Testing your memory

[fernando]

شكرا جزيلا ... Ibrahiim,
I have spotted that thread on my search exercize but, when i saw all those photobucket blanks i gave up the page, not scrolling down enough to visualize de real thing.
Now, this is a hell of an abnormal beast .
The thing is, i am courting one of two sabres some local collector (?) has in his house and decided to compare their blade with the one in this Russian piece.
Definitely the ones i am flirting are not so implausible, notwithstanding my desire to have one.
I consur with Jim in what touches the exagerated blades some officers commissioned for their swords, in order to shadow those of their counterparts.
In AS ARMAS e OS BARÕES by Eduardo Nobre, he cites the blades of some local cavalry sabres of the (XIX century) period in which, when the horseman pulled it back for a stroke, the blade point touched the opposite shoulder ... if you know what i mean.
Here attached a 1796 light cavalry example with a blade recurved by its period owner, somewhere in the country's someone collection.
The ones i am chasing appear to be more recurved, and certainly have a more centered parabola. Pity i didn't take pictures.

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[Jim McDougall]

Now that is definitely an enticing anomaly Nando!!! There is a certain business like attraction in these simple cavalry hilts of 1796, and that coupled with this almost mysteriously and radically curved blade makes it a compelling sabre indeed . It is great to revisit this intriguing topic on these dramatically curved sabres and I hope we can develop some discussion looking further into examples.
As I mentioned in that earlier thread (2008) there were cavalry sabres produced by the Virginia Manufactory here in the U.S. around 1808 which had incredibly long and dramatically curved blades. It seems many of these were still around during the Civil War and the Confederate officers had the blades 'shortened' to around 36 inches!
It would certainly be interesting to discover where the idea of these incredibly long curved blades must have come from.

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

... As I mentioned in that earlier thread (2008)...

Ah, so long ago ... and i thought the thread was launched during the last one/two years . I forgot to admit that i am much more alzheimerized than you, young man

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

... It would certainly be interesting to discover where the idea of these incredibly long curved blades must have come from.

Yeah, it should be nice. Meanwhile my fantasy tells me that exageration came with fashion, introduced by the French in the XVIII century. You know, king size men's wigs, faces painted white with huge black spots, fancy swords ... well, the period of exhibitionism, when man was not ashamed to cross the border of orthodoxy.
I think we all agree that, the utility of those abnormaly curved sabres was more directed to street and court corridors show off than fighting capability.

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[fernando]

Take this cavalry sword (1806-1834), from the book of the author quoted above.
It is called a "drag sword". Observe how punished the scabbard chape is ... from dragging the sword on the street pavements, to call attention from passing by people and, specially, call the flirtable girls to the window.
Imagine the noise produced by a couple of officers walking around Lisbon streets, dragging their swords.

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