As far as British swords are concerned, one of the most well known modifications is the conversion of the "hatchet" pointed blade of the P1796 heavy cavalry sword to a "spear" point since there is a contemporary account of this by Trooper James Smithies of the 1st Royal Dragoons speaking on the eve of Waterloo:
for the first time ever known in our army the cavalry were ordered to grind the backs of their swords as, so our Captain Clarke* said, we should have to use both sides. It was thought by the men that this order had been given because we had to contend with a large number of French Cuirassiers who had steel armour and through this we should have to cut.
* Captain Clarke of course went on to capture the Eagle of the veteran French 105 regiment of the line during the famous charge of the Union brigade.
Below is a sword regimentally marked to the 1st Royal Dragoons with that modification.
Ironically the French cuirassiers were also making exactly the same sort of field modification to their hatchet pointed An XIII swords, a modification officially adopted in 1816.
Richard
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