Pre-WWI M1902 Officers SABER Sword M. C. Lilley & Co. Horn Grip. Excellent++
This WWI era (or earlier) M1902 OFFICERS SABER/Sword could not have been made later than 1933 when the M. Lilley & Company / Columbus, Ohio changed its name. I believe it is a WWI blade, judging from the HORN material of its HILT/GRIP. Give or take a few years, this ceremonial SABER is approximately100 years old! This is a NOT a current, inexpensive Spanish-made Saber. Neither is this a private military school Saber. This SABER has the earlier Bone HILT/GRIP which is in PERFECT condition (NOT cast metal, or a composition material, or wood). Etched Blade has not been’named’ to an officer, but is blank. On the Ricasso is etched, THE M. The Finish of the BLADE is FLAWLESS, without scratches, bends, nicks, or spots of rust. The Factory Edge, spine, and sharpened TIP are in PERFECT condition. This has a gracefully designed, perfect'”C” shaped GUARD and POMMEL. There are no bends in the Branches of the GUARD. The central Branch (parallel to the axis of the Saber) has the extra detail of a raised ridge. Supplied with the Saber is a RUSSET LEATHER SWORD KNOT. The plated Steel SCABBARD has ZERO dents, but has begun to show pinpoint flaking of NICKLE PLATING with two minor spots of plating loss, commensurate with its age. The THROAT of the Scabbard has the detailed 3 rings that mirrors those on the HILT above the GUARD and the 3 rings that encircle the oval POMMEL NUT. The DRAG is in PERFECT condition as are the SUSPENSION RINGS. Model 1902 Army Officers’ Saber. The official nomenclature for the current regulation U. Army saber is saber for all officers, Model 1902. It was adopted on July 17, 1902 by authority of General Order No. The M1902 saber was authorized for all officers with the exception of Chaplains. The lightly curved blade measures between 30-34 inches long with weights initially specified by the U. Army to be between 20.2 and 22.8 ounces (573 to 647 grams) and a point of balance of 3.25 inches from the hilt as specified for infantry sabers. The M1902 Saber is the current sword used by officers of the United States Army. Though rarely seen today, it is regularly worn with the Dress Blue Uniform by the Officers of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, the Old Guard based at Ft. Meyer (Arlington National Cemetery) for all ceremonial events. Many Officers and their brides have exited a Chapel beneath an arch of M1902 Sabers held aloft by the Brides-groomsmen. I know my parents did on Corregidor in the 1930s. It was also the custom for the Bride and Groom together to make the first cut of the wedding cake with a M1902 SABER. Army saber model 1902 was designed to be a replacement for the U. S model 1850 for foot Officers, and the model 1872 for the cavalry. This new design was developed in response to a request for a lighter cut and thrust weapon that soldiers can actually fight with. The final design of the M1902 was the result of many years of study and experimentation starting in 1871 by Henry V. Allien & Company that developed the M1902 in collaboration with General John Cunningham Kelton who was an expert swordsman and Adjutant General of the Army. After many years of research by Mr. Allien through his numerous trips to Europe and making a number of patterns, with both straight and curved blades, the present regulation sword was completed and laid before General John C. Kelton who recommended making it less curved from center to point, the latter to be in line with the grip, so as to give greater force in thrusting. When the uniform board met in Washington in June 1902, five pattern swords that Henry V. Allien & Company were working on, three with straight blades and two with curved were submitted along with the Ordnance Department who had the same number to submit. The result was that one of the Allien swords was adopted, the very one approved by General Kelton. Factory of Columbus, Ohio was founded in the mid-1860s by four veterans of the American Civil War, and produced a large line of military uniforms, caps, swords, saddles, and insignia, first for the U. Military, then for military schools and fraternal organizations as well. In 1933, during the Great Depression, the company was bought out by a Michigan company, Henderson-Ames, and the name changed to LILLEY-AMES. The company finally ceased operations in 1965. The item “Pre-WWI M1902 Officers SABER Sword M. C. Lilley & Co. Horn Grip. Excellent++” is in sale since Wednesday, June 24, 2020. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Militaria\1919-38\Original Period Items”. The seller is “bataan12213″ and is located in Little Rock, Arkansas. This item can be shipped to United States.
