French(?) cuirassier sword

Hotspur · 20th March 2013, 04:36 AM

Something seems odd in the scale of this hilt. Overall dimensions might be helpful. Not just the castings but the grip shape is not what I would expect in French manufacture.

Attached are my officer's 1854 and shown in scale with a generic Solingen 1822 type sabre. Note the lenghth of the 1854 grip and the butt cap. Also the grip cross section of the French sword vs the Prussian 1822 (US 1840). Also the only 1822 image I have handy and it is a late one.

While the 1854 era swords did occasionally turn up mounted on the earlier blades, the true 1854 form will not have the asymmetrical point.

The Prussians did refit captured swords and we could be seeing a composite in its own time.

Cheers

GC

20th March 2013, 04:36 AM	#6
Hotspur Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Nipmuc USA Posts: 514	Something seems odd in the scale of this hilt. Overall dimensions might be helpful. Not just the castings but the grip shape is not what I would expect in French manufacture. Attached are my officer's 1854 and shown in scale with a generic Solingen 1822 type sabre. Note the lenghth of the 1854 grip and the butt cap. Also the grip cross section of the French sword vs the Prussian 1822 (US 1840). Also the only 1822 image I have handy and it is a late one. While the 1854 era swords did occasionally turn up mounted on the earlier blades, the true 1854 form will not have the asymmetrical point. The Prussians did refit captured swords and we could be seeing a composite in its own time. Cheers GC Attached Images