Lambert & Lambert Antiques

Swords & Edged Weapons

Swords

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1803 Flank Office's Sabre

£750.00

A large solid example of the popular British 1803 Flank Offices sabre. Engraved on the spine J Runkel Solingen. It has the distinctive lion headed pommel and brass guard with GR cypher. The long fullered blade has a speckled overall patina and is solid in the guard with no movement, the engraving still retains the gold leaf. The grip still has its original shagreen and brass wire cover.

Officially in 1803, when 'a Pattern Sword for the Officers of Grenadiers and Light Infantry' was authorised. Similar in shape and style to the sword carried by light cavalry officers, it still retained a remarkable amount of regimental differences. It was designed to be a more robust fighting sword for officers of the elite flank companies of British regiments. These sabres proved to be incredibly popular, and remained in service until 1822, when they were eventually replaced by a more standard pattern.

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1796 Light Cavalry Troopers Sabre

£675.00

A 1796 British light cavalry sword. Possibly one of the most famous styles of sabre in British military history. The 1796 light cavalry sabre was first used against Napoleon before being adopted by the Prussians

The 32in curved blade is free from and pitting or patina. The scabbard and hilt have a light, even, patina with no movement or looseness. The blade spine is unsigned, unusual for these swords, possibly meaning it was used by the volunteer or militia regiments rather than for the regular army.

Major John Gaspard le Marchant worked with Henry Osborne to research and develop the pattern. Marchant was also eager to establish rules for its proper use. He wrote the first official book on the use of the sword by British cavalry, the '1796 Rules and Regulations for the Sword Exercise of the Cavalry.' Laying out a system based around six cuts and eight parries, it was designed to provide a foundation for any type of engagement

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Late 18th century French Sabre

£625.00

A French infantry officers sabre featuring a 'rolling guard', sometimes called an 'attack hilt'. The steel guard as two parts, one of which, pivoting, passes from the “normal port” position to the “fight” position by simple rotation of 90°. The locking in position is done by a simple lug mechanism, here perfectly functional.

The sabre is inscribed 'Goze Fourbisseur a Metz' along the back-edge. Goze was a well-known French sword maker and mounter in the City of Metz from before 1792 until 1814. The hilt is decorated by flattened ribbon like bars with scalloped borders. With a wire-bound leather-covered grip. Overall a clean blade with a few age related marks.

This style of guard was popular in pre-revolutionary France from 1784 to 1798. Probably because it presents a flatter, less obtrusive profile when sheathed. It rapidly fell out of favor towards the end of the 1700's as nations began to introduce their own standard patterns or models

Antique Firearms

Firearms

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Flintlock Blunderbuss by C. Boufeau

£1,400.00

A large mid-18th century firearm with a three-stage steel barrel strongly belled towards the muzzle. Engraved at the median and over the breech, with sprays of foliage and a band of beadwork. Engraved steel mounts including solid-side-plate, butt-plate and trigger-guards, with a signed rounded lock. The breech is inscribed ‘H: S: N: 114’. Figured walnut full stock moulded over the fore-end, and about the tang.

The firearm measures 57cm in the barrel, and 95cm overall, and the barrel measures 6cm across at the mouth. Both half, and full cock are solid and hold well and the trigger is crisp

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French Officers Pistol

£800.00

A French First Empire, converted percussion pistol. Finely made model for an officer, stamped with Augustin Merley-Dusmaret (St Etienne) & Jean Leclerc (famous gunner in Paris) allowing this weapon to be dated to the period 1809 to 1811. It was converted from flintlock to a percussion system around 1830, and is 17 mm caliber at the mouth

Fully functioning mechanism that holds well at both full and half cock with a good, crisp action. worn mainspring with play in the cylinder stop

Solid, heavy octagonal barrel with iron furniture. Comes with original ram rod with brass head and steel screw

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C1850 German Target Pistol

£680.00

A 19th Century ornate Belgian rifled percussion target pistol, probably made for the German market. It has a 24cm twisted, rifled, barrel with Liege ELG proof mark to the side. The engraved spur trigger guard houses an adjustable set trigger. Full steel mounts with a walnut half stock with panel carved fluted butt and engraved steel furniture.

The gun is in full working order with an excellent action.

Knives & Bayonets

Knives

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17th Century Italian Stiletto

£1,350.00

A massive stiletto dating to the 17th century. The tapering blade of triangular section forged with deep fullers and distinctive pierced decorative holes, with molded baluster-shaped forte. A pleasing overall greyish patina, with no rust or pitting. Attractive swirling dark hardwood grip embellished with small bone rondels and brass pins, crowned by a spirally-molded pommel and fitted with matching brass quillons.

Full Length 56cm Blade Length 40

First developed in Italy, the stiletto dates from the late 15th century, and is thought to be a development of the rondel dagger or misericordia, a needle-pointed weapon with a narrow blade designed primarily for thrusting, though possessing cutting edges. Early stilettos normally used a one-piece cast-metal handle which was shaped and turned on a lathe. The stiletto blade was usually hammer-forged into a dense rod with a narrow, triangular cross section, without any sharpened edges. However, other examples of the period have emerged bearing round, square, or diamond cross sections.

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Left-Hand Dagger Circa 1610

£1,300.00

A left handed, or parrying dagger circa 1610

Iron hilt comprising strongly arched flat quillons with spatulate 'fish-tail' ends, offset from the blade at a slight angle . 3 central fullers with decorative flourishes. A large side-ring protecting the hand and arm. Chiseled button pommel with intact peen. Similar to other examples from Saxony held in the Royal Armouries

The blade is 30cm long, 4.5cm at the widest point, and 40cm overall. Age related staining and some pitting towards the tip, but otherwise in good condition

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Victorian Machete

£450.00

A large bowie style machete, circa 1866 - with curved steel blade measuring 33cm and 6cm at its widest point. The knife is 47cm long overall. The two piece wood grip mounted with brass plaques, one inscribed D. Robertson 1/12/ - 1866: D. Robertson was a Scottish Missionary to Africa

Solid blade with no movement in the handle. Some age related staining and minor pitting hear the handle

Books and Prints

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Paride dal Pozzo - Duello

£1,000.00

Libro de Re, Imperatori, Principi, Signori, Gentil'homini & de tutti Armigeri, continente Disfide, Concordie, Pace, Casi accadenti & Iudicii, con ragione, Exempli & Authoritate de Poeti, Hystoriographi, Philosophi, Legisti, Canonisti & Ecclesiastici. Opera dignissima, & utilissima ad tutti gli spiriti gentili

A treatise on duelling for soldiers and princes

The first systematic treatise on duelling written by the Neapolitan jurist Paride dal Pozzo (1410-1493). He worked for the Aragonese court in Naples and considered duelling as central to chivalric codes of behaviour, for which he needed to justify the legitimacy of war itself. This led to a systematisation of both technical and cultural issues with the practice of duelling, which was of great influence across Europe. However, duelling was condemned by the Council of Trent which led to this work being included in the Index of books to be expurgated.

One of dal Pozzo's innovations was the use of the language of duelling, which in this edition is in the vernacular. The treatise was also published in Latin by Riessinger, the first printer in Naples, at about the same time (dated in ISTC to [1476-1477])

This is the Italian edition which was reset, with updated spelling and punctuation, and printed in Venice in 1540. Chapters were integrated into Book 5 of Achille Marozzo's 1536 treatise Opera nova

Lower joint starting; upper joint splitting; foot of spine chipped. Venice, n.publ., 1540, 176 lvs., woodcut title-vignette, 17th cent. calf, sm. 8vo

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Angelo’s Infantry Sword Exercise; Established by the Prince Regent’s Command.

£1,000.00

By Authority, W. Clowes, Oct. 1st., 1816

A highly attractive instructional single-sheet poster showing Henry Charles Angelo’s Infantry Sword Exercise. Along the top are a series of figures showing the "Preparatory Movements" or postures, above a large circular "target" with the directions of the seven cuts and guards together with the words of command for the Infantry Sword Exercise. The figures are by John Augustus Atkinson who was noted for his "spirited and lifelike" figure-drawing; Here he shows a range of contemporary infantry uniforms including the Rifle Brigade and a Highlander.

Framed in stained wooden frame with acid free paper and museum grade UltraVueUV99 glass(uv protection, non-reflective) by Clapham Picture Framers. Minor damage to the poster along some of the fold lines

The poster is dedicated “To Field Marshal His Royal Highness, The Duke of York. by Henry Angelo Junr

Angelo's Fencing Academy was established in 1759 by Domenico Angelo Malevolti Tremamondo r. Angelo, as he became known, set up a highly fashionable “école d'escrime” in Soho which enjoyed the patronage of the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Devonshire. Angelo's eldest son Henry, who had put the final polish on his fencing skills studying in Paris under Motet, became virtual head of his father's académie around 1785 and continued its reputation as “not only a school-of-arms, [but as] a school of deportment as well” [Aylward, The House of Angelo, p. 38.] In turn Henry's son, also named Henry, inherited the business when his father “retired from their active conduct of the school” in 1817. Henry Charles Angelo (Younger) had begun to teach the military even before taking over his father’s fencing school, and during the Napoleonic Wars. Around the year 1813, he began to teach the Royal Navy a form of cutlass exercise. These works were described as a combination of Scottish and Hungarian methods By 1815, and perhaps sooner, Henry Charles Angelo was teaching an infantry sword exercise to troops serving in France. Finally in 1817, his system was officially accepted as the new standard for the British army, and is the work you see in this document, and in 1833 he was appointed Superintendent of Sword Exercise in the Army.

This was the first ever officially adopted infantry sword exercise for the regular British army. It was re-printed and updated a number of times, and served as the standard and official manual of infantry sword exercise until nearly the end of the 19th century, when a new form of sword and swordsmanship was introduced

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Traite des Armes - Alexandre Picard Bremond 1782

£1,200.00

Alexandre Picard Bremond served as a fencing master for the troops of Charles de Rohan-Soubise, Prince of Soubise (1715-1787) Marshal of France and Minister of State. He notably participated in the Seven Years' War. Later Brémond served in the premiere Compagnie of the Musketeers of the military household of the King of France (Musketeers of the Guard) until they were disbanded in 1775.

Brémond seems to have traveled extensively within a European. He writes in Naples and publishes in Turin, mentions an assault he led at Spa, and then cites the best European marksmen and fencing masters. The most famous is undoubtedly the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, considered to be the greatest marksman of his time.

The manual come across as remarkably modern; it is the first treatise to mention and recommend the use of a fencing mask. In terms of terminology, it may also be among the first to discuss one-two and one-two-three, still used in modern Olympic fencing.

8vo (140x100 mm); contemporary calf; pp. 56; binding with some defects, inside very small and light stains, else a genuine copy. The title-page is illustrated by five woodcuts depicting a sword, a lovely fencing shoe, a glove, two crossed swords and finally one of the first know depiction of a wire fencing mask with ties

Lambert & Lambert Antiques