INCREDIBE RARITY - AMES 1833 PATTERN SOUTH CAROLINA DRAGOON SABER OF 1835 WITH CONFEDERATE K.G.& K. SCABBARD-- Rare gets overused in our business, but seems inadequate for the Ames 1835 contract sabers for South Carolina. Ames even varied the 1833 design slightly for these, using a smooth bird-head pommel instead of the stepped form. The grip, however, uses the standard thin brown leather and twisted dragoon style binding wire. As is correct for these sabers, there are no inspector marks. The 34-inch, pipe-back blades were polished bright, and dry-point etched at the ricasso with the Ames address and date and lengthwise on the reverse with --South Carolina-- in foliate script over a double line with the date - 1835 - underneath, the whole surrounded by a leafy branch along the bottom that extends up at each end. On this example only pieces of the Ames address are visible, but much of the South Carolina etching, with all of the date, the two lines, and much of the leafy branch can be made out. This saber obviously saw some antebellum use and was brought into service again during the Civil War. It is housed in a Kraft, Goldschmidt and Kraft made iron scabbard with brass mounts. Based in Columbia, S.C., the firm would be natural choice to provide a scabbard. The throat is missing, but the two brass ring mounts with rings and the brass drag are present. The upper two thirds of the scabbard is a smooth brown. The lower third has some thin crustiness and one small hole on the obverse tip near point. The lower leading tip of the drag shows a slight bend, likely having caught on something while in use. The brass hilt and scabbard mounts have a nice, untouched patina. The leather grip wrap is very good, nice color and surface, with a few rubs showing the wood on the upper obverse, just below the backstrap where your finger tips would hold it. The wire is in place, as is the blade pad. The blade shows a mottle gray with a little freckling and some edge sharpening evident around the forte, but only one nick, midway between hilt and point. This pattern is hard to find at all, and is especially scarce with any portion of the blade etching visible and with such clear signs of Civil War use.

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VG