Straight-bladed dirk, thought to have belonged to Commander Thomas Wells (circa 1775-1825). The hilt of the dirk consists of a gilt guard, made in the shape of a flat ellipse, with an engraved strip 10mm wide surrounding it. The dirk originally had a gilt lion's-head pommel, which was screwed to the end of the grip, and is now missing. The polished ivory grip, tapers from the pommel to the guard, and is decorated with seven turned rings. The straight steel blade tapers from the shoulder to the point, the middle of the blade is cut away from 191mm to lighten it, in a series of ornamentally shaped holes. The blade is made from a Sergeant's spontoon. The black leather scabbard has two gilt lockets with rings, and chape, with a frog button on the obverse of the top locket.
The dirk is thought to have belonged to Commander Thomas Wells (circa 1775-1825), who became a Lieutenant on 6 July 1795 and was promoted to the rank of Commander on 26 November 1808. He died in 1825. Commander L.J.F. Howard-Mercer lent the dirk to the National Maritime Museum in 1941.