Empire Costume Imperial Grenadier Guard Officer Sword
Jul 18, 2015 13:59:08 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2015 13:59:08 GMT
Disclaimer
The elite Grenadier Guard officer sword offered by Empire Costume is quite a special sword. They did offer one like it 5-7 years ago when they were starting and it was a breathtaking beauty that was sold for 1000euros. It was that model that got me into Empire Costume and you can imagine how thrilled I was when it was back in production and for half the price. I had to get it and well it appeared not too long before the 18th June, the 200 year of the battle of Waterloo, the end of an era that fascinates so many including myself. Very upset I had to miss the commemoration/re-enactment of that battle I decided to mark the ''celebration'' by instead getting this one sword.
Historical context
Napoleon's Imperial Guard was the elite force of the whole Imperial Army, their reputation was such that their appearance on battle could either boost (allies) or significantly shake morale (opponents). Not everybody could join the ranks of the Guard and only experienced but talented soldiers and officers could attain the requirements to join it.
A small army within the army, the Guard was composed of the (light and heavy) cavalry, (foot and horse) artillery and (light, line) infantry elements. It was then divided into the Old, Middle and Young Guard units according to experience, thus the veteran units that were the Horse Chasseurs, Horse Grenadiers, Foot Chasseurs and Grenadiers were the best of the best and of these it is with little doubt that the Grenadiers who, with their tall black bearskin caps, blue and white uniforms, embodied the might and discipline of the French war machine and remain the most iconic figure of the period.
Originally being the Grenadiers of the Consular Guard (Gardes des Consuls) after the fusion of the Guard of the Directory (Garde du Directoire executif) and the Grenadiers of the Legislature (Grenadiers pres de la Représentation nationale), the Foot Grenadiers (1er Régiment de Grenadiers-à-Pied de la Garde Impériale) were one of the oldest and most venerated regiments in the French Army. This unit was formed of veteran soldiers that had to have at least 10 years of service, completed at least 3 campaigns, be no shorter than 1.75m and have proven courage under fire.
General Dorsenne keeping his men under control and under fire (battle of Essling 1809)
As a result of these though requirements the Old Guard Grenadiers were the crack units of the Emperor who always kept them as a last resort reserve force, very aware that their precious experience should never be wasted without reason. Instead they were most often kept as a reserve force to bolster morale & discipline in battle. This did not mean they rarely saw any action: they covered themselves with glory at Eylau, Wagram, Krasnoe, Leipzig, Hanau, Dresden, Craonne, Ligny and finally Waterloo. As a testimony of their discipline and superior training, at each one of these battles the Grenadiers always attacked with their trademark attack formation: bayonet forward without firing a single shot until point blank.
March of the Middle Guard (Waterloo 1815)
You can never exaggerate with these guys: they were battle-hardened veterans, bold, and physically strong. They were convinced to the point of arrogance that they are the most ferocious fighters on earth and the amusing thing about it is that they were.
March attack formation ( 2nd Grenadiers, Plancenoit 1815)
At the battle of Waterloo it is often believed that the Old Guard was defeated by the Allies, this is not true as the 3rd and 4th Grenadiers who were defeated were the Middle Guard Grenadiers; the two Old Guard regiments were kept at reserve and were engaged in a fierce hand-hand combat with the Prussians at Plancenoit. During this engagement 2 battalions of the Old Guard ( one of II Grenadiers and one of II Foot Chasseurs) supported by surviving elements of the young Guard counter-attacked at bayonet range without firing a shot the Prussian 14th and 16th brigades and threw out of the village the fourteen battalions that composed them...fourteen!
The bayonet charge (1st Grenadiers, battle of Eylau 1807)
After a 3rd attempt, the Prussians finally recapture Plancenoit from the Guard, sealing the fate of Napoleon & the French Army.
The Sword
Pictures of original models
The above links show how the grip and guard and the gilding on the blade of one of Napoleons Old Guard Grenadiers officers sword should look like. The workmanship on this type of model is second to none and show the way the regiment name is presented on the blade. The form of this sword could only be used by members of Napoleons Old Guard Infantry regiments and was a further sign of the Guards' Elite status at the time.
The Reproduction
Stats
Overall length: 36'' / 92cm
sword w/o scabbard: 35'' / 89cm
Blade length: 30'' / 77cm
handle length: 5 1/8'' / 13cm
Point of balance: 6 1/4'' / 16cm
Width of blade at ricasso, 2/3rd and point: 1 3/16'' / 30mm ; 1 1/16'' / 27mm ; 13/16'' / 21mm
Overall sword / 1st impression
Just looking at that pic of the original and the one of the repro shows how accurate the whole design is, as far as looks go. When I got it out of the box I noticed some elements that reminded me of India origin: the scabbard leather, a thin plastic wrap covering the hilt and some sort of cosmoline/light grease on the blade. Getting the sword out of scabbard quickly revealed a sort of feeling of relief long since forgotten with repros.
Blade, hilt and scabbard
One of Emp costume's boast was to have been among the first to offer blued blades and here they surpassed themselves again with this one. I don't care if it was made in India or by a Czech swordsmith but you can see a lot of effort has been put for blade quality: the etching is very detailed and accurate, the Imperial symbols are present at the right place and at the right form, same with the maker's signature at the ricasso: « DUC FOURBISSEUR DE LA GARDE IMPÉRIALE RUE ST HONORÉ EN FACE CELLE DE LA LOI N° 251 À PARIS ». Even the clipped point with yelman is consistent with the rest of the blade in terms of accuracy and quality. Overall it's just a stupendous, gorgeous sight when unsheathed.
The hilt is made of brass and of the standard form which was first adopted by the (mounted and foot) Chasseurs regiment. This form was a stirrup hilt that had lozenge shaped langets where Guard officers would place the portrait of their Emperor. Everything here is well made: from the wire grip to the mould of the laurel leaves on the knuckle bow and backstrap. The grip dimensions are good and offer comfort for the hand.
The sheath is made of black leather with brass fittings with simplified yet accurate floral patterns (entrelacs). The bouterolle (drag) is of the right form and ends in a square lyre form. Despite lacking spacing for the langets, it holds the sword firmly when upside down, a very nice thing to notice.
Handling
I have held some of Emp Costume's cavalry sabres but wasn't particularly thrilled with their handling so I had some mixed feelings for an infantry sword and expected something way too heavy for the size. Quite surprisingly this one is good, the POB is just a bit far off but acceptable for the overall handling of the sabre and the brass hilt is not overly done so no fear of breaking your wrist when swinging it. Perhaps due to the sword's smaller dimensions balance and control are thus very good and won't prove to be a problem for cuts and thrust, That said it is no light weight infantry sword but instead acts like a cavalry sabre of smaller proportions and I think many will enjoy this aspect of the sword because it is an in-between type of weapon: not too clumsy yet not flimsy and fragile like a delicate infantry officer sword.
Handling is in my opinion the most important part of a sword and I'm happy to report that this sword satisfies my expectations for a repro. It's not the perfect sword but it really isn't too far behind.
Conclusion
This is really a great sword that you can have not only to admire its craftsmanship but also to play with it in a more physical way, the price for an original is around 4K and above so yeah considering the quality and handling, it is offered at a very reasonable price. Non-EU buyers note that due to the website's tax deduction the shipping becomes almost free and you end up paying less than the actual price!
Hist. accuracy: 10/10
Handling: 9.5/10
Price: 8/10
Recommended: F**k yeah!!
For further comprehension of the Guard units
The elite Grenadier Guard officer sword offered by Empire Costume is quite a special sword. They did offer one like it 5-7 years ago when they were starting and it was a breathtaking beauty that was sold for 1000euros. It was that model that got me into Empire Costume and you can imagine how thrilled I was when it was back in production and for half the price. I had to get it and well it appeared not too long before the 18th June, the 200 year of the battle of Waterloo, the end of an era that fascinates so many including myself. Very upset I had to miss the commemoration/re-enactment of that battle I decided to mark the ''celebration'' by instead getting this one sword.
Historical context
Napoleon's Imperial Guard was the elite force of the whole Imperial Army, their reputation was such that their appearance on battle could either boost (allies) or significantly shake morale (opponents). Not everybody could join the ranks of the Guard and only experienced but talented soldiers and officers could attain the requirements to join it.
A small army within the army, the Guard was composed of the (light and heavy) cavalry, (foot and horse) artillery and (light, line) infantry elements. It was then divided into the Old, Middle and Young Guard units according to experience, thus the veteran units that were the Horse Chasseurs, Horse Grenadiers, Foot Chasseurs and Grenadiers were the best of the best and of these it is with little doubt that the Grenadiers who, with their tall black bearskin caps, blue and white uniforms, embodied the might and discipline of the French war machine and remain the most iconic figure of the period.
Originally being the Grenadiers of the Consular Guard (Gardes des Consuls) after the fusion of the Guard of the Directory (Garde du Directoire executif) and the Grenadiers of the Legislature (Grenadiers pres de la Représentation nationale), the Foot Grenadiers (1er Régiment de Grenadiers-à-Pied de la Garde Impériale) were one of the oldest and most venerated regiments in the French Army. This unit was formed of veteran soldiers that had to have at least 10 years of service, completed at least 3 campaigns, be no shorter than 1.75m and have proven courage under fire.
General Dorsenne keeping his men under control and under fire (battle of Essling 1809)
As a result of these though requirements the Old Guard Grenadiers were the crack units of the Emperor who always kept them as a last resort reserve force, very aware that their precious experience should never be wasted without reason. Instead they were most often kept as a reserve force to bolster morale & discipline in battle. This did not mean they rarely saw any action: they covered themselves with glory at Eylau, Wagram, Krasnoe, Leipzig, Hanau, Dresden, Craonne, Ligny and finally Waterloo. As a testimony of their discipline and superior training, at each one of these battles the Grenadiers always attacked with their trademark attack formation: bayonet forward without firing a single shot until point blank.
March of the Middle Guard (Waterloo 1815)
You can never exaggerate with these guys: they were battle-hardened veterans, bold, and physically strong. They were convinced to the point of arrogance that they are the most ferocious fighters on earth and the amusing thing about it is that they were.
March attack formation ( 2nd Grenadiers, Plancenoit 1815)
At the battle of Waterloo it is often believed that the Old Guard was defeated by the Allies, this is not true as the 3rd and 4th Grenadiers who were defeated were the Middle Guard Grenadiers; the two Old Guard regiments were kept at reserve and were engaged in a fierce hand-hand combat with the Prussians at Plancenoit. During this engagement 2 battalions of the Old Guard ( one of II Grenadiers and one of II Foot Chasseurs) supported by surviving elements of the young Guard counter-attacked at bayonet range without firing a shot the Prussian 14th and 16th brigades and threw out of the village the fourteen battalions that composed them...fourteen!
The bayonet charge (1st Grenadiers, battle of Eylau 1807)
After a 3rd attempt, the Prussians finally recapture Plancenoit from the Guard, sealing the fate of Napoleon & the French Army.
The Sword
Pictures of original models
The above links show how the grip and guard and the gilding on the blade of one of Napoleons Old Guard Grenadiers officers sword should look like. The workmanship on this type of model is second to none and show the way the regiment name is presented on the blade. The form of this sword could only be used by members of Napoleons Old Guard Infantry regiments and was a further sign of the Guards' Elite status at the time.
The Reproduction
Stats
Overall length: 36'' / 92cm
sword w/o scabbard: 35'' / 89cm
Blade length: 30'' / 77cm
handle length: 5 1/8'' / 13cm
Point of balance: 6 1/4'' / 16cm
Width of blade at ricasso, 2/3rd and point: 1 3/16'' / 30mm ; 1 1/16'' / 27mm ; 13/16'' / 21mm
Overall sword / 1st impression
Just looking at that pic of the original and the one of the repro shows how accurate the whole design is, as far as looks go. When I got it out of the box I noticed some elements that reminded me of India origin: the scabbard leather, a thin plastic wrap covering the hilt and some sort of cosmoline/light grease on the blade. Getting the sword out of scabbard quickly revealed a sort of feeling of relief long since forgotten with repros.
Blade, hilt and scabbard
One of Emp costume's boast was to have been among the first to offer blued blades and here they surpassed themselves again with this one. I don't care if it was made in India or by a Czech swordsmith but you can see a lot of effort has been put for blade quality: the etching is very detailed and accurate, the Imperial symbols are present at the right place and at the right form, same with the maker's signature at the ricasso: « DUC FOURBISSEUR DE LA GARDE IMPÉRIALE RUE ST HONORÉ EN FACE CELLE DE LA LOI N° 251 À PARIS ». Even the clipped point with yelman is consistent with the rest of the blade in terms of accuracy and quality. Overall it's just a stupendous, gorgeous sight when unsheathed.
The hilt is made of brass and of the standard form which was first adopted by the (mounted and foot) Chasseurs regiment. This form was a stirrup hilt that had lozenge shaped langets where Guard officers would place the portrait of their Emperor. Everything here is well made: from the wire grip to the mould of the laurel leaves on the knuckle bow and backstrap. The grip dimensions are good and offer comfort for the hand.
The sheath is made of black leather with brass fittings with simplified yet accurate floral patterns (entrelacs). The bouterolle (drag) is of the right form and ends in a square lyre form. Despite lacking spacing for the langets, it holds the sword firmly when upside down, a very nice thing to notice.
Handling
I have held some of Emp Costume's cavalry sabres but wasn't particularly thrilled with their handling so I had some mixed feelings for an infantry sword and expected something way too heavy for the size. Quite surprisingly this one is good, the POB is just a bit far off but acceptable for the overall handling of the sabre and the brass hilt is not overly done so no fear of breaking your wrist when swinging it. Perhaps due to the sword's smaller dimensions balance and control are thus very good and won't prove to be a problem for cuts and thrust, That said it is no light weight infantry sword but instead acts like a cavalry sabre of smaller proportions and I think many will enjoy this aspect of the sword because it is an in-between type of weapon: not too clumsy yet not flimsy and fragile like a delicate infantry officer sword.
Handling is in my opinion the most important part of a sword and I'm happy to report that this sword satisfies my expectations for a repro. It's not the perfect sword but it really isn't too far behind.
Conclusion
This is really a great sword that you can have not only to admire its craftsmanship but also to play with it in a more physical way, the price for an original is around 4K and above so yeah considering the quality and handling, it is offered at a very reasonable price. Non-EU buyers note that due to the website's tax deduction the shipping becomes almost free and you end up paying less than the actual price!
Hist. accuracy: 10/10
Handling: 9.5/10
Price: 8/10
Recommended: F**k yeah!!
For further comprehension of the Guard units