Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely example of a Civil War era U.S. Mounted Artillery Officers’ Saber with a lovely bone/ivory grip by the famed H.& R. Böker Cutlery of Remscheid, Germany. Due to rising demand in a politically restless era Hermann and Robert Böker decided to start with the production of sabers in 1829. Inventories of September 1830 had already proven a weekly production of 2000 pieces made by 64 smiths, 47 grinders and a large number of workers and trainees. With a permanently growing product line of tools and cutlery and the great opportunities of global sales, the family saw the need to distribute the tasks to make the best use of their interests. So Hermann Böker emigrated to found Böker & Co. in New York. Between the years of 1861 and 1866, Böker Germany produced muskets and 18,000 sabers for the Union Army.

This sword represents a lovely Civil War form. The brass hilt has a smooth, rounded, “birds-head” pommel and “reverse-P” knuckleguard slotted for a sword knot. The grip is bone or ivory and now exhibits a lovely yellow color and is ribbed, that may once have had a thin decorative wire in the grooves. There are some minor stains, but no extensive chips or cracks. A backstrap runs from the pommel to meet a brass ferrule at the guard. The guard terminates at top with a flat rondel on the quillon.

The blade was blued for the first third of its length to set off engraved military motifs and the blue ends with a floral spray at its upper end on both sides. On both sides the blue is worn at the base of the blade for a few inches, likely from rubbing inside the upper mount when drawn, but quickly picks up and ends with a scrolling floral spray. There are faint maker’s marks on both sides of the ricasso and read as:

H. & R. BÖKER

REMSCHEID

On the obverse the first engraved scrolling floral design is very legible. Above that the blue is good to the top of the panel, with some rubbing along the raised upper edge of the fuller, and there is a trophy of arms (spears, drum, etc.) mixed with some floral elements. There appears to have once been a gold color wash present, but much of it is worn away.

On the reverse of the blade both engraved sections have floral motifs, the lower one, like that on the obverse, showing on gray metal. The panel shows much better blue around the upper motif, though there is some rubbing to the blue again just before it terminates in the floral spray. The metal is smooth overall, though there are some very shallow edge nicks on the blade edge, but nothing major. Above the blue panels the blade shows a silver gray mixed with some darker gray spots.

The all brass scabbard does have a slight “wavy” appearance but still houses the saber very well. There are some dings and dents present but nothing too extensive. The only steel part seems to be an added piece on the lower drag. The round frog attachment is still present and appears to still be serviceable.

A lovely example ready for further research and display.

Approximate Dimensions:
Blade Length: 30"
Blade Style: Single Edged Curved Saber with Fuller
Overall length: 34“
Basket dimensions: 5" width x 5” length
Scabbard length: 31”