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The 1796 Light Cavalry Sabre is considered to be one of the most effective sabers ever used in combat. It is designed mainly to cut but thrusting with this weapon is very effective and interesting because of the many angles that can be achieved from the curve of the blade. If a cut is blocked it can be turned into a thrust by simply rotating the blade 90-180 degrees and thrusting…this technique can be very unexpected and unnerving on the receiving end. The 1796 Light Cavalry Sabre can be a difficult sword to block against a thrust because of the curve in the blade you can twist the blade to “reach” around your opponents parry and strike them if they are not careful.
The 7075 aluminum alloy blade makes this
a very durable weapon. Although this style of saber has a strong blade presence, the blade is given some distal taper to help it to balance properly and not be too tip heavy.
History
The British 1796 Light Cavalry Sabre came to the dragoons courtesy of John Le Marchant who had risen in rank and had the king’s ear. Having studied closely the superior weapons of their enemies in earlier years, Le Marchant had developed strong opinions regarding the characteristics desired in the equipment for his troops. Hoping to optimize effectiveness in melee combat, he promoted and helped design a well-curved sabre.
Drawing from influences ranging from the Austrian hussar sabers, other Eastern European armies, and fighters from further east such as the Turks, Le Marchant designed a blade which was distinctly different in that the curve was not equally distributed along the entire length of the blade, rather it had only a slight curve closer to the hilt and an increased curvature further along the blade’s length. This was the result of the Indian influence.
Another distinction was the widening of the blade near the tip, a tribute to the Ottoman kilicr and other eastern slashing swords. In fact, Le Marchant is quoted as saying, “blades of the Turks, Mamlukes, Moors, and Hungarians… preferable to any other”. Working with Henry Osborn, a Birmingham sword cutler, the 1796 Light Cavalry Sabre was born. Though not used universally by all British cavalry, it was adopted by the light cavalry and used to great effect during the Napoleonic battles, leaving its mark on the bodies and in the minds of many. As stated by one soldier, William Tomkinson, 16th Light Dragoons:
"The prisoners were dreadfully cut, and some will not recover. A French dragoon had his head nearer cut off than I ever saw before; it was by a sabre cut at the back of the neck."
Tomkinson, James (Ed). The Diary of a Cavalry Officer in the Peninsular War and Waterloo Campaign, 1809-1815 (London, 1895)
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