Civil war sword customized by blacksmith?

[aahunt03]

When I was a young boy, I found this Civil War calvary sword handle guard buried in mud on a riverbank that was said to be a ferry crossing in south Texas. For about 30 years I have been perplexed about this guard, as it is unique in that the outer branch or leaf of the guard has been flipped upward and inboard creating a unique look. Additionally, the front of the guard has been turned upward quite a bit.

I have searched for years to find info on similarly modified guards but have found nothing. The only conclusion I have come to is the owner of the sword took it to a blacksmith and asked him to "customize" it and make it his own - different and unique.

Does anyone else have any info or experience which may help in solving this 30-year mystery?

 

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[SD51]

You could e-mail these folks with your question...

https://civilwarpreservations.com/newmus56.html

 

[ticndig]

It's just bent up , It looks very much like the one on a sword I found last December.

 

[DCMatt]

Take a look at this page. 3 of the six swords displayed are bent over like that.

Ridgeway Reference Library, Civil War plates and buckles

 

[jewelerguy]

it's made that way to catch and stop an opponents blade from slipping past the hand guard