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Originally Posted by stephen wood
...and Mole was still producing 1796 Light Cavalry Sabres for India into the 1880's...
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He sure did, but they were for J. Bourne & Son, Birmingham and the ones I have seen had that marking though they were produced by Mole. Wilkinson was making blades for shotels and gurades into the 1930s for Haile Selassie of Abyssinia, which were indeed of early cavalry style. Mole often contracted with Wilkinson, who absorbed the firm in the 1920s.
The Indian regiments maintained favor for the heavy blade of the M1796 light cavalry sabre, and many of these blades ended up in tulwar hilts. One of the most interesting records of the use of these M1796 sabre blades was I believe noted that the British troops in India were amazed at the effect of the swords used by Indian warriors, and horrified when they discovered thier swords carried old British light cavalry sabre blades. It was simply the way they were sharpened and kept well oiled in wooden scabbards, but the heavy blade was deadly when used correctly.