Description
Beautiful and totally untouched example of the Confederate States Navy cutlass as manufactured by Cook and Brother, New Orleans, Louisiana, circa 1861.
Established in 1861 by Ferdinand and Francis Cook, Cook & Brother was at one point one of the largest arms manufacturers in the Confederacy but had to flee New Orleans in advance of a Union assault and re-establish themselves in Athens, Georgia, where the company spent the remainder of the war. The employees of the firm, 400 strong at their peak, formed an “Armory Guard” and Ferdinand died leading them into battle in 1864. Like most Confederate manufacturers, the Cooks mainly produced copies of American Army equipment including their naval cutlass which was patterned after the U.S. Model 1841. Primarily concerned with the production of rifled muskets, Cook & Brother swords were produced in very limited quantities and few survive today. Measuring 25.5 inches overall, this crisp example is fitted with a 20.5 inch straight unmarked blade. The hilt is cast brass with a fish scale pattern on the grip and “COOK & BROTHER” is stamped on the underside of the cross guard.
