Gareth's Sword Collection.

[Gareth]

Cheers mate.

She is, in truth, a little worse for wear.  The whole hilt is a little bent out of shape and, as noted, has some bits missing. However if it was in better condition I wouldn't have been able to afford it. 

I'm currently delving through the Royal Armouries on-line catalogue for a good match but no luck so far. 

[Gareth]

First "new" sword in a while.  This one was a gift from a friend who had had it kicking around his house gathering dust for years.  What we have is a French 1831 Artillery Sword, known at the time as the "coupe choux" or cabbage chopper. As the name implies this was used far more as a machete and very rarely as a weapon.  However as the use of the fascine was still very much a thing in the 19th Century a stout machete wasn't a bad thing.  Mind you; at a bit more than 1kg you're going to notice it hanging off your hip.  The brown leather belt frog isn't original but does work much the same as it should.  Interestingly the length of this blade lets you kneel down without the whole thing getting in the way. 



I'll be the first to admit this this isn't in the greatest of condition.  At some point in it's relatively recent past someone has taken some power tools to the blade in order to clean up some rust (I'm guessing) but has left some tell-tale scaring.  The brass hilt is very tarnished but, interestingly to me, there is some clear evidence that this was nickel plated.  This isn't the way it would have normally issued to the troops but it might well have been done as a parade item.  There is similar evidence on the scabbard's metalwork.  This would have been very shiny when new. 



You can see just how similar my British Land Transport sword is, but it's the French pattern of sword that came first. 

[McStitchy]

Always very interesting 
I was surprised about the similarity of the handles between the two.

[Fuzzbucket]

   Slightly nicer aesthetic proportions on the Brit one though... 

[McStitchy]

But of course 

[David]

  Slightly nicer aesthetic proportions on the Brit one though... 

But of course 

Indeed!   

[Gareth]

Almost a full year since I bought a new sword.  I think I've been very well behaved and I deserved a reward.  The fact a dealer chum of mine had a flash sale has nothing to do with it at all.   

What we have here is yet another sword from the 1796 British regulations.  However, it's not another Infantry sword, no, this one is for a Heavy Cavalry Officer...while on foot.  A "Dress" sword or, as some would call it a "dismounted" sword (which is a better descriptor IMO).  The actual Heavy Cavalry Officers sword (for mounted service) is a much larger and more cumbersome so this type was intended to be more convenient for when you don't have a horse between your thighs. 

Most of the scabbards you find with these are leather with gilt fittings, however you also see these with steel scabbards that suggests that they were carried by some on active campaign. 

The hilt is pretty typical for the type and in collector circles is known as a "boat" hilt, but the blade is less standard.  The hugely pronounced centre rib makes this extremely stiff for the thrust.  I suspect it only hampers the cut though.  Still sharp enough for a good slash mind you.  More usually this had a pretty robust, double edged blade with a small fuller near the hilt end only.   very handy 600g (1lb 5oz) and a 805mm (31 1/2") blade. 

[David]

Another good sword Gareth!        I sure enjoy your sword collection!     

[Gareth]

Cheers David. 

[SteveC]

Another good sword Gareth!        I sure enjoy your sword collection!     

+1   

[Gareth]

A while since I bought anything (I'm being good) and it isn't even a sword.   I can't even begin to claim any knowledge on the subject, but I know the dealer and I trust that he knows what he is talking about. 

So what I have is a Jambiya.  I'm told it's most likely from the Ottoman Empire and dates to the early part of the 19th Century.  The variety of what makes a Jambiya is mind boggling, from hilt to the blade and the scabbard, yet all follow the basic profile.  This is a very workaday knife and, while there is a lot of cultural identity wrapped up in the Jambiya, this is a very practical fighting knife.  Scarily so.

The blade is a modest 7 1/2" (190mm) yet has a nice heft in the hand. 

[SteveC]

Cool !   

[David]

Good example Gareth. The Jambiya has a lot of culture and tradition wrapped up in it. Yes its a formidable weapon.   

[Gareth]

Good grief, I forgot one.    So, it might not have been quite such a long time since I bought anything.

What I have here is a sabre that is part of the illustrious 1796 Light Cavalry family...but first a bit of history.  The British army had brought out a standard pattern of light cavalry sabre in 1788, but it wasn't universally loved.  A compromise design of slightly curved/somewhat straight, relatively slim and with quite a long blade it excelled at nothing in particular.  It should be noted though that, like some of the other "patterns" of swords, the 1788 was a design that had been around from quite some time before the Army decided that all light cavalry should be using the same sabre.  The 1788 saw some use in the Flanders campaign and there a certain Major John Gaspard le Marchant (British 6th Inniskilling Dragoons) decided that he could definitely come up with something better. 

What Le Marchant came up with, in collaboration with sword-maker Osborne,  was this design.  Shorter, much more heavily curved, wider and excelling at slashing.  It seems to have been accepted very readily by the troops who were issued it and it is one of the most iconic designs of the Peninsula War. 

There is still quite a lot of variation in the exact sabre.  Officers buying their own got a large amount of personal leeway, but even the trooper's sabres varying depending on maker, year and batch.  It also ended up in the hands of the Prussians (British allies) and was adopted as their 1811 pattern with some tweaks.  This Prussian adoption would influence German sabre design for the next 100 years, long after it had been superseded in Britain. 

So, with all the variation out there, I'm on safe ground to say that this particular sabre is absolutely part of the 1796 LC family, but I can't be sure exactly who or when it was issued as it lacks any unit markings. 

[SteveC]

Great looking sabre !     

[Gareth]

Well, it's time to update this topic with another new addition to the Gareth Bladed Arsenal.   

What we have here is another so-called "hunting sword".  As stated before in this topic, this is a somewhat misleading name as it implies that these were of limited usage.  In truth, while these were indeed the sword to wear while hunting, they were also worn at many other times.  As one researcher once put it; smallswords were very much the sword to wear while in the City and polite company, these were the sword to be worn when in the Country and on Campaign.  Hence I prefer the period terms such as Cuttoe, Hanger or even Falchion (harping back to curved swords of an earlier period). 

So this one in particular dates from the early years of the 1700s.  In style it's either Austrian or thereabouts, or perhaps French who were aping that look at the time.  It may have had a knuckle chain at some point in it's early life.  Sadly it's missing one of the lozenges from the bone grip.  These are not repeated on the back side of the grip that would have been worn nearest the body.  A fairly economical sword to be fair, better versions would be in silver rather than brass. 

I can't deny that I do like the fact this is a sword from the Golden age of Piracy. Note this 1724 woodcut of the infamous Blackbeard.  It's an extremely handy 1lb (460g) with a 22" (560mm) blade.  It's balanced very well for a fast slashing stroke. 

[SteveC]

Cool Sword !   

[nakken]

Splendid collection, Gareth. Nice pictures and a great read about the history of each piece. Thanks for sharing

[Gareth]

Cheers gents. 

[Aloha]

Catching up.  That last one really caught me eye.  What is the handle material of the Jambiya?  I did a quick search of it and there is quite a history and cultural identity to that one.  Very neat for sure. 

[Gareth]

Catching up.  That last one really caught me eye.  What is the handle material of the Jambiya?  I did a quick search of it and there is quite a history and cultural identity to that one.  Very neat for sure.

It's horn of some kind.  Given it's pretty low status I don't imagine it's anything at all exotic.   

[Gareth]

Well, there's another sword in the house.    A second 1796 Heavy Cavalry Dress Sword, this time with a blade that is far more typical of the type.  As noted a few posts ago these were the swords intended for Heavy Cavalry Officers to wear while dismounted.  This might give the impression that they were purely ceremonial but in truth these are very practical weapons (though not necessarily for mounted combat).  Nothing but the best for the British Heavy Cavalry during the Napoleonic period.  In fact they are slightly heavier and stiffer than the average 1796 Infantry Officer's Sword.  As some examples are known to be associated with steel scabbards, rather than leather, it is at least suspected that they were taken on campaign. 

The blade is straight, double edged, and has a short fuller.  This one is fairly typical at 31 1/2" (800mm) has a POB 4 3/4" (120mm) and a weight of 1lb 11oz (760g).

[Aloha]

Thats a beauty. 

[old Lefty]

Really nice!


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