Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Jim McDougall · 27th September 2009, 01:11 AM

Wow!!! What an absolutely beautiful British cavalry sabre!!!!
These are the quintessance of the British light cavalry weapon of the early Victorian period and I always have associated them with the immortal "Charge of the Light Brigade".
These were the pattern swords carried by the regiments that comprised the Light Brigade in that tragic event, and when the beautifully filmed movie "Charge of the Light Brigade" came out in 1968, there was also a record album with the sound track.
On the cover was David Hemmings on horseback as Capt. Louis Nolan at the dramatic moment of impact when he was struck by an artillery shell, and holding upright one of these impressive sabres.

It seems that Osborn was one of the early makers involved in sword production during the Napoleonic period, and I have never seen the name stamp on the scabbard and hilt, typically only on the blade back. This seems a sound and completely intact example which as Norman has noted, is often somewhat a rarity as swords and thier scabbards often were separated and replaced.

If I am not mistaken this pattern was initially introduced in 1821, but a production hiatus mid decade resulted in the pattern regained in production
in 1829, when the sheet steel bowl sabre for heavy cavalry troopers was introduced. Thus it seems that whether it is an 1821 or 29 often is questioned, though I think 1821 is most common.

27th September 2009, 01:11 AM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,738	Wow!!! What an absolutely beautiful British cavalry sabre!!!! These are the quintessance of the British light cavalry weapon of the early Victorian period and I always have associated them with the immortal "Charge of the Light Brigade". These were the pattern swords carried by the regiments that comprised the Light Brigade in that tragic event, and when the beautifully filmed movie "Charge of the Light Brigade" came out in 1968, there was also a record album with the sound track. On the cover was David Hemmings on horseback as Capt. Louis Nolan at the dramatic moment of impact when he was struck by an artillery shell, and holding upright one of these impressive sabres. It seems that Osborn was one of the early makers involved in sword production during the Napoleonic period, and I have never seen the name stamp on the scabbard and hilt, typically only on the blade back. This seems a sound and completely intact example which as Norman has noted, is often somewhat a rarity as swords and thier scabbards often were separated and replaced. If I am not mistaken this pattern was initially introduced in 1821, but a production hiatus mid decade resulted in the pattern regained in production in 1829, when the sheet steel bowl sabre for heavy cavalry troopers was introduced. Thus it seems that whether it is an 1821 or 29 often is questioned, though I think 1821 is most common. Last edited by Jim McDougall; 27th September 2009 at 01:30 AM.