Dutch M 1818 boarding cutlass ( Scheepssabel No. 1) by J. F. J. Bar-Delft. Holland.(JP.

"Nederlands Scheepssabel No.1 M1818 " / Dutch boarding cutlass No.1 M1818  Excellent+ bright finished fullered cutlass blade with the Dutch makers name and residance:  J. F. J. BAR over DELFT (= Holland) in an oval crisp on the ricasso. On the reverse side there is a Dutch inspection marking: Crown over G. Both sides of the blade are faint etched  with a large Navy anchor.
Excellent + all glossy black painted massive steel hilt with a large black painted bowl and with a straight lobbed "quillon".  The inside of the quillon is marked with a rack number: 1907.
These Dutch cutlasses did not come with a scabbard, however a fitting scabbard was always present on board.

According to J.P. Puype, the Dutch boarding cuttlass No.1 was made in extremely small numbers from 1818 on, (but prob. earlier) by diverse manufacturers. It was made by Hanquet Liege-Belgium in 1828 (557), and by Schnitzler- Solingen in 1892 (25) and P. Luneschloss in Solingen in 1898 /1900 (100). It is known that the Dutch maker J.F.J. Bar in Delft - Holland in 1892 only made 441 cutlasses without scabbards. The No.1 was in service for a very long time.

Total length: 80,2 cm. Width at the ricasso: 3,7 cm. Weight: approx.1,28 kg.
No scabbard.

Note: As stated before, these cutlasses were produced without a scabbard. There were at least 4 scabbard variations available.  If there was a need for a scabbard, in many occasions an obsolete scabbard of the M 1818 Marine cutlass No.2 scabbard was used. (The blade of the No1 and No. 2 was the same blade.)
In its "after years" the No.1 had a ceremonial fuction and was carried by Naval Senior NCO's and some other seaman.

Beautiful and rare Dutch made boarding cutlass. Extremely hard to find!