Now here's a mystery sword

[Eddie Parks]

I've just come across a mystery sword. Now this is something that you would normally discard with a sigh as a lovely British Pat 1908 Cavalry sword that has been butchered for some unknown reason. The blade (and scabbard) has been reduced by about 20cms, the hilt bowl cut down drastically and the heavy counterweight pommel replaced by a simple nut and bolt.

BUT ... I know of 3 other identical examples, one of which is in a military museum. And if you look carefully at the hilt markings you'll see the letters TJFF and a series of numbers which appear to me to have been applied after the butchery.

So what's going on!