An Introduction to Civil War Military Swords and Manufacturers

One of the most influential wars the United States ever participated in was the Civil War. Fought on the soil of America, this fierce battle pitted brothers and friends against each other. While firearms had already been invented, military swords were the weapon of choice when fighting was close and personal. This was essentially the last line of defense for a solider once every attempt had been made to ward off attackers with canon and gunfire. This happened quite often during the Civil War, which contained some of the fiercest hand-to-hand battles in modern warfare.

During the civil war, there was a variety of companies which manufactured military swords. These sharp blades were capable of inflicting mortal damage, and in the hands of a skilled swordsman, were more lethal than inaccurate rifles and other firearms.

There were a number of notable features a sword had to have in order to be effective. The first was, of course, strength of blade. This usually meant forging carbon steel, which held up well in hand-to-hand combat. Additionally, a good sword had to have a sharp blade and point. Again, carbon steel was usually the metal of course, as it could be shaped more easily than iron.

Another important feature a military sword of the period had to have, was a hand loop to protect the fingers during close fighting and also to prevent losing military swords during hard strikes.

Below, I have listed some of the notable manufacturers of military swords during the Civil War, each of which incorporated these elements into a given type of sword:

The Ames Company produced military swords from 1832 thru 1906. By the conclusion of the Civil War, this company had produced over 200,000 swords. Nathan P. Ames started the company and marked the manufactured blades with N.P. Ames. After his death, his brother James changed the markings to Ames Mfg. Co. If you see an actual Civil War sword today (or purchase a replica) it will more than likely will have Ames markings, which means it is or is modeled after the original Ames line of swords.

Sword maker Christopher Roby was in business from 1861 thru 1867. During his six year run, Roby churned out a line of cavalry sabers, musician swords, Non Commissioned Officer military swords and light artillery sabers. When the Civil War came to an end, the company went bankrupt.

The second largest producer of Civil War swords in the United States was Mansfield and Lamb. The company, operating out of Rhode Island, was a textile outlet before the war broke out. Mansfield and Lamb only created one type of military swords titled the M1860 saber.

New Jersey based sword maker Emerson and Silver had a five year run from 1860 thru 1865. Records have led historians to estimate the company produced nearly fifty thousand military swords during the war. When the fighting stopped, the company went belly-up.

The Philadelphia based company P.S. Justice had a catchy name and produced some fine Civil War swords. In 1861 alone, the company produced nearly 14,000 cavalry sabers and over 1,000 artillery sabers.

Collins & Co. was another small time producer of light military swords during the Civil War. It is estimated they produced less than 3000 swords total, more than 1000 of which were musician swords.

Tiffany & Co is one of the flagship jewelry stores in modern day New York City. When you walk in and see the amazing assortment of gems it is strange to consider the same company once fashioned military swords for heavy fighting in the Civil War. The company created high-quality officer swords and two different cavalry sabers.

Another unlikely manufacturer of swords was the State of Massachusetts, which actually generated a small amount of sabers, which still bear that mark. These swords were marked with the initials MS; however, it is important to note that some models of Ames Swords also bear this mark, even though they were not manufactured by the State of Massachusetts.

If you are a sword collector, you will want to check out some of these models, as they are the most famous survivors of the American Civil War. Chances are, if you have at least a small collection already, you probably have at least one or two of these blades at your home. An easy way to identify them is through the marking on the sword or scabbard, which will bear the name or symbol of the creating company.