Who made this sword? The Arms and Armour Research Institute contacted NPL Huddersfield to help identify a late 18th century French Cavalry Officer's sword. It was suspected that an extremely well-worn area of brass on the end of the scabbard, known as the 'chape', had once contained the information needed to identify the maker and ascertain the true value of the sword. The NPL Huddersfield team carried out a series of scans on the chape using a Taylor Hobson Form Talysurf PGI instrument, which is usually used for measuring the surface finish of components. Each scan took between six and 12 hours to complete and was set up to detect as much detail as possible. During the scans, a diamond tipped stylus runs across the surface of the chape (at forces too low to cause damage) and the instrumen

Join for free to read