BUY AUTHENTIC CERTIFIED CPO CUTLASSES AND ACCESSORIES

THE Ship in a Bottle is an authorized reseller of Vanguard Military Products. You have come to the right place for your new and authentic Vanguard CPO Cutlass and original accessories, certified by our Navy Uniform Board (NUB).

CPO CUTLASS - OUR PRICE $450!!!!!  A savings of $66.65 below NEX pricing!!!!

(NEX Cutlass Price $516.65)

CPO CUTLASS AND ACCESSORY PACKAGE - OUR PRICE $600...!!!!

(NEX Cutlass Package $717.02)

Excerpt from CNO's NAVADMIN 070/11 regarding the introduction of the CPO cutlass to the CPO uniform:

QUOTE
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC
TO AL NAVADMIN
NAVADMIN 070/11
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/JAN//
SUBJ/UNIFORM BOARD UPDATE//
REF/A/MSG/NAVADMIN 025/11/252348ZJAN2011//
REF/B/DOC/NAVPERS 15665I/01JAN03//
NARR/REF A IS NAVADMIN 025/11 ANNOUNCING UNIFORM POLICY CHANGES. REF B IS U.S. NAVY UNIFORM REGULATIONS//
RMKS/1. THIS NAVADMIN ANNOUNCES THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS APPROVED UNIFORM POLICY CHANGES AS PROPOSED BY THE 16 DECEMBER 2010 NAVY UNIFORM BOARD (NUB). THE NUB IS LED BY THE CHIEF OF NAVAL PERSONNEL (PRESIDENT). THE FUNCTIONS OF THE NUB ARE OUTLINED IN REF A. APPROVED UNIFORM CHANGES ARE AS FOLLOWS: A. CHIEF PETTY OFFICER (CPO) CUTLASS DESIGN. THE APPROVED CPO CUTLASS DESIGN DESCRIPTION IS AS FOLLOWS:
(1) THE CPO CUTLASS BLADE IS MADE FROM STAINLESS STEEL, IS NICKEL IN COLOR, AND IS 26 INCHES IN LENGTH.
(2) AT THE BASE OF ONE SIDE OF THE BLADE ARE FOUR LASER ENGRAVED CPO ANCHORS (CPO, SCPO, MCPO AND MCPON).
(3) ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE BASE OF THE BLADE ARE LASER ENGRAVED INITIALS “USN.”
(4) THE POMMEL IS BRASS IN COLOR AND CONTAINS THE DESIGN OF THE 1897 CPO CAP INSIGNIA.
(5) THE HANDLE OF THE CUTLASS INCLUDES A BRASS COLORED HAND GUARD WITH BLACK LEATHER HANDLE WRAPPED IN GOLD WIRE.
(6) THE CUTLASS IS ACCOMPANIED BY A MATCHING LEATHER SCABBARD WITH BRASS TOP MOUNT AND TOE PLATE.
(7) THE BUCKLE IS GOLD PLATED IN COLOR WITH TWO INTERLOCKING FASTENERS.
(8) MOUNTED ON THE CENTER OF THE BUCKLE WILL BE THE APPLICABLE CPO RANK INSIGNIA (CPO, SCPO, MCPO, OR MCPON).
(9) THE ADJUSTABLE BELT IS MADE FROM BLACK LEATHER WITH AN ADJUSTABLE SHOULDER STRAP.
(10) THE FROG IS MADE FROM BLACK LEATHER AND CUSTOM MADE TO FIT THE CPO CUTLASS SCABBARD. UPON AVAILABILITY, THE CUTLASS IS AUTHORIZED FOR WEAR BY CPOS DESIGNATED AS MEMBERS OF THE OFFICIAL PARTY DURING CEREMONIES THAT REQUIRE OFFICERS TO WEAR SWORDS. TO FACILITATE UNIFORMITY IN APPEARANCE, THE CPO CUTLASS MAY ONLY BE WORN IF ALL CPO MEMBERS OF THE OFFICIAL PARTY ARE WEARING THE CUTLASS. THE CUTLASS IS EXPECTED TO BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE ON 1 AUGUST 2011.
END QUOTE

CPO CUTLASS FAQ

Does the cutlass come with a scabbard?

Yes. The cutlass comes in a heavy, polished leather scabbard, with 24k gold plated brass hardware.

How do our prices compare to Navy Exchange pricing?

Only the Vanguard Cutlasses are sold in the Navy Exchange Uniform Shops

ITEM NAVY EXCHANGE PRICE THE SHIP IN A BOTTLE PRICE SAVINGS
Cutlass and Scabbard $516.65 $450 $66.65
Leather Belt $95.16 $82.50 $12.66
Belt Buckle $53.33 $50 $3.33
Leather Frog $51.88 $49.95 $1.93
Total: $717.02 $632.45 $84.55

The prices shown in the table above were adjusted 11/07/2022 due to price increases by Vanguard and NEX. Pricing will be checked periodically for accuracy. Please bring any discrepancies to our attention.

What is the difference between a Sword and a Cutlass?

The sword is worn by US Navy Officers and the Cutlass is worn by US Navy Chief Petty Officers (CPO). In physical appearance, the sword is a straight blade with ornate etching and the cutlass is a curved blade with a rounded hand guard. Think of the cutlass as something similar to a pirate sword.

Should I get the blade engraved?

Engraving is very personal. Please refer to the table below for possible suggestions. If you are purchasing the cutlass as a gift, you may want to consider ordering without engraving or contact the recipient for preferences.

OCCASION FOR PURCHASE RECOMMENDATIONS
Personal Use First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name
As a gift for wear with uniform -First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name
As a gift for retirement Examples:

RMCS(SW) James R McCurdy
OCT 1970 - APR 1992

RMCS(SW) James R. McCurdy
OCT 1970 - APR 1992
Presented by ....
There are many options available for engraving
- Quotations are often used
- Nicknames are occasionally used on retirement blades.
- We have on occasion used two to three text blocks of three lines to indicate names of all personnel within a division who presented the blade as a gift to a retiring or transferring CPO.

How many characters of engraving are allowed per line?

Vanguard Engraves their own blades for me. The font is in ALL CAPS/Times Roman. They will generally allow Rating/designators and Name not to exceed 25 characters. For example, RMCS(SW) John Q. Doe. Vanguard has been fairly tolerant with my 'lengthy engraving requests.' However, if excessive, may charge for two lines of engraving even thugh it is on a single line.

Are accessories interchangeable between Vanguard and Marlowe White Cutlasses?

Not all of the accessories are compatible. For example, the button on the Marlow White scabbard may not fit the frog sold by Vanguard. Please use only accessories provided by the manufacturer for their blades.

Does the cutlass come with a scabbard?

Yes. The cutlass comes with a heavy polished scabbard with 24k gold plated brass hardware.

What accessories are required to wear the cutlass with the uniform?

For the Navy CPO Cutlass - Cutlass and Scabbard, Leather Belt, Belt Buckle, Leather Frog (or Throg) for attaching the cutlass to the belt. We include a pair of white gloves and a very nice zippered case with all Navy CPO Cutlass package purchases.

Do you offer financing?

We offer "Bill Me Later" through our PayPal shopping option. We may also be able to offer a payment option. Call our toll free number (404) 964-8355 for details.

Is the Marlowe White Cutlass Certified for wear with the Navy Uniform?

According to the Navy Uniform Board, the Vanguard is the only blade that is certified and is sold in NEX/AAFES Uniform Shops. For questions regarding the certification of navy uniform items, please refer to the navy uniform board.

Can I have my purchase shipped to an APO or FPO address?

In all likelihood, yes. Please check with your local post office for restrictions/regulations.

Who is authorized to wear the CPO Cutlass

The ranks of Chief Petty Officer are the only authorized wearers of the CPO Cutlass.

Have a question you don't see an answer to here?

Please call our toll free number at (404) 964-8355 or email us at jmccurdy@theshipinabottle.com