Cutlass, the hilt of the cutlass consists of a brass, asymmetrical quarter-basket guard with a beaded exterior edge. There is a swelling on the reverse of the guard, and an upturned quillon with a disc-shaped finial. The base of the guard is pierced by a circular hole for a knot, which is now missing. The guard is stamped with several figures and letters. The flattened oval pommel is cast in one with the grip and is stamped with the United States of America eagle motif on each side. The solid, brass grip is made to fit the hand, and is entirely covered with a decoration of repeated scales arranged in eighteen rows. The grip is secured to the tang by three iron rivets. The cutlass has a very prominent tang button. The steel blade is straight, double-edged and slightly leaf-shaped, having a 'waist' 65mm from the guard. A slight median rib runs almost the whole length of the blade. The obverse of the blade at the shoulder is engraved with the words 'N. P. AMES Cabotville'. The reverse of the blade at the shoulder is engraved with the date '1846' and the initials 'US', both of which are only partly legible. The scabbard is missing.

The cutlass obviously owes much to French style weapons of an earlier date; indeed, the eighteen rows of scales on the grip was a design feature of French weapons.