso bears nothing because of age, but typically has a light Ames maker’s four-line address that reads “MADE BY / AMES MFG Co / CHICOPEE / MASS” within a scroll.
Brass hilt, often referred to as a “soup ladle” guard, is a rounded cup of heavy sheet brass riveted to the knucklebow and provides hand protection to the user. However on this example, the soup ladle guard has been removed and only the D-Guard Guard wears a pleasing bronze patina. Inside top edge of the quillon is stamped with something but I cannot make it out, it would have been the rack position numbers on the ship. The boarding cutlass was derived from the French pattern of 1833, often referred to as a “cullere a pot” or more commonly called the “soup ladle” weapon. Cutlass retains its leather washer. The carved wooden handle no longer has its original black bridle leather wrap. The grips have none of its original double-twisted brass wire wrap.
Original leather scabbard body, which measures 26” long, is in fair condition with breaks and cracks. The scabbard retains its brass belt stud or finial strongly secured at top of the scabbard. Forty copper rivets are tight along the seam including the rivet closing the tip. A very fine Civil War naval cutlass with its accompanying leather scabbard.