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Old 4th October 2008, 05:46 PM   #14
kisak
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Location: Stockholm
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I'm afraid all my sources on these are in Swedish. Svenska Blankvapen by Olof P Berg (six volumes) would be my primary source here (I don't think it's been translated), complemented by the exhibits at the Army Museum here in Stockholm, and in some cases auction descriptions.

The m/1810 and m/1848 both appear in all three, but as for the saber I posted I only have a few auction lot descriptions to go by, so that one is still somewhat unconfirmed.

Regarding the m/1810, Berg is of the opinion that it was manufactured at Wedevåg's Bruk in 1809, delivered to Kungl. Kommerskollegiet (~"Royal commerce office" or some such), and finally sent off to Gotland where they were adopted as the m/1810. That it was indeed taken into service around that time seems generally accepted at least.

I can't say I see what those drilled holes would be, and I don't think any of the m/1810 I've seen has ever had any such.

The "fascine" part of fascine knife is, according to the army museum, referring to the stick bundles, and these would have been more tools for cutting wood than weapons for cutting flesh. The m/1810 might not have been quite so far gone in the development towards the tool side, but was probably not far behind. IIRC both Berg, The Army museum, and Seitz (in Svärdet och Värjan som Armévapen, another good one for those who can handle the language) speaks of how the infantry sidearms became more and more camp tools, and less of weapons, from the early parts of the 18th century and onwards.

I'm attaching a few pictures of various Hafström-models that I've taken at the Army Museum. The two nearly identical (with a normal saber to the left) are m/1842 and m/1842-47 for cavalry troopers (according the the army museum, the guard was modified slightly to make more room for the hand inside it). These are the largest Hafström-models adopted.

The two Hafström-sabers with two pipeback sabers on the right side are the m/1852 for officers at the Royal Guard on foot (left), and the m/1853 for sergeants at the Royal Guard on foot.

The highly decorated one finally is an infantry officer's saber from the 1860's, made for general S. Lagerberg.
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