Cold Steel 1796 Light Cavalry Saber Review
Oct 2, 2010 3:48:55 GMT
Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2010 3:48:55 GMT
Cold Steel 1796 Light Cavalry Saber
by Brian Page
Introduction
For a while now, I've been fascinated with many types of sabers. Some of my favorites, it seems, are military sabers, or more specifically cavalry sabers. While searching for which saber I would buy, I came across quite a few. There were Windlass's 1840 Heavy Cavalry saber, 1850 Union Officer's saber, American Revolution saber, and U.S. Dragoons saber. Then there were Cold Steel's 1860 Heavy Cavalry saber, 1796 Light Cavalry saber, Gentleman's saber, and 1908 Indian Cavalry saber (which has sadly been discontinued). In the end, I decided on Cold Steel's 1796 LC saber because its blade design appealed greatly to me as a powerful slashing weapon. So, without further delay, here you go.
Historical Overview
From what I have read, the design of this particular saber has eastern influences, as the blade profile is very similar to the tulwar. It seems that, at this point in time, a slashing blade was preferred for combat. The pronounced curve of the blade, as well as the widening of the blade near the tip, accommodate this very well. In fact, this design worked so well that this model has been proclaimed to be the best cutting sword ever produced in mass quantity.
I have never handled the original that this saber is based on, but based on the pictures I've seen, Cold Steel seems to be very close to the mark on this one. After looking up some info on the original M1796, as well as its variants, I have determined that there are only a couple minor differences between Cold Steel's model and the originals. The most obvious one, as many might note, is that the blade's tang is secured to the hilt via a small nut. While I certainly don't like the appearance of this nut, I suppose it does allow for disassembly for ease of cleaning, sharpening/polishing, and customizations. The next difference I found was with the “ears” on the grip. The original had a rivet that goes through the grip and tang, which was then peened, to better secure the hilt assembly. Looking at Cold Steel's model, at first glance, there appears to be no such rivet. However, upon closer inspection, one can see that there is a rivet. Cold Steel seems to have ground and polished this rivet down to be flush with the ears of the grip. It seems to me that this is actually an improvement, albeit not historically accurate. Aside from these two differences, the only other differences I can see are some very minor changes to the geometry of the knucklebow and the ears that cover the mouth of the scabbard.
Initial Impressions
After a couple price comparisons between True Swords and Kult of Athena, whose prices on this particular sword are virtually the same, I decided to make my purchase from KoA. Initially, I chose the leather scabbard version because the steel scabbard version was on back order, but soon after I bought mine, it finally came back in stock. After a quick phone call, they arranged to send me the steel scabbard version instead, and shipped it immediately, which I must thank them for. A few days later, my brand new saber arrived.
The sword arrived very well packed. Seeing as it has been a while since I got this sword, and forgot to take pictures of the packaging, I can't quite remember how it was packed. As best as I can remember, though, there was virtually no way it could have gotten damaged, so it was definitely packed well. I found no damage whatsoever. The first thing I noticed was that both the scabbard and the hilt were fairly well-polished. There were a couple spots where the polish wasn't exactly even, but it wasn't very obvious. Upon close inspection of the grip, I found that there were a couple small spots that showed some minor pitting, and I have since then discovered that the steel rusts quite easily. In this case, I would have actually preferred stainless steel on the grip to prevent this, but it's not much of a problem if I handle it with gloves (which I usually do, anyway). The last problem I noticed was that the wood/leather portion of the grip wasn't quite flush with the steel on one side. This was what bothered me the most, but I have found that during use, the gap isn't very easily noticeable. Next, I drew the sword from its heavy steel scabbard. To my pleasant surprise, I found that the sword actually felt incredibly well-balanced. It actually felt quite lively in my hand despite this swords thickness. It appears that this is due to three things. One, the knucklebow certainly acts as a counterweight, as it is fairly thick. Two, the long, wide fuller definitely helps. And three, there actually seems to be quite a lot of distal taper.
Now, the blade is definitely what I'd call “sword sharp”, as I found that it cuts even light targets very easily, but it wasn't paper-cutting sharp. This actually surprised me as well, considering Cold Steel's reputation for its razor sharp blades. However, I believe I will give it a nice apple-seed edge once I get my belt grinder in the near future. The blade also has a nice, uniform mirror polish, which I have come to appreciate. As for the fuller, it seems to be a little wavy in some spots, but only just slightly.
Statistics
For this part, I used an engineer's ruler and a bathroom scale.
Blade Length: 31 4/5”
Fuller Length: 24”
Fuller Width: 1”
Hilt Length: 4 17/20”
Grip Length: 4 1/5”
Overall Length (without scabbard): 36 13/20”
Overall Length (with scabbard): 40 13/20”
Blade Width (at hilt): 1 3/10”
Blade Width (at widest point): 1 2/5”
Blade Thickness (at hilt): 13/40”
Blade Thickness (at end of fuller): 1/8”
Blade Thickness (2” from tip): 1/10”
Guard Width: 5 11/20”
Guard Thickness: 3/20”
Point of Balance: 7 1/5”
Center of Percussion: Appx. 24”
Weight (without scabbard): Appx. 2.5 lbs.
Weight (with scabbard): Appx. 4.5 lbs.
Components
The Blade
The Hilt
The Scabbard
Handling Characteristics
Like I stated before, I have never handled an original M1796 saber, so I can't actually compare the handling between the two, but I can say how this one handles. First of all, I have found that this sword weighs about 2.5 lbs, and has a balance point just over 7”. Maybe it's just me, but this sword actually does feel pretty light to me. It's definitely lighter than I expected. However, I am a big, stout guy, and weighed around 250 lbs when I first got this sword. Since then, I've gained some weight, but this sword still feels just the same to me. The grip is a perfect size for my fairly large hands, and easily accommodates a variety of gripping methods. But even as well as this handles for me, I would honestly expect an original M1796 to be a bit lighter, and balance an inch or so closer to the guard. Considering this, I can only imagine how well an original would handle.
Test Cutting
Two friends of mine, one of which who is also a member of this forum, came out with me to do some test cutting with this sword. However, for reasons I can't remember, we only recorded in short little bits, so I had to do some splicing of the videos to makes this. I am the one wearing the dark green shirt, faded camouflage pants, and glasses. Please excuse my lack of proper technique as this was my first time test cutting with a sword.
Also, I have handled this sword more than what is shown in this video, as well as a few of my other friends, and this sword has not shown any sign of loosening or damage whatsoever. I plan to disassemble this sword to get pictures of its tang, and do more test videos in the near future when I find the time.
Conclusions
Overall, I have found this sword to be a great weapon. It is certainly built for cutting, considering its blade geometry, weight, and point of balance. So far, this is easily one of my favorite sword designs simply because of its sheer power. In good hands, this sword can also be wielded with speed and finesse, and can be devastating to an opponent. This sword arrived quickly and undamaged from Kult of Athena, where I found it to be the cheapest price available. I certainly think this sword is well worth the price, or possibly even $50-100 more.
Pros
by Brian Page
Introduction
For a while now, I've been fascinated with many types of sabers. Some of my favorites, it seems, are military sabers, or more specifically cavalry sabers. While searching for which saber I would buy, I came across quite a few. There were Windlass's 1840 Heavy Cavalry saber, 1850 Union Officer's saber, American Revolution saber, and U.S. Dragoons saber. Then there were Cold Steel's 1860 Heavy Cavalry saber, 1796 Light Cavalry saber, Gentleman's saber, and 1908 Indian Cavalry saber (which has sadly been discontinued). In the end, I decided on Cold Steel's 1796 LC saber because its blade design appealed greatly to me as a powerful slashing weapon. So, without further delay, here you go.
Historical Overview
From what I have read, the design of this particular saber has eastern influences, as the blade profile is very similar to the tulwar. It seems that, at this point in time, a slashing blade was preferred for combat. The pronounced curve of the blade, as well as the widening of the blade near the tip, accommodate this very well. In fact, this design worked so well that this model has been proclaimed to be the best cutting sword ever produced in mass quantity.
I have never handled the original that this saber is based on, but based on the pictures I've seen, Cold Steel seems to be very close to the mark on this one. After looking up some info on the original M1796, as well as its variants, I have determined that there are only a couple minor differences between Cold Steel's model and the originals. The most obvious one, as many might note, is that the blade's tang is secured to the hilt via a small nut. While I certainly don't like the appearance of this nut, I suppose it does allow for disassembly for ease of cleaning, sharpening/polishing, and customizations. The next difference I found was with the “ears” on the grip. The original had a rivet that goes through the grip and tang, which was then peened, to better secure the hilt assembly. Looking at Cold Steel's model, at first glance, there appears to be no such rivet. However, upon closer inspection, one can see that there is a rivet. Cold Steel seems to have ground and polished this rivet down to be flush with the ears of the grip. It seems to me that this is actually an improvement, albeit not historically accurate. Aside from these two differences, the only other differences I can see are some very minor changes to the geometry of the knucklebow and the ears that cover the mouth of the scabbard.
Initial Impressions
After a couple price comparisons between True Swords and Kult of Athena, whose prices on this particular sword are virtually the same, I decided to make my purchase from KoA. Initially, I chose the leather scabbard version because the steel scabbard version was on back order, but soon after I bought mine, it finally came back in stock. After a quick phone call, they arranged to send me the steel scabbard version instead, and shipped it immediately, which I must thank them for. A few days later, my brand new saber arrived.
The sword arrived very well packed. Seeing as it has been a while since I got this sword, and forgot to take pictures of the packaging, I can't quite remember how it was packed. As best as I can remember, though, there was virtually no way it could have gotten damaged, so it was definitely packed well. I found no damage whatsoever. The first thing I noticed was that both the scabbard and the hilt were fairly well-polished. There were a couple spots where the polish wasn't exactly even, but it wasn't very obvious. Upon close inspection of the grip, I found that there were a couple small spots that showed some minor pitting, and I have since then discovered that the steel rusts quite easily. In this case, I would have actually preferred stainless steel on the grip to prevent this, but it's not much of a problem if I handle it with gloves (which I usually do, anyway). The last problem I noticed was that the wood/leather portion of the grip wasn't quite flush with the steel on one side. This was what bothered me the most, but I have found that during use, the gap isn't very easily noticeable. Next, I drew the sword from its heavy steel scabbard. To my pleasant surprise, I found that the sword actually felt incredibly well-balanced. It actually felt quite lively in my hand despite this swords thickness. It appears that this is due to three things. One, the knucklebow certainly acts as a counterweight, as it is fairly thick. Two, the long, wide fuller definitely helps. And three, there actually seems to be quite a lot of distal taper.
Now, the blade is definitely what I'd call “sword sharp”, as I found that it cuts even light targets very easily, but it wasn't paper-cutting sharp. This actually surprised me as well, considering Cold Steel's reputation for its razor sharp blades. However, I believe I will give it a nice apple-seed edge once I get my belt grinder in the near future. The blade also has a nice, uniform mirror polish, which I have come to appreciate. As for the fuller, it seems to be a little wavy in some spots, but only just slightly.
Statistics
For this part, I used an engineer's ruler and a bathroom scale.
Blade Length: 31 4/5”
Fuller Length: 24”
Fuller Width: 1”
Hilt Length: 4 17/20”
Grip Length: 4 1/5”
Overall Length (without scabbard): 36 13/20”
Overall Length (with scabbard): 40 13/20”
Blade Width (at hilt): 1 3/10”
Blade Width (at widest point): 1 2/5”
Blade Thickness (at hilt): 13/40”
Blade Thickness (at end of fuller): 1/8”
Blade Thickness (2” from tip): 1/10”
Guard Width: 5 11/20”
Guard Thickness: 3/20”
Point of Balance: 7 1/5”
Center of Percussion: Appx. 24”
Weight (without scabbard): Appx. 2.5 lbs.
Weight (with scabbard): Appx. 4.5 lbs.
Components
The Blade
The Hilt
The Scabbard
Handling Characteristics
Like I stated before, I have never handled an original M1796 saber, so I can't actually compare the handling between the two, but I can say how this one handles. First of all, I have found that this sword weighs about 2.5 lbs, and has a balance point just over 7”. Maybe it's just me, but this sword actually does feel pretty light to me. It's definitely lighter than I expected. However, I am a big, stout guy, and weighed around 250 lbs when I first got this sword. Since then, I've gained some weight, but this sword still feels just the same to me. The grip is a perfect size for my fairly large hands, and easily accommodates a variety of gripping methods. But even as well as this handles for me, I would honestly expect an original M1796 to be a bit lighter, and balance an inch or so closer to the guard. Considering this, I can only imagine how well an original would handle.
Test Cutting
Two friends of mine, one of which who is also a member of this forum, came out with me to do some test cutting with this sword. However, for reasons I can't remember, we only recorded in short little bits, so I had to do some splicing of the videos to makes this. I am the one wearing the dark green shirt, faded camouflage pants, and glasses. Please excuse my lack of proper technique as this was my first time test cutting with a sword.
Also, I have handled this sword more than what is shown in this video, as well as a few of my other friends, and this sword has not shown any sign of loosening or damage whatsoever. I plan to disassemble this sword to get pictures of its tang, and do more test videos in the near future when I find the time.
Conclusions
Overall, I have found this sword to be a great weapon. It is certainly built for cutting, considering its blade geometry, weight, and point of balance. So far, this is easily one of my favorite sword designs simply because of its sheer power. In good hands, this sword can also be wielded with speed and finesse, and can be devastating to an opponent. This sword arrived quickly and undamaged from Kult of Athena, where I found it to be the cheapest price available. I certainly think this sword is well worth the price, or possibly even $50-100 more.
Pros
[*]Scabbard and sword are very sturdy and well-built[/*:m]
[*]Leather grip is comfortable and accommodates a variety of gripping methods[/*:m]
[*]Very powerful cutting blade without being too cumbersome[/*:m]
[*]Definitely worth the $210 I paid[/*:m][/list:u]
Cons
[*]Some people may find it too heavy or unwieldy[/*:m]
[*]Pommel nut and ground/polished rivet are not historically accurate[/*:m]
[*]Weight and balance may not match those of the original M1796[/*:m]
[*]Leather portion of the grip didn't completely line up with the steel portion[/*:m][/list:u]