Decorative British Ceremonial Military Cavalry Sabre – 1796 Style

PRESENTING a LOVELY Decorative Ceremonial Military Cavalry Sabre. Not intended for active duty, as blade is unsharpened on either side of the blade.

Brass handle and protective guard with ebony hilt.

Decorative burgundy tassle.

A reproduction, probably made in the Mid-20th Century, circa 1950.

CAVALRY SABRE: The pattern 1796 Heavy Cavalry Sword was the sword used by the British heavy cavalry (Lifeguards, Royal Horse Guards, Dragoon Guards and Dragoons), and King’s German Legion Dragoons, through most of the period of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. It played an especially notable role, in the hands of British cavalrymen, at the battles of Salamanca and Waterloo. The pattern was adopted by Sweden and was used by some Portuguese cavalry.
The British 1796 Heavy Cavalry Trooper’s Sword was a direct copy of the Austrian pallasch sword pattern of 1769 for heavy cavalry (it later received an iron scabbard (1775), in which form it was adopted by the British). John Le Marchant, a cavalry officer who designed the curved 1796 pattern light cavalry sabre, undoubtedly saw the Austrian weapon in use during the Low Countries Campaign of 1793-95, when he also made many drawings of Austrian cavalry equipment. His initial intention was that his own sword design should be adopted by all the cavalry; however, this was denied by the decision of the board of general officers to arm the heavy cavalry with a straight sword. It is probable, once a straight sword had been decided upon, that he then suggested the Austrian sword as a model.

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1796_Heavy_Cavalry_Sword

Decorative British Ceremonial Military Cavalry Sabre.

Provenance: Bought at Auction in Ireland.

Dimensions: 39 in long – hilt to point of blade

Hilt is 6.5 in Long and 6 in wide

Condition: Good.

SALE PRICE NOW: $79