French Heavy Cavalry Saber of the Imperial Guard 1804-15
Apr 11, 2016 22:53:52 GMT
Post by Dave Kelly on Apr 11, 2016 22:53:52 GMT
French Heavy Cavalry Saber of the Imperial Guard 1804-1815
Eylau: The Guards come to Murat's assistance.
1. Oncst Upon A Time...
Some 8 years ago when I embarked on my illness, I told myself I that I would satisfy my curiosity with Blanche Armes by selecting replicas of historical interest. Thanks to a good fairy of Oz (aka Rob Sanford) I stocked up on a poo-load of WEI swords thanks to a generous discount offered for buying 1K+ bites in each swell foop. The Johdpur consortium filled racks for me.
For 80-150$ a pop I got historical representation. Given the price of a real Ames US M1840 or a real Cuirassier Pallasche would set me back 1-2K ea, I virtuously resisted the sin of gluttony. Then: Oink! Oink!
Started buying the real sabres. Started talking dynamics and taper. Seldom found a replica that got anywhere near historical performance parameters.
Today is a case in point: I have long cherished a WEI copy of the French Heavy Cavalry Saber of the Imperial Guard. Only three regiments in the entire French Army carried this saber. The examples of these I have seen in the past have all been 5 figure buy ins. Too rich.
Few months ago Uhlan puts me on to a dealer he'd bought a LC saber Charles X had awarded to St Cyr Academy graduates on their way to service branch schooling. Some picks of this dealers wears were provided. There was a healthy stack of really interesting LC stuff. But at the edge of the photos you could just see the hilt of a Guards HC and a Louis XVIII Garde du Corps saber. I inquired on the two. The Garde du Corps was gone, but he still had the Guards HC. His asking price was the best I'd ever encountered for one of these.
Resources and opportunities like this usually conspire to not meet. This was doable (no more ice cream and pizza this year ). I said I wanted to deal, but I needed more pictures to be clear what we were dealing with. Some consultation with Uhlan and Pinotte and got comfortable in explaining what the swords markings were telling us.
Next, the dealer wanted a wire transfer. Not hard to do. My Bank of America people were comfortable with the transaction; the paper work has improved since my first experience. The wire was sent on a Thursday afternoon.
Not familiar with these transfers, know that the key item of the transfer is the banking number: a string of numbers rattling off the banks code, the branch banks code, and the individuals account number. Needless to say this code has to be sent absolutely correctly or your money could go to the wrong country or some grub farmer in Nepal and you may actually LOSE your money. (Makes ya wanna go right out and send auntie maude 1000.00, eh?)
I went to work the following Monday and the bank papers were still in my valise. The human mind is a !@%$!. I watched that banker prepare the paperwork. I proof read what he did and signed off on it. So how the sweet marmelade did I see now, with laser clarity, that two of the IBAN numbers were transposed. Called the bank. Went to see them. Sweaty palms aside it was realized that the two numbers were both associated with the branch bank. So the bank and individual account was correct. They told me to give it twenty-four and if the money wasn't received call the bank and they would cancel the wire and ask the funds be returned, so we could try again. Next day the dealer said he had no money. @#!%!. Bank sent the canx. Wensday morning the dealer emailed me and said he finally had the funds and the saber would be shipped that day. I checked with my bank, worried about the canx. Bank said forget it. Bank disbursed the money to the correct person. They were not going to respond to the canx request.
Wensday the package goes to the town post. Won't move until Thursday. I'm sitting on pins and needles and wouldn't you know Colissimo goes tharn for the next week. Where the hell is my package? Seven bloody days and Colissimo finally says the package is being shipped. USPS NEVER gets visibility over the damn package. I go home last Thursday figuring it will be next Wensday before it arrives, given the sword ships thru NY. Saturday I get a call from my duty watch at the plant. I have a large package from France. Would I like to come... (I'm standing next to her before she finishes the sentence.)
And that, my children, is the story of how Davey got his magic dream sword. ( Which I will now substantiate as not being a fish tale.)
As usual I will compare the replica to it's original and further amplify by comparing data for the M1822 Cav du Linge "Bancal".
2. Disclaimer
The writer is the private owner of the three swords discussed in this piece. No remuneration was offered to influence the opinions expressed herein. ( Not that a little pat on the wallet wouldn't help. I'm down to sharing a bowl of Iams with the cat.)
3. Okay, Funs ovah. I'm gonna get serious now.
4. Historical Background
You can find all sorts of Napoleonic Campaign and organizational material on the internet. I won't drown you in details. Suffice it to introduce you to the Heavy Cavalry component of the Imperial Guards:
Grenadier a Cheval de la Garde Imperiale:
The Grenadiers a Cheval were an integral component of the kings household cavalry since Louis XV. They were reestablished by the Directorate after Robespierre's demise. When Napoleon becomes 1st Consul in 1800 he expands the Grenadiers and they join the Chasseur a Cheval as the two senior regiments of the Consular Guard. The "big boots" don't always get committed to battle, but when they go they usually win. Marengo, Austerlitz, Wargram, Eylau, Retreat from Russia, Dresden, Leipzig, Montmirail,Waterloo are significant to the regiment's record.
Dragons L'Imperitrice de la Garde Imperiale (The Empresses Dragoons)
Established in 1806 and brigaded with the Grenadiers.
Gendarmes d'elite de la Garde Imperiale
Military police responsible for security and discipline of the camp, prisoner control, and occasional combat missions. (When Napoleon ran out of other cavalry he consolidated the cops and threw them into the battle.)
The Gendarmes of the Maison du Roi have a long history and standing in the army. They were as lavishly accoutred as their counter parts. Line troops referred to them as "The Immortals". It wasn't a compliment so much as a crack that MPs never died, cause they stayed in the rear.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenadiers_%C3%A0_Cheval_de_la_Garde_Imp%C3%A9riale
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragons_de_la_Garde_Imp%C3%A9riale
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gendarmes_d%27%C3%A9lite_de_la_Garde_Imp%C3%A9riale
www.oldswords.com/articles/FRENCH%20MILITARY%20SWORD%20IN%2018th%20CENTURY%20_PartIV_.pdf
ospreypublishing.com/mounted-grenadiers-of-the-imperial-guard-pb
www.napoleon-series.org/greenhill/library/c_lachouque.html
5. The Swords
Left to Right: Original Type II HC Guards saber. WEI Type III HC Guards saber. M1822 Cav du Ligne HC saber.
The HC Guards has three developmental stages. Type 1,1800-1804 Consulate period. Leather scabbard with brass furniture. The Type 1 DID NOT use the Montmorency blade. It used a straight, hollow ground blade, as used by the Carabiniers. Type 2,1804-1809. New 3 port brass cased scabbard. Some confusion as to production of these scabbards. L'Hoste has a note that only 841 of these were made. That makes little sense as there is a wide date gap between I and III. The Montmorency blade is introduced. In 1806 the guard heavies expand with the addition of the Empresses Dragoons and Gendarme d'elite. Type 3, 1810-1815. Some changes to the guard bars and a new, simpler 2 port scabbard, which is thee most common.
Fairly evident here that the elite Napoleonic heavies already have a moderately curved saber intended to thrust and cut, instead of the eastern European cutting sabers.
Saber blades were routinely manufactured by in Klingenthal by the entrepreneur direction of Coullaux Brothers.
The blade is signed off as inspected by the plant and a military representative. The star over the M is for Ltc Morion 1809-1811. The B indicates J.G. Bick 1809-1837. As blades started to be issued with date stamps in 1810 it is pretty certain this is an 1809 blade.
Hilts and scabbards were provided at the Versailles Arsenal, where finishing was done.
The inside guard is stamped "versailles" and the inspectors mark. This area is badly worn and the strikes of the marks were poor. So far haven't been able to worry out the name of the inspector in order to firm up the date of the hilt and scabbard. The most typical inspector name associated with the Imperial Versailles period GaCs is J Cazamanjou. 1805-1807 his poincon was J-C. 1809 onward simply JC.
The outside of the guard plate is also marked. A machinist at word overherd me discussing the problems with reading these and told me to cover them with chalk or talc and blow it off. The remaining particulate should make it easier to read. The two marks at center are a "v" for versailles and a "J". There is only one assistant inspector mentioned by L'Hoste with a J (Jacquesson). He performed that duty in 1809.
Eye Candy
6 Characteristics
The Versailles Grenadier a Cheval Sabre:
These weapons follow the lead of a Montmorency styled heavy cavalry pallasche first brought into service by the fashionable Gendarme d'elite of the Maison du Roi. The emphasis is on the thrust. The blade has a strong back ridge that starts at 10 mm and tapers down 4.5 mm before it stops about 6 in from the point. The foible blade is short, at 5 in, but is actually more stout than the corresponding Curassier pallasche.
The blade is stiff. It's working width is only around 1 in thru mid shaft. Taper is aggressive.
The half basket hilt provides very good back hand protection. The width of the guard is surprisingly spare, at 4.5 in.. Distance from grip to the guard is about 2.5 in. Adequate for me to slip my size 11 hand comfortably into the hold without banging knuckles.
The grip is an adequate 4.5 in. There is more room at the pommel, but the bottle stopper design gets in the way of seating the palm of the hand if not careful. In cutting motion you can raise the thumb up on to the tounge that crowns the guard plate.
The sword weighs 2.5 lbs, with a 2oz sword knot attached. There has been blade metal loss in service. The cutting edge has been repeatedly worked on. The weight probably should be a healthy 2.6 with the knot.
For the weight and PoB, this is still an excellently handling mounted arm. With the blade weight carried lower on the blade I felt no discomfort in cutting or recovery of the blade. (wristbreaker)
Klingentahl French M1822 Cav du Ligne Bancal
In 1822 the Defense ministry decided that they would change the heavy cavalry sword of the Army, replacing the venerated ANXIII straight pallasche with the Montmorency sword used by the Imperial Guard. If they expected approval and excitement for this change, they were sorely disappointed. The Cuirassiers held their own pallasche is equal veneration. And so did France's adversaries. In defeat France had littered the battlefields of Europe with truckloads of these swords, which were readily adopted. Why change what works?
The CdL is a direct descendant of the GaC. Looking down the table it is fascinating to see the subtle mods in the shaping of the CdL. The final working weight is 2.5 lbs again. The guard is wider and longer but the basket is leaner.
The blade is longer, the body is wider thru the shaft, but the foible is longer and leaner. The 1822 "phyrgian cap" pommel adds more hand room to the already ample space available.
Handling: On reconsideration, the sabre doesn't feel as secure and fast as the GaC. I blame the hilt and grip for this. The overly large space doesn't give the same sense of control when cutting. Edge alignment isn't as certain here. Margin of error is small here. Both are fine sabres. Reach goes to the CdL. Control and speed goes to the GaC.
WEI Heavy Cavalry Sabre of the Imperial Guard
Run your finger across the stat chart an the numbers of the WEI don't exactly say problem until you get down to the blade weight and find that the cumulative shadings of difference cost the sabre a .9 lb gain in gross weight.
Lack of the sort of aggressive fullering seen in military blades bloats the weapon. The guard is also 20% greater in volume by comparison.
Even with the heavy guard the PoB creeps forward. The sword is both tiring to handle, and unweildy to cut with.
The WEI is a beautiful, well made, display piece. It has served me well in that capacity.
7. Conclusion
As I started by saying. This is a dream sword. This was not supposed to happen. I'm very privileged and peeing in my pants with glee, if you must know. It's kind of a let down to actually acquire this. After 8-9 years of study I pretty much knew how this saber was going to be. The reservation was that I never got to handle one to be sure. Now it's here, and damn if it isn't just what I expected. The 1822 CdL cost me 1/10th of what I paid for the GaC and they are spitting image cousins.
Don't think this is remorse talking. I'm thinking rationally, but I be grinnin from ear to ear.
A happy sword collector... gollum.
Eylau: The Guards come to Murat's assistance.
1. Oncst Upon A Time...
Some 8 years ago when I embarked on my illness, I told myself I that I would satisfy my curiosity with Blanche Armes by selecting replicas of historical interest. Thanks to a good fairy of Oz (aka Rob Sanford) I stocked up on a poo-load of WEI swords thanks to a generous discount offered for buying 1K+ bites in each swell foop. The Johdpur consortium filled racks for me.
For 80-150$ a pop I got historical representation. Given the price of a real Ames US M1840 or a real Cuirassier Pallasche would set me back 1-2K ea, I virtuously resisted the sin of gluttony. Then: Oink! Oink!
Started buying the real sabres. Started talking dynamics and taper. Seldom found a replica that got anywhere near historical performance parameters.
Today is a case in point: I have long cherished a WEI copy of the French Heavy Cavalry Saber of the Imperial Guard. Only three regiments in the entire French Army carried this saber. The examples of these I have seen in the past have all been 5 figure buy ins. Too rich.
Few months ago Uhlan puts me on to a dealer he'd bought a LC saber Charles X had awarded to St Cyr Academy graduates on their way to service branch schooling. Some picks of this dealers wears were provided. There was a healthy stack of really interesting LC stuff. But at the edge of the photos you could just see the hilt of a Guards HC and a Louis XVIII Garde du Corps saber. I inquired on the two. The Garde du Corps was gone, but he still had the Guards HC. His asking price was the best I'd ever encountered for one of these.
Resources and opportunities like this usually conspire to not meet. This was doable (no more ice cream and pizza this year ). I said I wanted to deal, but I needed more pictures to be clear what we were dealing with. Some consultation with Uhlan and Pinotte and got comfortable in explaining what the swords markings were telling us.
Next, the dealer wanted a wire transfer. Not hard to do. My Bank of America people were comfortable with the transaction; the paper work has improved since my first experience. The wire was sent on a Thursday afternoon.
Not familiar with these transfers, know that the key item of the transfer is the banking number: a string of numbers rattling off the banks code, the branch banks code, and the individuals account number. Needless to say this code has to be sent absolutely correctly or your money could go to the wrong country or some grub farmer in Nepal and you may actually LOSE your money. (Makes ya wanna go right out and send auntie maude 1000.00, eh?)
I went to work the following Monday and the bank papers were still in my valise. The human mind is a !@%$!. I watched that banker prepare the paperwork. I proof read what he did and signed off on it. So how the sweet marmelade did I see now, with laser clarity, that two of the IBAN numbers were transposed. Called the bank. Went to see them. Sweaty palms aside it was realized that the two numbers were both associated with the branch bank. So the bank and individual account was correct. They told me to give it twenty-four and if the money wasn't received call the bank and they would cancel the wire and ask the funds be returned, so we could try again. Next day the dealer said he had no money. @#!%!. Bank sent the canx. Wensday morning the dealer emailed me and said he finally had the funds and the saber would be shipped that day. I checked with my bank, worried about the canx. Bank said forget it. Bank disbursed the money to the correct person. They were not going to respond to the canx request.
Wensday the package goes to the town post. Won't move until Thursday. I'm sitting on pins and needles and wouldn't you know Colissimo goes tharn for the next week. Where the hell is my package? Seven bloody days and Colissimo finally says the package is being shipped. USPS NEVER gets visibility over the damn package. I go home last Thursday figuring it will be next Wensday before it arrives, given the sword ships thru NY. Saturday I get a call from my duty watch at the plant. I have a large package from France. Would I like to come... (I'm standing next to her before she finishes the sentence.)
And that, my children, is the story of how Davey got his magic dream sword. ( Which I will now substantiate as not being a fish tale.)
As usual I will compare the replica to it's original and further amplify by comparing data for the M1822 Cav du Linge "Bancal".
2. Disclaimer
The writer is the private owner of the three swords discussed in this piece. No remuneration was offered to influence the opinions expressed herein. ( Not that a little pat on the wallet wouldn't help. I'm down to sharing a bowl of Iams with the cat.)
3. Okay, Funs ovah. I'm gonna get serious now.
4. Historical Background
You can find all sorts of Napoleonic Campaign and organizational material on the internet. I won't drown you in details. Suffice it to introduce you to the Heavy Cavalry component of the Imperial Guards:
Grenadier a Cheval de la Garde Imperiale:
The Grenadiers a Cheval were an integral component of the kings household cavalry since Louis XV. They were reestablished by the Directorate after Robespierre's demise. When Napoleon becomes 1st Consul in 1800 he expands the Grenadiers and they join the Chasseur a Cheval as the two senior regiments of the Consular Guard. The "big boots" don't always get committed to battle, but when they go they usually win. Marengo, Austerlitz, Wargram, Eylau, Retreat from Russia, Dresden, Leipzig, Montmirail,Waterloo are significant to the regiment's record.
Dragons L'Imperitrice de la Garde Imperiale (The Empresses Dragoons)
Established in 1806 and brigaded with the Grenadiers.
Gendarmes d'elite de la Garde Imperiale
Military police responsible for security and discipline of the camp, prisoner control, and occasional combat missions. (When Napoleon ran out of other cavalry he consolidated the cops and threw them into the battle.)
The Gendarmes of the Maison du Roi have a long history and standing in the army. They were as lavishly accoutred as their counter parts. Line troops referred to them as "The Immortals". It wasn't a compliment so much as a crack that MPs never died, cause they stayed in the rear.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenadiers_%C3%A0_Cheval_de_la_Garde_Imp%C3%A9riale
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragons_de_la_Garde_Imp%C3%A9riale
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gendarmes_d%27%C3%A9lite_de_la_Garde_Imp%C3%A9riale
www.oldswords.com/articles/FRENCH%20MILITARY%20SWORD%20IN%2018th%20CENTURY%20_PartIV_.pdf
ospreypublishing.com/mounted-grenadiers-of-the-imperial-guard-pb
www.napoleon-series.org/greenhill/library/c_lachouque.html
5. The Swords
Left to Right: Original Type II HC Guards saber. WEI Type III HC Guards saber. M1822 Cav du Ligne HC saber.
The HC Guards has three developmental stages. Type 1,1800-1804 Consulate period. Leather scabbard with brass furniture. The Type 1 DID NOT use the Montmorency blade. It used a straight, hollow ground blade, as used by the Carabiniers. Type 2,1804-1809. New 3 port brass cased scabbard. Some confusion as to production of these scabbards. L'Hoste has a note that only 841 of these were made. That makes little sense as there is a wide date gap between I and III. The Montmorency blade is introduced. In 1806 the guard heavies expand with the addition of the Empresses Dragoons and Gendarme d'elite. Type 3, 1810-1815. Some changes to the guard bars and a new, simpler 2 port scabbard, which is thee most common.
Fairly evident here that the elite Napoleonic heavies already have a moderately curved saber intended to thrust and cut, instead of the eastern European cutting sabers.
Saber blades were routinely manufactured by in Klingenthal by the entrepreneur direction of Coullaux Brothers.
The blade is signed off as inspected by the plant and a military representative. The star over the M is for Ltc Morion 1809-1811. The B indicates J.G. Bick 1809-1837. As blades started to be issued with date stamps in 1810 it is pretty certain this is an 1809 blade.
Hilts and scabbards were provided at the Versailles Arsenal, where finishing was done.
The inside guard is stamped "versailles" and the inspectors mark. This area is badly worn and the strikes of the marks were poor. So far haven't been able to worry out the name of the inspector in order to firm up the date of the hilt and scabbard. The most typical inspector name associated with the Imperial Versailles period GaCs is J Cazamanjou. 1805-1807 his poincon was J-C. 1809 onward simply JC.
The outside of the guard plate is also marked. A machinist at word overherd me discussing the problems with reading these and told me to cover them with chalk or talc and blow it off. The remaining particulate should make it easier to read. The two marks at center are a "v" for versailles and a "J". There is only one assistant inspector mentioned by L'Hoste with a J (Jacquesson). He performed that duty in 1809.
Eye Candy
6 Characteristics
The Versailles Grenadier a Cheval Sabre:
These weapons follow the lead of a Montmorency styled heavy cavalry pallasche first brought into service by the fashionable Gendarme d'elite of the Maison du Roi. The emphasis is on the thrust. The blade has a strong back ridge that starts at 10 mm and tapers down 4.5 mm before it stops about 6 in from the point. The foible blade is short, at 5 in, but is actually more stout than the corresponding Curassier pallasche.
The blade is stiff. It's working width is only around 1 in thru mid shaft. Taper is aggressive.
The half basket hilt provides very good back hand protection. The width of the guard is surprisingly spare, at 4.5 in.. Distance from grip to the guard is about 2.5 in. Adequate for me to slip my size 11 hand comfortably into the hold without banging knuckles.
The grip is an adequate 4.5 in. There is more room at the pommel, but the bottle stopper design gets in the way of seating the palm of the hand if not careful. In cutting motion you can raise the thumb up on to the tounge that crowns the guard plate.
The sword weighs 2.5 lbs, with a 2oz sword knot attached. There has been blade metal loss in service. The cutting edge has been repeatedly worked on. The weight probably should be a healthy 2.6 with the knot.
For the weight and PoB, this is still an excellently handling mounted arm. With the blade weight carried lower on the blade I felt no discomfort in cutting or recovery of the blade. (wristbreaker)
Klingentahl French M1822 Cav du Ligne Bancal
In 1822 the Defense ministry decided that they would change the heavy cavalry sword of the Army, replacing the venerated ANXIII straight pallasche with the Montmorency sword used by the Imperial Guard. If they expected approval and excitement for this change, they were sorely disappointed. The Cuirassiers held their own pallasche is equal veneration. And so did France's adversaries. In defeat France had littered the battlefields of Europe with truckloads of these swords, which were readily adopted. Why change what works?
The CdL is a direct descendant of the GaC. Looking down the table it is fascinating to see the subtle mods in the shaping of the CdL. The final working weight is 2.5 lbs again. The guard is wider and longer but the basket is leaner.
The blade is longer, the body is wider thru the shaft, but the foible is longer and leaner. The 1822 "phyrgian cap" pommel adds more hand room to the already ample space available.
Handling: On reconsideration, the sabre doesn't feel as secure and fast as the GaC. I blame the hilt and grip for this. The overly large space doesn't give the same sense of control when cutting. Edge alignment isn't as certain here. Margin of error is small here. Both are fine sabres. Reach goes to the CdL. Control and speed goes to the GaC.
WEI Heavy Cavalry Sabre of the Imperial Guard
Run your finger across the stat chart an the numbers of the WEI don't exactly say problem until you get down to the blade weight and find that the cumulative shadings of difference cost the sabre a .9 lb gain in gross weight.
Lack of the sort of aggressive fullering seen in military blades bloats the weapon. The guard is also 20% greater in volume by comparison.
Even with the heavy guard the PoB creeps forward. The sword is both tiring to handle, and unweildy to cut with.
The WEI is a beautiful, well made, display piece. It has served me well in that capacity.
7. Conclusion
As I started by saying. This is a dream sword. This was not supposed to happen. I'm very privileged and peeing in my pants with glee, if you must know. It's kind of a let down to actually acquire this. After 8-9 years of study I pretty much knew how this saber was going to be. The reservation was that I never got to handle one to be sure. Now it's here, and damn if it isn't just what I expected. The 1822 CdL cost me 1/10th of what I paid for the GaC and they are spitting image cousins.
Don't think this is remorse talking. I'm thinking rationally, but I be grinnin from ear to ear.
A happy sword collector... gollum.
