Sabie - curiosity

[Multumesc]

Hello gentlemen .I'm about to buy this sword. Can you tell me what kind of sword is it? Thank you and I feel indebted to you.

[Multumesc]

total length = 770mm

blade length = 640mm

8 mm thickness of the blade at the base =

blade width = 35 mm

[kronckew]

funny, i just bought one from krakow, poland. looks like yours without a fuller and false edge on the spine, 75cm LOA. (see below)

it's an infantry briquet - a 'hanger' sword with a brass hilt popular in the 18-19th centuries europe. bit shorter than a cavalry sword so you don't hit the ground with it when slashing vertically downwards - or hit your buddy on either side when slashing horizontally. . kind of a 'land cutlass' for when things got tight.

they also of course had their bayonets fixed on their muskets for a bit more reach when it was a bit more open and/or you wanted to scare the enemy horses from square.

usually carried in a black scabbard with brass throat and drag, in a white leather baldric. i blame napoleon for conquering most of europe & popularising these with most countries, even ones like russia which he managed to not conquer somehow. they came in curved and straight blades variants, some can only be differentiated by the number of ribs on the grip area as the grips looked much the same, some older ones had a more flat cross guard section (like yours).

the brits tended to not use them, being more fond of the bayonet, tho some units did have sword bayonets to do both functions equally poorly.

i suspect the briquet's main use was chopping wood form their fires or for making fascines in defensive positions.

[ulfberth]

Originally Posted by Multumesc

total length = 770mm

blade length = 640mm

8 mm thickness of the blade at the base =

blade width = 35 mm

Hi Multumesc,
that looks like a French infantry sabre model 1767, I say looks because the guard quillion is not correct for this model.

kind regards

Ulfberth

[kronckew]

for info: french baldric for the briquet infantry sabre. note the scabbard on mine has a loop on the throat piece to which a leather tongue is sewn to engage the buckle on the baldric. the smaller one just to the rear & upwards was for the bayonet. the 2nd illustration also shows the sword knot in white with a red tassle & how it was fastened to the sword.

[Jim McDougall]

I agree with Ulfberth, this does seem to be one of the French M1767.
While the cast ribbed hilt does bring to mind the typical and classic other ranks briquette, the vestigial upward langet corresponds to the French model he notes for this example.

[M ELEY]

I always liked the infantry briquettes of this type. As it corresponds to the French model, Jim, would it have the typical 'St Eteinne' marking on the blade. as many do? I was wondering if any of the French patterns were for export and, therefor, unmarked?

[fernando]

Originally Posted by ulfberth

... that looks like a French infantry sabre model 1767, I say looks, because the guard quillion is not correct for this model...

That's precisely the question, isn't it ?

[Norman McCormick]

Hi,
This is a Norwegian 1824 Infantry N.C.O. sabre, still not correct but nearer the mark re the hilt and fullered blade so I suspect either the Scandinavian countries or the Germanic countries may be a more probable source.
Regards,
Norman.

Photo., http://norskevaapen.no

[Norman McCormick]

Hi,
This is the nearest I can find but still not right, described as a variation of the French grenadier sabre based on the 1790 model.
Regards,
Norman.