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Royal Navy 1804 Pattern Boarding Cutlass – Universal Swords

(1 customer review)

$124.60$178.00

The cutlass was the mainstay blade of the seaman short for close quarters combat, and thick-spined enough to hack man and rigging alike, the cutlass was a simple but savage weapon. The large guard protected the sailors hand from all manner of blades in a wild sea-melee. This Royal Navy 1804 pattern cutlass however, has one innovation that makes it a true tailor-made sea-blade; A cast-iron grip. The rapid fluctuations in temperature and humidity at sea wrought havoc on wooden grips an iron grip greatly extended the life of the cutlass, saving the state money and keeping the amount of action-ready blades in a ships armory to a maximum.

This reproduction from Universal Swords is based on an example used in the Battle of Lake Erie. The blade is made from tempered high carbon steel and the hilt is of antiqued cast-iron. It comes with a stiff leather scabbard with a brass belt hook.

Overall Length34 1/4''
Blade Length29''
Weight3 lb 3 oz
EdgeUnsharpened
Width35.1 mm
Thickness6.6 mm - 4.8 mm
PommelNut
P.O.B.5 5/8''
Grip Length4 3/4''
Blade [EN9 High Carbon Steel]
TypeCutlass
ClassBattle Ready
CulturePirate
ManufacturerUniversal Swords
Country of OriginIndia

1 review for Royal Navy 1804 Pattern Boarding Cutlass – Universal Swords

  1. Shannon McBride (verified owner)

    Pros:

    It’s a great wall hanger which is primarily why I bought it. The hilt has a nice patina as if it came off a 19th century sailing ship. I ordered “Blemished Grade” and it’s hard to tell what they consider a blemish. There’s one small void in the casting of the grip and a very small chip out of the spine of the blade directly before the tang. It doesn’t seem that either would hamper function or durability. It’s solidly constructed and seems like it would take quite a beating if I were to put it to actual use. I also ordered the sharpening service. It’s not a razor blade, but I wouldn’t expect that on this type of sword. It’s plenty sharp and probably has a better edge than any of the real examples ever saw.

    Cons:

    First, a couple of nitpicks: the high polish of the blade kind of contrasts with the patina of the hilt. And I’m probably going to end up using the scabbard as scrap leather. It doesn’t fit well to the sword and will blacken your hands with even a gentle touch. But a little Scotch Brite and a month or two of benign neglect will take care of the blade finish. And the real swords were rarely issued with a scabbard anyway.

    But the bigger issue is that the dimensions are a bit different than the specifications page indicates. The weight is exactly as advertised, but the spine of the blade measures 5mm from tip to tang. And I measure the point of balance at just over 7 inches. I understand that a cutlass was often used as a tool to cut rigging and such, but this sword is unwieldy even if the intended use was as a machete. According to some other sources, it seems that the surviving originals are a good half pound lighter and have a POB around 5″. So I suspect that the originals are a far more nimble weapon than this one.

    Conclusion:

    As a wall hanger, it certainly looks the part. Even a “blemished” example has excellent fit and finish. The sharpening, packaging, and shipping services provided by Kult of Athena were top notch. However, as a weapon, the weight and extreme forward balance make it unusable. I would order again since it makes a handsome display piece. But I’d probably skip the sharpening.

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