Hi, first post here.

A friend of mine recently acquired an 1860 enlisted Cavalry sabre. It's in fair condition and in the scabbard.

On one side of the blade is stamped "NJ" which I interpret to be the stamp of the New Jersey arsenal. On the other side is a manufacturer's logo: the letters "B M" with an arrow and wings. Research on the internet has told me that it's the logo of a foreign manufacturer named J.E. Bleckman, and that the Ames mfg. imported some of these foreign-made sabres and distributed them to the U.S. Cavalry.

My question is: since I can find absolutely nothing else about Bleckman, what country was this manufacturer based in? I suspect England because of the name, but it could also be Germany or Beligum, I suppose. Can anyone here tell me anything else about the Bleckman company and how many of these sabres made their way here?

Aside from the stampings, the scabbard has a ding about two-thirds of the way down the side which I have been told was a standard practice in order to keep the sabre from rattling while riding. The sabre does stick at about that length, so that makes sense.

Thanks for any info anyone can give me.