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THBToledo Sword Cane
About Seller
125 West Market Street
Johnson City, TN 37604
United States
Family-owned and family-run Johnson City Tennessee auction business for 25 years. Selling antiques and collectables for 38 years. Kimball M. Sterling, Inc. was founded and is owned by Kimball and Victoria Sterling, time and again, they have laid solid claim to world-wide attention and renown with an...Read more
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About Auction
LiveJan 3, 2026
Masterpiece Cane auction is all from a Europeon collection. We offer items from this private collection about once a year, Kimball Sterling kimballsterling@earthlink.net
View Full Catalog (89)
- Lot Description
Ca. 1880
This refined sword cane features a trumpet-shaped silver knob with a tall, integral collar in the Neo-Baroque style, engraved with flowery initials extending in an upwards widening part with a repeating motif of stiff, upright green leaves topped by a radiating dairy. The knob is mounted on a hardwood shaft finished in thick black lacquer and fitted with a metal ferrule.
The handle secures via a quarter-turn locking mechanism and detaches cleanly with a straight pull, revealing a slender blade of unusual construction. The blade starts with an angular first section, transitioning into a long, tapering second part. Both sections are delicately hollowed and richly decorated with intricate blue and gold scrollwork. The broader angular section frames a large, golden-lettered TOLEDO signature on one side only, with the scrollwork continuing uninterrupted along the slender part, which ends in a pointed tip.
Hollow-ground blades of this type are time-consuming to produce, offering both reduced weight and increased stiffness. When polished, they display a bright, star-like shimmering finish that enhances their aesthetic appeal and perceived quality.
The cane has suffered serious mishandling: the locking mechanism needs attention, and the blade shows signs of wear. Nonetheless, it maintains its inherent quality and visual appeal. Expert restoration is highly recommended.
Sword canes of this slender, elegant style were popular among upper-class men in the 19th century, often trained in swordsmanship and looking for discreet personal defense options. High-quality examples like this are becoming increasingly rare.
The “Toledo” mark remains a topic of debate among collectors. While traditionally linked to Toledo, Spain, a historic hub for blade-making, many similar examples are believed to have been produced by the Manufacture Française d’Armes & Cycles in Saint-Étienne, Loire. The mark might have served more as a marketing tool than an exact indicator of origin.
H. 4 ½” x 1 ¾”, O.L. 34”
$700-$900
As a rule, most gentlemen of the 19th century owned a wide variety of canes. That collection would, and indeed, have included at least one sword, dagger, or stiletto cane.
One has to remember that during the 19th century, a man's honor was sacrosanct, and the slightest verbal affront to it was considered an affront worthy of a duel to the death. The wise man was consistently prepared, and the bearer of a sword cane was even more so.
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