British 1796 HCS pattern blade shape

Triarii · 20th September 2024, 03:20 PM

Bryce - excellent photo. What's not to like about that collection. I always did like the look of the hatchet point. I've read about HCS with spear points where the scabbard length matches, implying that they were made that way. I'm not sure you have to lose much blade length to make a spear point, especially an asymmetric one.

Jim - yes, not a duel. It was my faulty memory that made me think that the altercation was a duel and that the falling trooper was from a DG unit and hence carrying an HCS. I wonder if the rider went over to the right and hence the sword fell out as he went over, preceding him hilt first to the ground.

The Rutland militia gripe seemed to be that they said that Major Gordon was i/c barracks had been responsible for restricting their ability to leave.

From reenactment experience, losing your sword from the scabbard is fairly common when falling off. He was very unlucky here. Having your breastplate pushed rather rapidly up under your chin is fairly common.

I note that there were complaints about (memory test here - the AN XI scabbard? being too robust and causing further injury to riders who fell on it).

Radboud - there are conflicting accounts on British cavalry swordplay in the Peninsula - Captain Charles Parquin (FR) said that the British cuts missed 19 times out of 20 but if they did hit, "it was a terrible blow, and it was not unusual for an arm to be cut clean from the body."

On the other hand, at Campo Mayor, the French were broken, according to a 13 LD officer, due to “the superiority of swordsmanship of our fellows [the British 13th Light Dragoons] showed" and at Fuentes de Oñoro; “Our fellows [the British 14th Light Dragoons] evidently had the advantage as individuals.”

20th September 2024, 03:20 PM	#12
Triarii Member Join Date: Oct 2021 Location: Bristol Posts: 113	Bryce - excellent photo. What's not to like about that collection. I always did like the look of the hatchet point. I've read about HCS with spear points where the scabbard length matches, implying that they were made that way. I'm not sure you have to lose much blade length to make a spear point, especially an asymmetric one. Jim - yes, not a duel. It was my faulty memory that made me think that the altercation was a duel and that the falling trooper was from a DG unit and hence carrying an HCS. I wonder if the rider went over to the right and hence the sword fell out as he went over, preceding him hilt first to the ground. The Rutland militia gripe seemed to be that they said that Major Gordon was i/c barracks had been responsible for restricting their ability to leave. From reenactment experience, losing your sword from the scabbard is fairly common when falling off. He was very unlucky here. Having your breastplate pushed rather rapidly up under your chin is fairly common. I note that there were complaints about (memory test here - the AN XI scabbard? being too robust and causing further injury to riders who fell on it). Radboud - there are conflicting accounts on British cavalry swordplay in the Peninsula - Captain Charles Parquin (FR) said that the British cuts missed 19 times out of 20 but if they did hit, "it was a terrible blow, and it was not unusual for an arm to be cut clean from the body." On the other hand, at Campo Mayor, the French were broken, according to a 13 LD officer, due to “the superiority of swordsmanship of our fellows [the British 13th Light Dragoons] showed" and at Fuentes de Oñoro; “Our fellows [the British 14th Light Dragoons] evidently had the advantage as individuals.”