Thank you so much for the other images guys! and Sirupate for this thread!
The study of the British cavalry has always been a fascinating favorite for me as it was this subject which began my wonderful adventures in the collection and study of arms well over 40 years ago.
Ibrahiim thank you so much for posting Tennyson's magnificent poem in full! Those words have been resoundingly implanted in the literature and language of western culture since, and particularly the words, 'theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die' often occur in everyday expressions and analogy.
Norman, great and most astute observation in the illustration of Sgt. Ewart and that the points of the M1796 disc hilts were varied. I recall that accounts of the Scots Greys leaving England for Belgium state that they were ordered to grind the backs of their sword blades toward the later favored 'spear point. For some time there had been considerable debate over cut vs. thrust in the use of swords, and at this point it was decided, rather in ersatz fashion, that going into combat the spear point would be more effective with these heavy swords than the original hatchet point .
It is indeed curious why the artist would place both forms of point in the illustration and whether a consciously placed rendering or coincidental variation.
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