Made and marked on the ricasso by Wester & Co. of Solingen, this brass hilted fascine knife or short sword is complete with brass-mounted black leather scabbard. These were used by pioneer troops to clear ground and create fascines, bundles of brush wood to fill in ditches blocking assault troops, fill in marshy ground, or shore up one’s own defenses. Known as a faschinnenmesser, these were in service for fifty years or more and have a cutting edge on one side and saw on the other and show up in slightly different forms, mainly of the hilt, in various German states and elsewhere. In addition to the Wester stamp on one side of the blade ricasso, the crossguard is stamped with and “SC” and the “crosier with seven crockets” symbol of the Swiss canton of Basle-Landschaft. The brass has a medium, untouched patina. The blade is smooth metal, silver gray in color with some darker gray areas, but good point, edge and teeth. The scabbard is solid, with color and brass throat and drag in place. These make an interesting subcategory of 19^th century military edge-weapon and tool that continued into the 20^th century with sawback bayonets, etc. [sr] [ph:m]

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