Silver mounted hussar? sword for comment

M ELEY · 31st January 2014, 02:08 AM

Actually, I think you are right, Jim, about typical cavalry/horseman's sword blade lengths. One of the references I was falling back on was Neuman's book, whose examples ranged from 29'' up. His book, however, reflected many swords made under the duress of war, specifically American-made cav pieces with blade lenths all over the charts due to importation, makeshift blacksmith-made affairs, and blades taken from other/older and broken swords and refitted, so not the best source material, I guess-

Jim McDougall · 31st January 2014, 02:54 AM

Thanks Mark, it really does seem there were many factors involved and most more likely to have been 'logistical' rather than functional or according to size etc.
While purely analogical, it is interesting that regulations for the sabres for native cavalry units in British India prescribed 30" blades for one presidencies regiments and 33" blades for another. Never could figure that one out

Valjhun · 1st February 2014, 12:26 PM

This swords blade is 27,5 inches. I'm still quite sure that it is a late 18th century austrian hussar cavalry officer sword.

CutlassCollector · 2nd February 2014, 02:01 PM

I really like this sabre and as others have said it is a lovely and unusual piece and I too like the simplicity of the decoration.
It does occur to me that smooth silver is not the ideal combat grip and every time I look at the pictures I cannot get over the feeling that the D guard should swing or swivel aside and the silver lift off to reveal a working hilt underneath. Impossible I suppose?

Regards CC.

Valjhun · 3rd February 2014, 08:46 PM

I think it is low grade silver. Rather a small ammount of silver, (.300) mixed with other metals.

ArmsAndAntiques · 5th February 2014, 07:05 PM

I would only add that the style of hilt and the steel ball decoration has corollaries in Imperial Russian work of the late 18th- early 19th C. If I remember right there may be at least one example of similar shape and form in the Imperial Russian sword book, "Russkoe Kholodnoie Oruzhie" by Alexander Kulinsky. However,I would say that the scabbard shape and style, in addition to the blade shape and style do not point to Russia, though the handle does... Could be a period "composite" in that a non-Russian blade was used in the composition of a Russian sword, which was quite common in Imperial Russian edged weaponry.

Best
LL

31st January 2014, 02:08 AM	#1
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,141	Actually, I think you are right, Jim, about typical cavalry/horseman's sword blade lengths. One of the references I was falling back on was Neuman's book, whose examples ranged from 29'' up. His book, however, reflected many swords made under the duress of war, specifically American-made cav pieces with blade lenths all over the charts due to importation, makeshift blacksmith-made affairs, and blades taken from other/older and broken swords and refitted, so not the best source material, I guess-

31st January 2014, 02:54 AM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,192	Thanks Mark, it really does seem there were many factors involved and most more likely to have been 'logistical' rather than functional or according to size etc. While purely analogical, it is interesting that regulations for the sabres for native cavalry units in British India prescribed 30" blades for one presidencies regiments and 33" blades for another. Never could figure that one out

1st February 2014, 12:26 PM	#3
Valjhun Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 692	This swords blade is 27,5 inches. I'm still quite sure that it is a late 18th century austrian hussar cavalry officer sword.

2nd February 2014, 02:01 PM	#4
CutlassCollector Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Scotland Posts: 343	I really like this sabre and as others have said it is a lovely and unusual piece and I too like the simplicity of the decoration. It does occur to me that smooth silver is not the ideal combat grip and every time I look at the pictures I cannot get over the feeling that the D guard should swing or swivel aside and the silver lift off to reveal a working hilt underneath. Impossible I suppose? Regards CC.

3rd February 2014, 08:46 PM	#5
Valjhun Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 692	I think it is low grade silver. Rather a small ammount of silver, (.300) mixed with other metals.

5th February 2014, 07:05 PM	#6
ArmsAndAntiques Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 80	I would only add that the style of hilt and the steel ball decoration has corollaries in Imperial Russian work of the late 18th- early 19th C. If I remember right there may be at least one example of similar shape and form in the Imperial Russian sword book, "Russkoe Kholodnoie Oruzhie" by Alexander Kulinsky. However,I would say that the scabbard shape and style, in addition to the blade shape and style do not point to Russia, though the handle does... Could be a period "composite" in that a non-Russian blade was used in the composition of a Russian sword, which was quite common in Imperial Russian edged weaponry. Best LL