M1811 Blucher sabre - markings

[jezcott]

Hi,
Last year I acquired this nice M1811 Prussian Blucher sabre with interesting unit markings. I am aware these sabres could have a long life and pass through many hands, and I am interested if anyone in the forum has knowledge of the Prussian units involved.

There are matching marks on both sabre and scabbard which is nice. What looks like the most recent unit marking is:

R. i. M.7.27

I suspect this means Reserve Infanterie Munitions 7.27

Struck through are older marks:

E.P.D.II. 118.

Can anyone shed light on these markings?

The maker of this sabre is indicated by the S.K, quite worn, on the back of the blade, for Schnitzler&Kirchbaum of Solingen. According to Dellar and Bink, the earliest M1811 were made by Solingen makers from 1814, I am hoping this might be an early one.

On their way through Prussia, the French destroyed
Potsdam’s mills and grinding stones and so it was that Prussia turned to Solingen for
manufacture of its new sabre when that centre was freed from French control in
December 1813. Hence, the first model 1811 sabres are thought to have been
produced in Solingen by the firms of Schimmelbusch and Joest, Weyersberg and
Schnitzler & Kirschbaum, at the beginning of 1814

[corrado26]

R.I.M.7.27 = Reserve Infanterie Munitionskolonne 7, sabre n° 27
E.P.D.II. 118 = Ersatz Pferde-Depot beim II. Armeekorps, sabre n°118

This means that this sabre was still in use during WW I

corrado26

[jezcott]

Hi Corrado

Many thanks! I have struggled to identify these markings.

I think that from around 1830 all the M1811s were dated with the year, so this one is pre-1830, but no way I guess to know if this one is an 1815 era sabre.

Jerry

[kronckew]

the iconic 1796LC blade was one of the most popular blades in the late 18th thru the early 20th century and the Poles used a very similar one in WW2. The brits relegated them to the Indian Sepoys after they fell out of favour in the UK, where they were sometimes re-hilted as talwars, the brit forces during the mutiny in the 1850's complained that the Indian sabres cut better than theirs. They were, however british 1796 blades.

The Indians were offered the 'new' straight 1905 'sabre', similar to Patton's design, for WW1 use but refused it, and went with a 1796 blade, slightly shorter and a stronger, wider forte, with an 1821 style grip. The Indian Army pattern of 1910: (used thru 1918) Mine, top, IWM Bottom & there's is minus the patina of mine. (https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30001638)