The Marine Corps noncommissioned officer's sword is a sword worn by noncommissioned officers (NCOs) and staff noncommissioned officers (SNCOs) of the United States Marine Corps. The NCO sword was adopted in 1859 and is patterned after the United States Army's foot officers' sword of 1850. The M1859 NCO sword continues service today as the Marine Corps drill and ceremonial sword. The sword's use is restricted by regulation to ceremonial occasions by an NCO or Staff NCO in charge of troops under arms or at weddings and wedding receptions where at least one of those being married is in uniform and has the rank of Corporal or higher.
Description
The sword is patterned after the United States Army's foot officers' sword of 1850, with minor differences. NCO swords initially were equipped with heavy, wide blades similar in shape and weight to those typically used on standard Army M1850 foot officers' swords. Unlike the Army officers' blades, however, the blades on old Marine NCO swords were polished bright but not etched. The familiar etched designs on Marine NCO swords were authorized in 1875 regulations, and they have been a standard feature of Marine NCO swords ever since.
Marine NCO swords feature a cast-brass hilt with a half-basket guard; leather-wrapped grip bound with twisted brass wire; a slightly curved, single-edged blade with a wide central fuller and short false edge; and a black-leather scabbard with two brass mounts, including an upper mount with a stud for carrying in a leather belt frog, and a brass tip with drag.
History and development
Sergeants’ swords are not discussed in the earliest Marine uniform regulations but were apparently items of issue by at least 1798 when in a note Commandant Burrows observed “Sergeants’ swords have brass handles”. There are occasional early mentions of purchasing swords for sergeants and musicians, but little is known about the designs prior to the adoption of the model with the distinctive stylized eagle head pommels and curved blades. About this same time, in 1826, Marine Corps officers also began wearing a distinctive new sword of the Ottoman Mameluke style, similar to those worn today.
In 1859, a completely new sword pattern was introduced for Marine Corps officers, who were instructed to wear the same sword then worn by Army foot officers since 1850. Also, in 1859 a similar sword was authorized for wear by Marine NCOs so that the swords worn by Marine officers and NCOs appeared to share very nearly the same pattern and characteristics. The Marine NCO version, though similar to that worn by Marine officers, had several differences. Among the most noticeable, NCO swords had plain brass hilts and scabbard mounts, whereas officers' hilts and scabbard mounts normally were gilt. Also, the grips on NCO swords were wrapped with leather, whereas those for officers were usually covered with sharkskin. Finally, NCO scabbards had only two scabbard mounts, consisting of a top mount with frog stud and a scabbard tip, whereas officers' scabbards bore three mounts, including upper and middle mounts fitted with carrying rings.
The sword worn by Marine NCOs since 1859 was also carried throughout the American Civil War. With only slight modifications since that time, it has maintained its distinctive and traditional appearance. Even though the Navy Officer Sword is older (1852), it was discontinued until reauthorized during the 1950s. The M1859 Marine NCO sword is the oldest weapon in continued (unbroken) service still in U.S. inventory.