An exceptional silver hilted smallsword by the renowned 18th century London  silversmith and cutler, William Kinman, date-stamped for 1775/1776. The hilt is in excellent condition and an admirable example of the London silver hilt makers’ art at this time.

The flat oval guard is of exceptional quality, chiselled and pierced with a sunburst design enhanced with beaded brilliants around the pierced perimeter.  The pommel, knuckle bow, and quillon block are worked in a similar manner.  The knucklebow is swollen and pierced at the middle.

The baluster shaped wooden grip is of rounded rectangular section diagonally bound with contra twisted ropes of silver wire of different thicknesses separated by crimped silver ribbon. It is mounted with silver cap terminals top and bottom engraved with clam shells. The stiff, slender, triangular section, hollow ground, colichemarde blade is deceptively robust.

The hallmarks are of small type stamped into the Pas D’Ane rings and consist of the maker’s mark of “W K” in raised relief inside a depressed panel with a pellet between the letters, the lion passant mark, crowned leopard’s head assay mark and date stamp. The underside of the is also stamped with the lion passant and the maker’s mark. The lion passant also appears on the collar at the top of the grip.

William Kinman was one of the most influential and preeminent makers of silver hilted swords working in London in the third quarter of the 18th century. He made swords for the London social and military elites. He was a leading member of the Founders’ Company of London and served in all the major
offices of the guild including Master.

Kinman was born in 1728 and was sworn free of the Founders’ Company in 1750, when presumably he started to make silver hilted swords under his own name and was admitted to livery in 1757. Kinman entered his first mark at Goldsmiths’ Hall in 1759 (Grimwade 1990 reference 3210) which is his mark on this sword. William Kinman was at his most prominent in the earlier part of his career, when this sword was made, later becoming bankrupt due to
the failure of a founding business he was involved in.

The sword is in fine condition overall. There are no losses or repairs to the hilt which has maintained its original pleasing outline. The blade has some shallow “salt and pepper” pitting which is more than offset by the outstanding quality of the hilt.

The blade 31.75 inches (80.75 cm) long and overall the sword is 38 inches (96.5 cm) long.

For a near identical sword by William Kinman see Leslie Southwick, “London Silver-Hilted Swords”, Royal Armouries, 2001, page 291, Plates 75, 76 & 77, for a sword in The Royal Armouries, Collection Reference:  IX.3782. And for further information on Kinman’s life of see pages 159 and 160.