|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The N.P. Ames Company opened its doors in 1791 at their factory at Chelmsford, Massachusetts. In 1832 Nathan P. Ames signed his first contract with the United States government for Foot Artillery swords. Thus began the tradition that exists to this day at America's oldest sword manufacturer.
Ames entry into the field was almost an accident as Nathan Starr gave up making swords in favor of guns. This accidental beginning resulted in a change of product for Ames which has overshadowed many other accomplishments of this company which became America's foremost supplier of edged weapons for over a century. |
|
|
|
While noted for its swords, Ames also was the home of one of the largest brass, bronze and iron foundries in the country. Notable work included cannon and rifled guns during the Civil War, many famous statues including the MINUTEMAN statue in Lexington, Massachusetts and the bronze doors for the United States Capitol. Ames also brought nickel electroplating to the United States and pioneered in nickel and gold plating, particularly for regalia and presentation swords. Dabbling in everything from guns to locks and ice skates, Ames was at the forefront of the industrial revolution and was a company that did not shy away from innovation or improvement, though never at the expense of quality. |
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
Their swords carried by enlisted men and officers alike saw service from obscure frontier Indian skirmishes to every famous battle fought by American military and Naval forces from the swamps of Florida and the plains of Texas in the early 1800's to the great battle fields of Europe in the twentieth century. The first presentation swords ever commissioned by Congress to honor heroes of the Mexican War were contracted to The Ames Sword Company. |
|
|
|
For the enlisted man, to whom weapons were issued, Ames supplied ruggedly made, yet well-constructed swords, under direct government contract. Direct government contracts for military swords used today are predominantly produced outside the United States due to the availability of inexpensive labor. For officers, who usually purchased their swords privately outside government sources, Ames has made available extensive selections, with numerous variations and custom features, of both the regulation "pattern" types and non-regulation - highly elaborate swords specifically designed for presentation purposes. |
|
|
|
Such elegantly embellished specimens, usually given to important personages for specific heroic acts or to commemorate important events, are wonderfully illustrative of the changing art forms and styles of the various eras in which they were made: approaching the baroque and height of opulence as they reflect the Civil War period. With the decline in the use and need for military swords after the Civil War, Ames continued its tradition by creating and producing hundreds of styles for military, fraternal and society organizations. Numerous Ames swords of those elaborate types superbly represent the heights reached by the sword-makers art. Such elegant swords were intended to be worn only on special occasions...if at all. Surviving examples of Ames' finest work are still in use today. Many more can be found throughout the U.S. in museums and personal collections, reminding us in their often flowery, romantic Victorian terms, of the men and the deeds they represent: permanent testimonials to the historic acts they most often memorialized. |
 |
|
|
|
Though the Ames family eventually left the business, it continued until sold to the largest regalia firm in the United States, the M.C. Lilley Company of Columbus, Ohio in the mid 1930's. M.C. Lilley was sold to the C.E. Ward Company of New London, Ohio in 1951. Both companies produced large numbers of regalia swords for Fraternal organizations under their company trademarks using Ames equipment and processes. In August of 1987 the C.E. Ward Company sold its "sword" and "fraternal" divisions to Fraternal Supplies, Inc. which revived the Ames name for its military and reproduction sword division while continuing manufacture of swords for fraternal organizations. Today, you can find the tradition of Ames quality at their factory in New London, Ohio. Although combat ready swords are an item of the past, Ames employees continue to produce a large selection of regulation, reenactment and presentation swords plus a replica of the American Bowie Knife utilizing original Ames patterns and molds in addition to utilizing the same time honored traditions and craftsmanship. Ames Sword Company's historical significance to the American military is unparalleled by any other supplier of edged weapons. A sampling of some of our products can be found on the pages that follow. |
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
Plus excerpts from the Ames Sword Company 1829 - 1935 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
||||||||||||
|
Ames Sword Company |
||||||||||||
|
© 1999 Ames Sword Company |
||||||||||||
|
Web site development by COPI |
||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||
