Civil War Era Musician Sword Makers
The following is some information that I found on Civil War sword makers. I will try to add more information over time.
| Ames Mfg. Co. The Ames Company started production of military contract swords in 1832 with the M1832 foot artillery sword, and ended with the M1906 cavalry saber in 1906. Ames produced more swords for the American military than any other company before or since, totaling over 200,000 swords in service by the end of the Civil War. In that time, at least ten different manufacturing marks were used on the swords. A little knowledge of the company history helps place a date range for when each stamp was used. When the company started producing swords it was led by Nathan P. Ames, and most marks reflected that fact. In 1847, Nathan died and left the company to his brother James. The markings on the blades were immediately changed from N.P. Ames to Ames Mfg. Co. In 1848, the town of Cabotville was incorporated into Chicopee, Massachusetts, and the marks were once again changed to reflect this. The M1832 foot artillery swords, being Ames's first swords, were stamped with the eagle trademark already common on their other products. The early models of this sword were marked as having been made in Springfield instead of Cabotville. The 1840 models of musician swords tend to have identical styles of marks for corresponding years. The 1840 models’ were originally marked with N.P. Ames/Cabotville/date in the 1840s, followed by Ames Mfg. Co. /Cabotville/date around 1847, then by Ames Mfg. Co/Chicoppee/Mass in the 1850s. Sometime in the late 1850s Ames started using a new mark on all enlisted models that was carried through the Civil War. The words Made by/Ames Mfg. Co/Chicopee/Mass are enclosed within an unraveled scroll, and initials/US/date is stamped on the opposite side of the blade. |
| Emerson and Silver, Trenton, NJ Emerson and Silver, like C. Roby, was another prolific company that made a brief appearance for the Civil War, then dried up. The company operated from 1860-1865, making 3000 musician swords. The Musician’s swords stamps have an arc-shaped Emerson over a linear Silver/Trenton/NJ. |
| Friedrick Poetter Friedrick Poetter was a German sword maker. At the beginning of the war many swords were imported, using the US regulation patterns, to meet the demands of swords needed. Poetter was one maker of those makers. |
| Christopher Roby, W. Chelmsford, Mass. Christopher Roby ran a prolific, but short-lived sword making business from 1861 until 1867. In this time, his company produced 3500 M1840 musician swords (dated 1863-65). The musician swords had a circular mark made up of the words C. Roby W. Chelmsford MS. The 1865 dated swords were not delivered until after the cessation of hostilities, and therefore never saw active duty during the war. The Roby Company went bankrupt and sold its name and equipment shortly after the war. |
