Description
American Civil War Fighting Knife M1840 NCO Sword – originally manufactured in 1858 by Ames Mfg Co. in Chicopee, MA. Original hand-signed cut-down sword scabbard is included. FREE EXPEDITED SHIPPING WITHIN THE US FOR THIS ITEM.
One of a kind American Civil War era improvised fighting knife made from a cut-down US Model 1840 Non-Commissioned Officer’s Sword manufactured by Ames Mfg Co., original scabbard with a hand-written tag is included. The original M1840 NCO sword was manufactured in 1858 by Ames Manufacturing Company in Chicopee, Massachusetts.
These NCO swords were not meant to be personal defense weapons – the M1840 was designed to be used mostly as a dress sword, not meant for a close-quarter battle. But during the Civil War a lot of captured or broken Union swords found a new life as fighting knives – as the war dragged on, the soldiers on both sides of the conflict found themselves without a reliable personal sidearm. Anything that could be re-used as a camp knife and/or a fighting knife was put to use. This re-tooled M1840 NCO sword is typical example of one of these types.
This particular specimen is in great overall condition: original cast bronze “wire” pattern handle with with wide cross guard is in excellent shape with only a few minor contact marks. The dagger is about 12-3/8″ / 35.5 cm overall; fullered blade is about 5-7/8″ / 15 cm. Ricasso is stamped U.S. / A.D.K. / 1858 on one side and with Ames’ “rolled parchment” factory stamp on the other. This fighter is about 15.1 oz / 0.43 kg without the scabbard. Well-sharpened blade has a few minor edge nicks; the tip is intact. An attractive dark-gray original patina on the blade and very pretty golden-honey patina throughout the bronze handle. This type is scarce this nice and complete.
The most interesting part of this dagger is its original scabbard. It’s made from the original sword scabbard that was cut-down and plugged with a wood peg. A tag on the front panel has the following lines hand-written in faded black ink (I’ve copied the grammar and punctuation exactly as it was written):
This Knife our only SON did use
To KILL a yankee who would abuse
The SACRED RIGHTS we nowdefend
from SATAN Lincoln and his Friends
Almost like a poetry 😉 Anyways, the scabbard is about 7-3/8″ / 18.7 cm overall. The stitching on the leather has come apart, but the scabbard is still in great overall shape, considering the age. Over 160 years later, this unique American Civil War Fighting Knife M1840 NCO Sword-turned fighter is still in very much serviceable condition; this type is rare this nice. Most of the surviving Civil War era fighting knives are in private collections and rarely come up for sale; don’t miss your chance to add this gorgeous specimen to your collection!
This original American Civil War Fighting Knife M1840 NCO Sword-turned fighting dagger has not been cleaned or tampered with in any way. It’s in 100% original “as is” condition; these are the actual photos. I have several vintage American and European knives available for sale – please check out Collectable Blades section for similar listings.
For collectible knives and edged weapons Argocoins accepts payments via credit cards, personal checks drawn from US-based accounts, certified US-based bank checks, and money orders. Take a look at the Payments section within our Terms and Conditions for mailing instructions and additional details. Please email me at info@argocoins.com if you would like to make a credit card purchase over the phone. Follow me on Facebook @argoman400BC to keep an eye on the latest additions and promotions.
FREE USPS PRIORITY MAIL SHIPPING WITHIN THE U.S. FOR THIS ITEM!
International shipping for this item will be $68 and up to most countries on our “ship-to” list.
