This nice original British sword with a total lenght of fourty inches is an excellent original example of the British Infantry Officer's sword in the 1897 pattern with royal cypher and crown. British officers were expected to buy their own swords and whoever the British officer was who once owned it, he bought it in Winchester. This style of sword was adopted from the British War Department in 1895. The unique looking sword-knot with its distinctive acorn was a part of the sword. It was a wrist strap intended to avoid the loss of the sword in the battle. The field version came with the wooden leather-wrapped scabbard. At parades the scabbard was replaced with one made out of nickel plated steel like the one offered for sale here. Experts say that this type of sword is one of the best swords ever made for infantry officers. It looks to us as the this one is a 1897 pattern Edward VII sword which was made between 1901 and 1910. It is in very good original condition with some slight surface rust and some minor defects of the nickel plating of the scabbard. The sword comes with two(!) protective covers, one smooth thin leather one and one of heavy leather.