The cuttoe was originally a short hunting sword that might be carried on the battlefield by officers as both a badge of rank and mark of social status. Their shorter blades also made them perfect for field use, and were in keeping with the period trend toward light infantry, often conceived of as hunters (chasseurs, jagers, etc.) This one has much better claim to military use than most with the engraved motto (in French): DO NOT DRAW ME WITHOUT REASON; DO NOT SHEATH ME WITHOUT HONOR, a sentiment rather more applicable to combat than hunting, where short swords served to finish off game. This one is also mounted with impressive eagle-head quillon terminals and a langet or short, downturned obverse guard in the form of an eagle turning its head up to the pommel.

The hilt is mounted in brass, certainly gilt originally, with a flat, curved pommel cap on the slightly flaring grip that gives it a bird’s head form. There is a short capstan rivet and top is engraved with a floral motif. The grip is white ivory, now cream color, with narrow spiral grooves, having a tight, longitudinal hairline on the obverse, but stable and showing only a couple of tiny chips on the reverse, at the pommel cap. The quillon block has broad curling engraved lines indicating the meshing of the feathered wings and bodies of the long-necked eagle heads of the quillons. The obverse has a short downturned guard that on many would have clamshell form, but here is rendered in open work as a crouching eagle with tail feathers and wings turning its head upward.

The blade is straight, 21 ½ inches long with a shallow center fuller and deeper narrow fuller near the back edge, ending at a false toward the point. The point and edge are good. The metal is smooth, largely light gray, but with darker gray areas. The spine of the blade is engraved with a long, feathered arrow. Both sides show a running boar about midway along the blade and have a rectangular cartouche near the bottom with floral elements surrounding the motto “Ne Me Tir Pas Sans Raison” and “Ne Me Remettez Point Sans Honeurs.” There is some rubbing to the boar and floral motifs, but they are largely visible and the motto is completely legible.

This sword also preserves its original black leather scabbard with brass throat and tip. The scabbard shows crazing and cracking to the surface with small areas of finish loss, but no bends or breaks, through the actual hook on the throat for the belt frog is broken.

See Neumann, Battle Weapons of the American Revolution, Plates 84SS and following for parallels, including an eagle pommel cuttoe dated 1769. As a predator, the eagle, like the lion, has a place on hunting swords, as do helpers in the hunt such as horses and dogs. In this case it is also a nice forerunner of its overt use as an American national symbol.   [sr]  [ph:m]

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