Another Hessian Infantry Officer Saber

SCHUPO

Well-known member
cptbob showed his excellent Lion head Hessian Infantry Officer saber yesterday so I thought I would show my example for comparison.

This is the standard Hessian Infantry Officer saber with the hilt made in nickel plate as offered in the circa 1905 WK&C catalog. My sword was made by Pack, Ohliger & Co. working 1915-1918 according to John Walter in "The sword and bayonet makers of Imperial Germany 1871-1918" p. 130-133. This sword has the usual hilt configuration with black celluloid grips and without the lion head pommel. The slightly curved blade is fully triple etched with the crowned Hessian lion motif in the center of the obverse blade. The hilt retains its leather finger loop and the Hessian Portepee is properly tied.
 

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NIce! Does the catalog have any pictures of Hessian cavalry officer's sabers?
Cheers
Bob
 
Thanks CCJ and Bob.

I think the small size of Hesse limited the customer base for swords so they are all few and far between in my experience. The Imperial period WK&C catalog only mentions the Hessian M89 Cavalry sword in a line drawing. This generic nickeled sword with the flat steel guard and Bakelite grips has the Hesse Lion on the guard as a cut out circle. This is the only "Cavalry" sword for Hesse shown in any of my catalogs. Too small a market IMHO. I am also not certain of the purpose of the distinction between the brass hilt and the nickeled hilt (like I show) Infantry Officer swords. Hessian swords are not shown at all (except for Hessian Polizei swords) in any of my postwar edged weapon catalogs.

George
 
The descriptions in my sources are not real clear but I thought that the silver-colored swords were cavalry and the gold-colored ones were infantry. But that is just speculation based on those vague descriptions.
 
It makes sense since the M89 Cavalry sword hilt is finished in white metal being nickel plated steel.
 
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