34" single edged, slightly curved spear point quill-back blade with round spine. 39.75" in overall length. 5.25" hilt with cast brass two-branch guard with knuckle bow and backstrap with stepped pommel cap with spanner nut pommel cap. Grooved wood grip with leather covering and seven wraps of multi-strand twisted wire. Thick buff leather throat washer at blade to hilt junction. Reverse of blade dry needle etched United States in script over a floral splay with the obverse similarly etched in four lines: N.P. Ames/Cutler/Springfield/1837. Obverse ricasso stamped with a WS inspection, the mark of Springfield Arsenal civilian sub-inspector William Smith, with a matching WS on the obverse of the quillon. Top inner face of quillon stamped with a small HKC cartouche and ORD for Henry Knox Craig, Ordnance Officer. Browned sheet iron scabbard with screw-attached boat throat and correct split ring hangers is also inspected on the drag with a WS on the obverse and the HKC and ORD on the reverse. A truly fine example of a US Dragoon saber from the pre-Mexican War period.