Wilkinson Sword - no, really...

[Jim in NZ]

Wilkinson Sword that belonged to my grandfather. He was a Colonel in the South African Police. I inherited it from my father, and will pass it on to my son in due course. Being a ceremonial sword, the blade hasn't been sharpened, although it could be.

The etching includes the WS logo and the royal coat of arms, as well as the South African coat of arms and two interlocking triangles, originally a guild proof called the "Star of Damascus," originally an Eastern mark of distinction found on swords of high-quality workmanship.

 

[Legion]

A nice family heirloom. Like it. It looks in very good condition.

 

[Jay21]

That’s pretty fantastic.

 

[AndyPanda]

Wow!

 

[Jim in NZ]

A nice family heirloom. Like it. It looks in very good condition.

It has been well looked after, but the leather knot and the end of the leather scabbard are starting to show their age (70-80 years!)

 

[Dave himself]

That's a beautiful piece .

 

[4pointOh]

Run in through a 800‐12k progression and let us know how it shaves.

 

[4pointOh]

It has been well looked after, but the leather knot and the end of the leather scabbard are starting to show their age (70-80 years!)

Neatsfoot oil will breath some life back into that old leather and applied every 5-10 years will keep it in great shape for a good long time.

 

[Whiterook]

I suggest you write down as much of your grandfather's story as you can and pass it down with the sword to preserve his memory as well.

 

[Jim in NZ]

@Whiterook - That is a fantastic idea. To date it is just an oral history and I really need to change that.

 

[Ravenonrock]

Cool!

 

[Chef455]

Have you been able to find the proper angle with it? Natural stones or lapping film?

Joking aside, that's a beautiful heirloom and a great share!

 

[DrStrange]

Just to be clear, yours is very obviously much cooler,
but since you started it, I have a Wilkinson Sword Pall Mall



sword bayonet, that is.

 

[Jim in NZ]

@Chef455 Lol - They tend to be sharper at the point than the edge...

@DrStrange That's a beauty, though built less for ceremony and more for serious business.

 

[Old Hippie]

That's a lovely sword! Clearly, though it's essentially a "dress" sword it has been made to be a real sword, not some SSO or "sword shaped object." I've seen inexpensive ceremonial regalia where the "sword" was simply a hilt fastened to the top of something shaped like a scabbard. Somebody thought quite highly of your grandfather.

Aside from my old fencing gear, I have an old cavalry sabre of somewhat uncertain provenance. My father was in the US Army cavalry in the late '30s and carried a US pattern sabre as a matter of course. After WW2 he repurposed it as an item of his Masonic regalia (York Rite) but it and his regalia were lost in a fire at the lodge in the early '60s. About 20 years later I found this one and gave it to him for Christmas one year.

It's clearly mass production but also clearly made to be used. He kept it lovingly polished and hanging up in his den. Now it lives in my home office. Something about holding a good sword; you just want to try it out and see if you're big enough for it.

O.H.

 

[Jim in NZ]

Swords really do carry a lot of history!

I fully agree with you, that the temptation to pick it up and try it out for it's purpose is always there. This particular sword can be sharpened and used, although that would make ceremonial use a lot more dangerous!

Here's a clip of Wilkinson Swords being made.

Note the emphasis on form and function... and the dress code on the factory floor!