helen

Mervyn, Thanks for your reply - what you say about the nature of the region it came from/was used in makes sense. I posted this item on another weapons forum and again, the consensus that it was used to repel raids rather than shoot at marine life! Whether this be on a ship or from ramparts is not clear however, though I presume it would be hard to load a rifled gun on a pitching ship? It has an approximate one inch bore (sorry, don't have the gun to hand to measure accurately) but presumably it took a cartridge rather than shot as it is breech-loading? Beginning to think that the Sudanese simply imported it from Turkey in order to defend El Fasher town from the Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916 since the Sudanese allied with the Ottomans (Turks) that year.

Thank you for the translation 1314 - very helpful! Helen

hi can anyone help with translating the inscription on the butt of this firearm we found in our museum, or else provide any other general information about it? It's a muzzle-loading percussion firearm with an angled stock, ivory mounts, silk strap and silver-inlaid barrel. Over one metre long. Not sure of date but definitely collected before 1874. Was catalogued at that time with Burmese matchlocks with note 'appears to be Chinese?'. Any suggestions or comments welcome, with thanks Helen

hi, can anyone help pin down this object we found in our museum stores? Breech-loading, rifled percussion firearm, 68 inches long with a hinged spike on the underside of the brass barrel. Turkish marks. The info says it was collected after the battle at El Fasher, Darfur Province, Sudan in 1916, but may have originally been obtained on the Red Sea coast and then transported 1000 miles by camel to the Sudan! Original 1950s label also says it is a whaling gun (spike to fix it to bulwarks of a ship) but didn't think whaling guns were made of brass as it would rust. Plus I thought whaling guns mostly used harpoons (wouldn't fit in a rifled barrel?) Perhaps it is a rampart gun instead? What kind of ammunition would it have used? Any suggestions or comments welcome. Sorry for the not-so-great photograph. Thanks, Helen

hi, These flare guns were retrieved from storage at the museum for potential display but I can't find out much about them. The first, one of a pair, is brass with walnut grips. It came to the museum from the police in 1984 following a bunch of confiscations and amnesties so we don't have any background on it. On the barrel is inscribed: 'FOR VERYS SIGNAL LIGHTS ONLY'. Each pistol also bears 3 proof-marks: 2 x 'V' below crown; 1 x 'Cp' below crown. The 1980s label attached to it says 'World War 1 Very light signal pistol'. The second, longer-barrelled one was donated by a Mr. Hubert L. Gibbs of Balscote, Oxon and came with the following information: ?German. Special pistol used for discharging "Verey Lights" over "No Man's Land". Found at the Battle of the Somme, 1918?. Records for a Hubert L. Gibbs were found for both the Royal Army Medical Corps and, more likely, the Bucks and Ox Light Infantry (1914-1920). I can't seem to find much information about Verey (are 'Verys'/'Very' just adopted versions of the name?) Was Verey a person or manufacturing plant? These British and German differ in style and appearance but did both sides use the same sort of flares during the war? Unfortunately we do not have any cartridges. I understand the colours fired were red, white and green - does anyone know what these different colours meant? Who was permitted to use these guns? If anyone knows anything about 'Verey' (who or what that is), the marks on this British gun as described above (sorry no better pic), Hubert Gibbs and the Bucks and Ox, or the use/role of such flare guns during the war, or can point me towards any relevant literature, it would be (VEREY!) much appreciated. Thanks Helen

hi, We are planning a new display on firearms at the museum I work at. The police have told us no black powder or gunpowder can be displayed due to H&S/fire rules, which is understandable (all cartridges and barrels have been emptied). However, I would like to display small samples of the individual ingredients (with the police's permission) to aid visitor understanding. From my understanding these ingredients are carbon (charcoal), saltpetre (potassium nitrate) and sulphur. The first is pretty easy to obtain but does anyone know where you can safely and legally get hold of either saltpetre and/or sulphur? It doesn't matter to much if they are in raw or refined form - we're certainly not going to do some at-home experimenting! Any suggestions appreciated. With thanks Helen

hi everyone, Just to let you know the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford has just launched a new 'Arms and Armour Virtual Gallery' on its website, featuring photos and info on over 200 objects from its extensive historic weaponry collections. This is one of the outcomes of a recent project funded by the UK Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. There is a substantial section on swords, knives and daggers but you can also view things such as longbows, crossbows, Zulu shields, knuckledusters, South American axes, shamanic spears and Oceanic clubs. We hope to add a section on firearms in the next 6 months. Every object in the gallery is on permanent free display to the Museum's visitors. Go to the site here:PRM Arms and Armour Virtual Gallery Any comments or suggestions, please let me know either through the GMIC or via the contact link on the site. Hope you enjoy it. Many thanks, Helen

Thanks for your comments and suggestions gentlemen...as a peace-loving museum, handle to the left it is! Helen

Thanks Eric, that was helpful...it does still seem to be bit of a puzzler...I agree with you about the overall impression of a Katana (that was what it was originally documented as in the Museum's records) - it was just the length that made me want to research it a bit more and see if it was a tachi. The main reason for wanting to know either way is that, just as you describe how the blades were worn up or down, the same principles apply to display and I'm concerned that we exhibit it the right way up in the Museum! It would be just our luck to have a Japanese visitor who might not be best pleased to see their cultural heritage displayed improperly! But this is highly unlikely and to cover ourselves we'll probably be non-committal and put 'tachi or long katana' or similar on the label! Besides, there was no neat historical cut-off between the production of the two kinds, it was more gradual, and this sword may well be one of the 'intermediate' examples. So, it' s more a question of my curiosity now...! We did ask a professional armourer and swordsmith who'd trained in Japan and lived locally to come inspect the sword. Obviously he had the benefit of being able to see it up close and his assessment leaned towards a tachi. Anyway, if you are interested, I include his comments below... Cheers, Helen ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "At first glance this sword has the fittings and amounts of a Tachi including the Ashi, which are the straps, allowing this type of blade to worn from a belt blade down. This type of sword was popular up until the 16th?17th centuries, when they were slowly replaced by the katana. "On examination, the blade does not exhibit enough curvature, in the blade shaped (Sigata) to represent a older period tachi, as these had a substantially curved blade due to the original design made for use on horseback. It possesses a temper line (hamon) of Gunome style, which is semicircular or cloverleaf in appearance, a medium-sized point, Kissaki. Japanese sword blades should be of approximately equal width from hilt to tip and here there is moderate wear to the blade ? it tapers markedly from halfway to the tip (the impact area) suggesting moderate cutting use and consequent sharpening. There is a great deal of activity in the hamon. The grain (jihada) takes a fine wood grain effect called Itame. The blade also exhibits a high degree of shine in contrast to the grey, velvety appearance of correctly polished older blades. As well as some damage of rust and pitting, which I imagine are due to prolonged contact with the scabbard, there are also some scratch marks, which were probably made in a attempt to remove earlier marks on the blade. The high degree of shine could be due to inappropriate polishing, which makes it difficult to spot the grain and activity in the blade without use of a magnifying glass. "The fittings (sword mounts, scabbard etc.) are typically of Tachi fashion, again looking to a bygone era in Japan's feudal history and workmanship. They include carrying mounts, a carrying strap and caps on the end of the scabbard. Any scabbard with such mounts? is for a tachi. Katana scabbards didn?t have ?carrying mounts? as they were worn simply thrust through the belt. The blade collar, called a habaki, is filed with diagonal burrs in a style called ?Yujo?. "There is some damage on the bindings of the hilt, and scabbard, again, I imagine, due to storage conditions. "The Tachi reappeared in the Edo period, where it was worn mainly as a court sword or dress item, used to show the wearer?s rank and position in society. So although this sword imitates a 15th century Bizen style, it probably dates to the mid-late Edo period (Shinshinto 1781-1876), when it became popular to copy tachis from earlier times but with shorter, slightly straighter blades."

Can anybody tell me whether this a katana or a tachi? If so, can you perhaps reiterate the difference? I remember reading somewhere that it had something to do with the nature of the fittings (for wear with civilian or military clothing) rather than the blade itself but conflicting with this, I have an echo in my head saying that katana blades were slightly shorter than the tachi they began to supersede in the 15th century. This sword is 96.5cm long in its entirety and the blade down to the tsuba is 74.5cm. It is part of the collections at the Pitt Rivers Museum, donated in 1911. The menuki are in the form of crayfish and the FuchiKashira is of brass, with floral patterns. The tsuba is not quite round, with little piercing and depicts a dragon. There is no date approximation or smith information given on its accession record (probably no-one has had the chance/had the skill to take it apart to look for any signatures or dating on the tang). I know a picture cannot always suffice to tell all that's necessary but if anyone can advise in any way, I'd appreciate it.

Cheers for the link, Yes, given what you've said, combined with the previous member's comments, it seems that ownership WAS circumscribed by social status but as the feudal order fell apart, skill and financial cost became the biggest determining factors. As with many things, I imagine the sword also remained the preserve of the higher and and military ranks out of tradition whilst lower classes retained alternative, cheaper and more available means of self-defence such as daggers and clubs. I've been having a look at George Silver's fencing manual (which casts amusing aspersions on Italian techniques) but I shall have a look into some of the other sources you give. Thanks.

Thanks for your reply, Landsknechte. I hadn't really thought about self-arming requirements of mercenaries - that's a good point in favour of an increasingly relaxed view about the ownership of arms and perhaps a good place to start some proper research. Cheers.

Hello Peter, Good to hear from you again. Thanks for your input - it was interesting to learn about the appearance of hearts on the British uniform coat-tails and the repeated heart ornament on that Scotsman's baldric. I am happy with your interpreation of the heart as simply a 'pretty' way of rendering a necessary feature (i.e. if the basket hilt needed perforations to reduce weight, a heart serves both a functional and aesthetic purpose). I've been reading a lot about the way swords were, in some instances, the historical equivalent of the modern women's handbag - a male accessory subject to the whims of fashion and society! In this vein, I can see why hearts, particularly with the associations of valour, courage, loyalty etc., would have proved a popular motif. I also submitted this query to the curator or European Edged Weapons at the Royal Armouries so I will let you know if he comes back to me with anything different! Thanks again, Helen

I've come across a few mid-18th century Scottish Claymores with basket hilts perforated with heart-shaped cutouts (see picture). Does anyone know what, if anything, these hearts symbolised? Cheers Helen

Hello, I am writing a piece for our museum about the connection between swords and social status. We have a healthy international ethnographic collection including bladed weapons so it is easy to write about the very obvious delineations in say, historical Japanese and Kuba (Congo) cultures. However, I am little short on information on the situation in Europe. Can anybody help? During the medieval and early modern period in Europe, what were the rules about who could own and use a sword? Apart from the military and the lower nobility upward, could any free man own one? After the gradual fragmentation of the feudal system, were the new bourgeoisie of merchants, lawyers and so forth permitted to carry them? Were there any laws or statutes that you know of concerning this? Many thanks Helen (Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford)