Overview
Model. 1840 Saxon- German Faschinenmesser- Pioneer short sword, P. D. L.. maker stamp & Frederick August King of Saxony cipher. Blade shows age, patina, scratches and signs of era sharpening. See photos for complete details.
Faschinenmesser model 1845. This fascine knife was issued to Saxon infantry regiments for use in both close quarters battle and as a general-purpose knife. It was often used for cutting brush to make fascines and gabions – hence its name.
The heavy single edged blade has a thick, flat spine and a hatchet point. The ricasso bears the crown stamp of King Friedrich August II, king of Saxony from 1836-1854. The obverse ricasso is stamped with the "P.D.L." maker’s mark. The blade is in good condition with age and use related dings and small patches of tarnish.
The ribbed brass hilt has a flat crosspiece, curving slightly towards the ends. The crosspiece bears the unit marking of "105.R.E.3.414".
The brass mounted leather scabbard is in very good condition with the stitching intact and strong. There are scuffs and other age and use related marks on the brass and black leather but the leather itself is strong.
The brass scabbard throat was marked twice. The first mark was scratched through, "107.R.E.3.187". The second mark is above that and is "R.S.0.XII.1.151". Both the brass throat and the chape are stamped with crowned inspection marks.
The Faschinenmesser fits perfectly into the scabbard and is held firmly.
This is a nice example of an increasingly hard to find Kingdom of Saxony fascine knife dating from the mid-19th Century.
