The earliest sabers

Kayahan · 7th July 2007, 05:48 PM

It all seems to have started with the canted hilt; it added valueable leverage to the straight, double-edged swords of steppe people. Inevitably, the edge to which the hilt was canted became the “primary cutting edge” in use. Then they started to shorten the “secondary cutting edge” where it had no practical use; in the beginning ¼ from the hilt was left unsharpened. When they realized that they could improve the cutting ability by giving a convex curvature to the blade, they further reduced it to ¼ from the tip and they come up with the earliest saber.

Is this a too short summary?

Jim McDougall · 7th July 2007, 06:08 PM

Not at all Odevan! the 'Readers Digest' version!!!

Nicely said !
The development of the sabre from the historical perspective is not only complex, covering incredibly vast geography, but lengthy periods of time with varying peoples and civilizations. What you have observed would be the plausible dynamics of development, and well suggests the 'why' of its development.

I very much appreciate this thread and the great illustrations and observations on weapons not often discussed among collectors, obviously due to the scarcity of them. Thanks very much guys !!

All the best,
Jim

ham · 30th July 2007, 09:33 PM

Tim,

Weren't you going to post images of further sabres??

Ham

HorseNomad · 2nd August 2007, 02:12 AM

Well Ham, I'm going to do better than that.
My wife and I have decided it's time to sell off the collection.
I am going to have a website done up but will wait a couple weeks. If any of the forum mebers are interested I'll give them first refusal, everything goes and I will include all the info I have on each one. Just email me

Tim

7th July 2007, 05:48 PM	#1
Kayahan Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 8	It all seems to have started with the canted hilt; it added valueable leverage to the straight, double-edged swords of steppe people. Inevitably, the edge to which the hilt was canted became the “primary cutting edge” in use. Then they started to shorten the “secondary cutting edge” where it had no practical use; in the beginning ¼ from the hilt was left unsharpened. When they realized that they could improve the cutting ability by giving a convex curvature to the blade, they further reduced it to ¼ from the tip and they come up with the earliest saber. Is this a too short summary?

7th July 2007, 06:08 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,281	Not at all Odevan! the 'Readers Digest' version!!! Nicely said ! The development of the sabre from the historical perspective is not only complex, covering incredibly vast geography, but lengthy periods of time with varying peoples and civilizations. What you have observed would be the plausible dynamics of development, and well suggests the 'why' of its development. I very much appreciate this thread and the great illustrations and observations on weapons not often discussed among collectors, obviously due to the scarcity of them. Thanks very much guys !! All the best, Jim

30th July 2007, 09:33 PM	#3
ham Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 190	Tim, Weren't you going to post images of further sabres?? Ham

2nd August 2007, 02:12 AM	#4
HorseNomad Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: D.C. area Posts: 8	Well Ham, I'm going to do better than that. My wife and I have decided it's time to sell off the collection. I am going to have a website done up but will wait a couple weeks. If any of the forum mebers are interested I'll give them first refusal, everything goes and I will include all the info I have on each one. Just email me Tim