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Some interesting finds I need help ID'ing

Estima8tor

Elite Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2018
Messages
774
Location
Virginia
So I went out to some woods this morning that were once part of a colonial era homestead / farm. This area was first settled in the 1630's as part of a land grant from King George. I found what looks to be a colonial shoe buckle and a iron sword or cutting instrument (it's shaped more like a sword or bayonet than a machete or farm tool so I'm calling it a sword). I also found a small brass pin that that was probably used to secure a handle to the sword.

I found the sword when digging up the buckle, the buckle showed up as a quarter on my old coin-master but the sword didn't register at all as I had iron discriminated. For reference the sword is 18" long from tip to back and looks like it had a metal tang that went into a handle but the tang has broken off. The buckle size and shape looks just like the typical colonial shoe buckle that I've seen others dig up.

Edit: After examining the sword more closely, it looks like this is the front part a full length sword that was broken in two. Basically the front half of some type of sword. The nub on the end is just how it broke and it's not a tang as I originally thought.

Any thoughts on these finds and the best way to clean them up would be appreciated.

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Definitely a colonial shoe buckle (1720-1790).
Most common material these were made from is Brass. So just soap and water and scrub with a brush.

That does look like a sword but there my knowledge ends.

Electrolysis is a way to clean off rust.
Have also read about using vinegar.

Go through the 'Cleaning" sub-forum for more info.
 
Great finds and post! I'd surely call that a sword as well! Definitely not some sort of farm or harvesting instrument...Man!, you gotta hang around here and let us know the outcome of your research on this item! Get busy and research that site from historical perspective if you can...Somebody lost a shoe and a sword there long ago...musta been one hell of a blow up...:?:
 
Cuttoe blade

So I went out to some woods this morning that were once part of a colonial era homestead / farm. This area was first settled in the 1630's as part of a land grant from King George. I found what looks to be a colonial shoe buckle and a iron sword or cutting instrument (it's shaped more like a sword or bayonet than a machete or farm tool so I'm calling it a sword). I also found a small brass pin that that was probably used to secure a handle to the sword.

I found the sword when digging up the buckle, the buckle showed up as a quarter on my old coin-master but the sword didn't register at all as I had iron discriminated. For reference the sword is 18" long from tip to back and looks like it had a metal tang that went into a handle but the tang has broken off. The buckle size and shape looks just like the typical colonial shoe buckle that I've seen others dig up.

Edit: After examining the sword more closely, it looks like this is the front part a full length sword that was broken in two. Basically the front half of some type of sword. The nub on the end is just how it broke and it's not a tang as I originally thought.

Any thoughts on these finds and the best way to clean them up would be appreciated.

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I believe this is a Cuttoe blade. It is the right shape. Obviously, it was broken at the tang. I am surprised you didn't find other parts, such as a brass guard or pommel cap. Might want to go back over the spot.
 

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I believe this is a Cuttoe blade. It is the right shape. Obviously, it was broken at the tang. I am surprised you didn't find other parts, such as a brass guard or pommel cap. Might want to go back over the spot.

I went back to the site and went over that area really good but could not find any parts of the handle or guard or any other relics. I know that this site has been detected by others many times before so I was lucky to find these.

I have spent long hours at that site digging beer cans, shotgun shells, car parts and modern coins but I kept at it and persistence paid off. To find these relics in the middle of all that garbage is just amazing.

Thank you all for your input.
 
I went back to the site and went over that area really good but could not find any parts of the handle or guard or any other relics. I know that this site has been detected by others many times before so I was lucky to find these.

I have spent long hours at that site digging beer cans, shotgun shells, car parts and modern coins but I kept at it and persistence paid off. To find these relics in the middle of all that garbage is just amazing.

Thank you all for your input.

Ah, it's been hit hard? Well, they probably dug the non-ferrous brass parts, and rejected the iron part that you found. That really looks like a tan to me -I've found quite a few sword blades.
 
I went back to the site and went over that area really good but could not find any parts of the handle or guard or any other relics. I know that this site has been detected by others many times before so I was lucky to find these.

I have spent long hours at that site digging beer cans, shotgun shells, car parts and modern coins but I kept at it and persistence paid off. To find these relics in the middle of all that garbage is just amazing.

Thank you all for your input.

Ah, it's been hit hard? Well, they probably dug the non-ferrous brass parts, and rejected the iron part that you found. That really looks like a tang to me -I've found quite a few sword blades.
 
Ah, it's been hit hard? Well, they probably dug the non-ferrous brass parts, and rejected the iron part that you found. That really looks like a tang to me -I've found quite a few sword blades.

You are probably right about the tang. Were the swords that you found made of iron? I'm trying to find out the general time period when they stopped using iron and started using steel for sword making but can't find any info.

I did some research last night and it does appear to be a Cuttoe or a Hunting Hanger shape blade. I wish I could have found the handle & guard......

(Hunting Hangers and Cuttoes)
Hunting swords were short civilian arms originally intended as a "back up" weapon while hunting. By the time of the American Revolution, their styling was refined and became narrower. These hunting swords, now called "Cuttoes" after their French name "Couteaux de Chasse" were adopted by gentlemen as informal town swords. Their small blade size (under 26") and their lightness made them more of a rank symbol by both land and naval officers than an actual combat weapon.
 
Great finds and post! I'd surely call that a sword as well! Definitely not some sort of farm or harvesting instrument...Man!, you gotta hang around here and let us know the outcome of your research on this item! Get busy and research that site from historical perspective if you can...Somebody lost a shoe and a sword there long ago...musta been one hell of a blow up...:?:

I'm kind of a local history buff which is what got me into relic hunting about 12 years ago.The original Colonial House is now an historic museum.

The original land owner Adam Thoroughgood died in 1640.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Thoroughgood
 
Steel for sure.

You are probably right about the tang. Were the swords that you found made of iron? I'm trying to find out the general time period when they stopped using iron and started using steel for sword making but can't find any info.

I did some research last night and it does appear to be a Cuttoe or a Hunting Hanger shape blade. I wish I could have found the handle & guard......

(Hunting Hangers and Cuttoes)
Hunting swords were short civilian arms originally intended as a "back up" weapon while hunting. By the time of the American Revolution, their styling was refined and became narrower. These hunting swords, now called "Cuttoes" after their French name "Couteaux de Chasse" were adopted by gentlemen as informal town swords. Their small blade size (under 26") and their lightness made them more of a rank symbol by both land and naval officers than an actual combat weapon.

It is a steel blade for sure. If it was just iron, very little would have been left for you to find. That's steel.
 
It is a steel blade for sure. If it was just iron, very little would have been left for you to find. That's steel.

OK, thanks for the info. I was assuming that it had a lot of iron in it because my detector was not picking up on it like it did with the shoe buckle (with iron discrim on) I'm gonna try soaking it in vinegar since that's work well enough with the axe heads I've found.
 
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