WASHINGTON -- Despite being well-cared for by a number of Marine Band drum majors, the old mace was showing its age: gold plating worn away in patches, fine details softened from repeated handling, the list of inscribed military campaigns outdated, and a spray-painted plastic mold of the Capitol dome had unintentionally become the permanent stand-in for a heavier, solid metal dome that originally threw off its balance.
While still functional, it had lost its luster. After more than 20 years of service and ceremonies with the Marine Band, the old mace was due for retirement, living on as an artifact in the band's library archives.
Efforts by Drum Major Master Gunnery Sgt. Duane King to replace the mace began early in 2020, and consequently took longer than expected, thanks to pandemic-related delays. Even so, he shepherded the complex process through the end.
From the start, the primary issue was to find someone who could replicate the intricate artistry that went into crafting the old mace.
It was handcrafted two decades ago by a metalsmith named Edmund Kavanagh whose work included military band maces, international sports trophies and custom jewelry. His caliber of artistry was great enough that he once worked for Tiffany & Co., and was also even called to work on a 50th wedding anniversary rose bowl for President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
His expertise in the traditional techniques of repoussé and chasing were crucial to forming the intricate lettering and designs on the previous mace.
“Repoussé is the art of bending metal from the inside out,” King explained. “You’re stretching the metal by heating it up, hammering it from the inside and creating a raised area on the outside. Then you heat up the outside and ‘chase’ it, creating fine lines around the raised areas to make the details more defined.”
Kavanagh captured his work on the Marine Band mace in a home video, giving a detailed look at his workbench during various stages of the production process. What becomes immediately evident is the immense skill and precision required to shape the metal by hand, and the passion with which he worked.
Near the end of the video, Drum Major Thomas Kohl can be seen marching on Kavanagh’s lawn to test the mace out before bringing it back to Marine Barracks Washington.
Twenty years later, it has become increasingly difficult to find an artisan with the lifetime of experience Kavanagh did, and who is familiar with this type of project.
King’s research yielded just a short list of likely candidates, and Dalman & Narborough Regimental Mace Company was inevitably awarded the job.
Dalman & Narborough’s history stretches back to 1850, when it produced handcrafted walking canes mounted with sterling silver. Today, the British company specializes in ceremonial equipment for military and police forces, and has also fabricated maces for the 1st Division Marine Band, III Marine Expeditionary Force Band, and Marine Band San Diego.
In its process, the company combines tradition and technology to create maces that are more precise, balanced and durable than ever before. It uses computer aided design to further refine the work of its in-house silversmiths, spinners, turners, casters, platers, enamellists and polishers.
Their use of technology also allowed for headway to be made on the project when in-person meetings between Drum Major King and the mace maker weren’t possible during the pandemic.
In a rare opportunity for collaboration, the U.S. Marine Band worked with the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab to render 3D scans of the old mace’s globe for Dalman & Narborough. Using the same technology that the lab relies on to scan and 3D-print spare parts for aircraft, tanks and other equipment, the band was able to capture a precise digital model of the design.
“When they shot the 3D laser at it, the mace refracted the beam and they couldn’t get an accurate reading on it,” King said. “So, they coated it in a fine powder to temporarily dull the shine - foot powder spray actually ended up working best.”
The laser picked up the most miniscule details while scanning, registering even the smallest “imperfection” that is expected, but not noticeable, on fine, handmade metalwork. While the scan itself took just a few hours, it took months to review it with a fine-toothed comb and digitally smooth out the rendering’s surfaces.
The design was then digitally manipulated to insert “War in Afghanistan” into the list of wars on top of the globe. Dalman and Narborough could then use the data to create a 3D-printed mold, and eventually a metal casting for the new mace.
In September 2021, King traveled to England to finalize all production details.
“They understand, like we do, how big of a project this is,” King said. “Prior to going over there, a full team of people had already worked on various parts of creating the mace. It’s all hands on deck.”
“Because they had the 3D scan, a blank replica mace head was ready for me to compare against ours – to verify dimensions, shape and taper,” King continued. “They also had a completed casting of the Capitol dome. When I told them the casting was still too heavy, a worker immediately turned it down on a lathe to reduce weight from the inside.”
Other changes King sorted out were lengthening the ferrule at the bottom tip of the cane for a more proportional appearance, and flattening a pair of protruding metal loops that frequently snagged on his glove with the older mace. These were minor adjustments not to modify the overall design, but to further refine its form and function.
He also hand selected the exact malacca cane to be used for the body of the mace. After searching through bundles of cane, he found one that was “not so thick that it makes it awkward or cumbersome to spin – one that has that ‘just right’ type of feeling.”
With the drum major’s full input on the design, Dalman & Narborough began its work in earnest, producing each element of the mace and assembling it with precise craftsmanship. (Watch part of its production here). Months of work poured into the project, verifying that the final product met the highest standards, and by May, it was ready for delivery.
A small group of Marines and civilians gathered in John Philip Sousa Band Hall for the presentation of the new mace on May 16, 2022. Hand-delivered from Birmingham, England, to Washington, D.C., by the manufacturer, some semblance of formality was appropriate – it was the first of many ceremonies the mace would see in the coming years of use with “The President’s Own.”
The pair of maces (including one for the assistant drum major), sat on a dark blue table cloth as Drum Major Duane King, AMMO & Company Managing Director Tommy Dalman, and Marine Band Director Col. Jason K. Fettig gave brief remarks and “thank yous” to all who contributed in bringing the project to fruition.
Standing on the band hall’s hardwood floor, King refrained from giving it an inaugural spin, opting instead to save that for a place with a soft, grassy landing. He saw no need to take unnecessary risks before getting acquainted with the balance and temperament of the new mace.
Instead, as he admired the meticulous craftsmanship, it was possible to see in his eyes that the patience and effort required to have this work of art produced was well worth it.
It’s one of the few times he would be caught grinning with the ornate staff in hand – military bearing calls for a more stoic expression when using it to lead the band at funerals in Arlington National Cemetery, on the parade deck at Marine Barracks Washington, or at a number of other similar ceremonial events. But for a fleeting moment, it was hard to tell which gleamed brighter, the polished dome on top of the mace, or Drum Major King’s face as he held it for the first time.