Sword Restoration

M60Gunner · Feb 6, 2018

So I recently came into possession of a sword which belonged to my great grandfather who was in the war of northern aggression. It hung in my grandfather's house as long as I could remember. When he passed away I was overseas and came back for the funeral (interesting story for another time). Anyway I presumed it was lost to my uncle who would raid for things to sell or the things he didn't sell he would mess up in some way, hence my amazing 1911 with a replaced barrel

My parents gifted me a large amount of furniture last year since my family is large now and dad retired so they downsized to a smaller place. Along with some firearms one of the things was the sword! It was all black and the blade wobbles a little bit in the guard, but it is from the man who taught me to fish (saltwater) and to shoot (the 1911). One evening here lately I took it down from atop the shelf I had stored it on and just started cleaning it up. Not sure why but something told me to get off the couch and do it. Anyhoot here we are several months later and I believe it is a "footy" sword from perhaps around 1864 (?) which has me super excited. Really could not believe it once the pommel started to shine and the scroll work on the blade started to show. Now you can even see the wire wrapped on the grip. Here are some pics.

Viking1204 · Feb 6, 2018

Very nice, thanks for sharing! Have things passed down from your grandfather or great grandfather is something special for sure! I have some stained glass lamps my grandfather made that I recovered when my grandfathers house burned, they were covered in ash but now shine like new after I cleaned them up!

Mouser · Feb 6, 2018

Wow...what a piece of history! Amazing job cleaning it up and hopefully you know or can find the "story" behind that sword etc... My Grandfather had some cool relics from wwII but his son took them after his death and they were burned up in a trailer fire. I could kick myself because I had in my possession a few of them and returned them to my grandfather before his death.

indy1919a4 · Feb 6, 2018

Beautiful.. just beautiful... Not to sound greedy, but would you have a before photo...

I found a heavy cavalry Sword (Yankee) up in my Grandma's attic in Indiana when I was a kid. She did not know where it came from, but she hid it up there because my when my Uncles were younger they found it in the basement and they were going to go out and split Watermelons with it.. She took it from them not to save the sword but to save my Uncles... Knowing my Uncles it was a wise decision.

indy1919a4 · Feb 6, 2018

Ohhh forgot to ask do you have the scabbard???

Jerry · Feb 6, 2018

Great looking piece of history and a good story. I wouldn't attempt too much restoration untill I talked to a professional.

Jeb21 · Feb 6, 2018

Great job!

M60Gunner · Feb 6, 2018

Thank y'all so much for the comments! Never seen the scabbard. I do have a before pic somewhere lol. The blade smith I spoke with turned me on to these eraser type things that literally erase rust and slag for use on the blade. The hand guard I polished with brasso and I used a saddle soap on the handle then a toothbrush. From what I can find on the internet sometimes the handle wire is gold. I plan to take it to the blade smith over in ft Walton one of these days.

fl57caveman · Feb 6, 2018

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=foot+sword&FORM=HDRSC2

looks like some on this search...nice restoration, if you never plan to sell it, you can do more, even to putting an edge back on it. but careful, too much cleaning can in many cases, drop the value dramatically

Welldoya · Feb 6, 2018

Wow! Your great-grandfather was in the civil war? That’s amazing.
I’m just trying to figure this out mathematically.
What years were your great-grandfather, grandfather and father born?

M60Gunner · Feb 7, 2018

I do believe so sir, I have his picture in a convex bubble glass frame on my wall which came to me with the sword. Granddaddy (Jack) was born 19 September 1912, and died in 2004 at 92yrs old. He was the highest ranking Mason in the state of South Carolina. My father was born September 16 1955, however, Jack was my mother's father, and did not become her father until late in his life. I will have my wife pull our DOC and SCV records for the exact correct date of birth for Jack's father, my great grandfather.

Welldoya · Feb 7, 2018

Please excuse the questions but I’m retired from a numbers job so I’m always checking to see if things add up and I can’t figure this one out.
Was your great-grandfather pretty old when he fathered Jack?
The Civil War was fought from 1861-1865.
Anyway, let’s say your great-grandfather was only 18 when he fought. That means he would have been born around 1843 - 1847. That means he would have been 65 - 69 when he fathered your grandfather.
Things were different back then.
Seems I read several years ago that the last widow of a civil war veteran died in the 1960s but she married a guy who was in his 60s when she was around 20.
Please post if you find his birth year. This is interesting.

Welldoya · Feb 7, 2018

Wow! My memory was off. The last widow died in 2004. Interesting read.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3765811.stm

SAWMAN · Feb 8, 2018

Was you a good accountant ?? --- SAWMAN

M60Gunner · Feb 8, 2018

I was incorrect sir and you were right to question the numbers. William M. Bryan was actually my great great grandfather, and he was born March 26 1820. During the war of northern aggression he served in the 5th Battalion, Cavalry, of the Great State of North Carolina.

SAWMAN · Feb 8, 2018

Sooooooo . . . . . he WAS a good accountant. --- SAWMAN

FLT · Feb 8, 2018

That depends ----------:noidea:

Welldoya · Feb 8, 2018

I don’t know how good I was but I kept the job long enough to make it to retirement.
If I see something that doesn’t seem to add up, it bugs the heck out of me till I get it figured out.
Thanks for bearing with me M60.
It’s great that you know family history like that and even have a relic to pass on to your offspring. Very cool.

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