The Knights of Tabor was formally organized in 1872 in Independence, Missouri, by Moses Dickson, but its founding as the Order of Twelve was said to go back to 1855 or even 1846 as an anti-slavery society. In the 1890s it reported a membership of over 100,000 across thirty states, flourished particularly in the south and acted as a benevolence and financial aid group with lodges organized as Temples for men and Tabernacles for women. One of the great achievements of the organization was the funding and operation of the Taborian Hospital in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, starting in the late 1930s.

This is a good example of the sword carried by the Uniformed Rank of the organization, made and marked by the Ames Sword Company, successor to the Ames Manufacturing Company, well known to collectors of US military swords. This business name was in use from 1881 until the company was acquired by M.C. Lilley in the 1920s and the name was changed to Lilly-Ames, with the transfer completed in 1930 and the Chicopee operation closed down, giving a rough range of date for this sword. The Ames catalog shows three Knights of Tabor swords as numbers 806-808, but some variation was possible. This one uses a white bone grip with the owner’s entwined initials MHB on one side, matching his name, Morris H. Buck, etched on the scabbard and also on the blade.

The scabbard is plated, engraved and mounted with deeply cast figural mounts showing the cross and crown, knight’s helmet, arms, Maltese Cross, etc., matching the knight’s head pommel and other elements of the hilt. The lower ring mount shows the elongated KT also shown on #806 in the Ames catalog. The red blade pad is present. The blade is etched and gilt washed, with floral and geometric motifs on the side with the name panel, and a standing knight with banner. The opposite side incorporates two jousting knights with a fortress or Byzantine style church at left rear an three tall tents at right, with palm trees at left center in the background.

The scabbard and hilt show rubbing to the high points of the decorative elements, but the sword is complete and condition of the blade and etching is very good.  [sr] [ph:m]

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