France: Saber of Colonel/ Baron Meda, 1st Chasseur a Cheval
May 19, 2019 23:09:04 GMT
Post by Dave Kelly on May 19, 2019 23:09:04 GMT
French Dragoon Sabre with a blade attribution to Col/Baron Meda
( Addendum: received a message from Y Guinhut this pm which points out that his sales material states that the blade is attributed to a Meda sabre. The product sold by EC is a fantasy amalgam of French Dragoon sabre attributes. While correcting the attribution of owner ship, I have kept the Meda narrative as valid to periodicity. My recommendation on purchase at this time is not changed: Wait.)
Background:
Charles Andre Merda was born in Paris in 1770. A National Gaurdsman in 1789 and converted to the restored Gendarmerie in 1789. In July of that year the young mans life changed on the evening of 27 July when his squadron assisted in the arrest of Maximillian Robespierre. Merda would take credit for shooting the radical leader of the national committee for Public Safety (who would be charged and beheaded the next day.)
Uncertain at what stage Merda achieved commissioned rank, but by 1807 he was Col of the 1st Chasseur a Cheval, a member of the Legion of Honor and granted the title of Baron. ( Merda would change his royal name to Baron Meda; as Merda sounded too close in pronunciation to the French term for poop. :) )
Meda campaigned from Eylau to Borodino with the Grand Army. He was mortally wounded at the last battle, and posthumously promoted to Brigadier General.
The Sword
Got word from Empire Costume in early December that they would be releasing this saber in May 2019. I signed up.
The Garde de Bataille saber hilt was highly regarded by the cavalry officers of the empire. By 1810 most officer branches provided GdB options for others.
Most of these swords were privately ordered, so there were variants. Most line officers tended to have larger shell plates covering the backhand, but other variants used half sized shells. Thus a balance problem.
I'm not ready for a chart. This saber is 42 inches long with a 36.5 in blade and a 5.5 in hilt. The sword only weighs 2.23 lbs. The width is 8mm at the guard and 2.75 at the point. The PoB is 8.5 in above the guard.
ISSUES And PROBLEMS
Weird blade. The numbers aren't bad. Little nose heavy numbers. The back blade runs 8-3 mm. That's pretty good. But the blade is soft. New sword delivered with two rolls in the mid to foible blade.
8.3 PoB??? Look at the picture above. The Meda blade has an Indian Hilt if I have ever seen one or not. I said that the guard plate shell can vary by half. You can see that in the picture. But the grip is too cramped. The PoB should be around 5. The guard is too small.
Guinhut says the problem will be fixed. Wonder when?
Recommendation
Obviously this sword has not reached it's potential. Fix it and it would be worth the time and aggravation.
Don't buy this now.
( Addendum: received a message from Y Guinhut this pm which points out that his sales material states that the blade is attributed to a Meda sabre. The product sold by EC is a fantasy amalgam of French Dragoon sabre attributes. While correcting the attribution of owner ship, I have kept the Meda narrative as valid to periodicity. My recommendation on purchase at this time is not changed: Wait.)
Background:
Charles Andre Merda was born in Paris in 1770. A National Gaurdsman in 1789 and converted to the restored Gendarmerie in 1789. In July of that year the young mans life changed on the evening of 27 July when his squadron assisted in the arrest of Maximillian Robespierre. Merda would take credit for shooting the radical leader of the national committee for Public Safety (who would be charged and beheaded the next day.)
Uncertain at what stage Merda achieved commissioned rank, but by 1807 he was Col of the 1st Chasseur a Cheval, a member of the Legion of Honor and granted the title of Baron. ( Merda would change his royal name to Baron Meda; as Merda sounded too close in pronunciation to the French term for poop. :) )
Meda campaigned from Eylau to Borodino with the Grand Army. He was mortally wounded at the last battle, and posthumously promoted to Brigadier General.
The Sword
Got word from Empire Costume in early December that they would be releasing this saber in May 2019. I signed up.
The Garde de Bataille saber hilt was highly regarded by the cavalry officers of the empire. By 1810 most officer branches provided GdB options for others.
Most of these swords were privately ordered, so there were variants. Most line officers tended to have larger shell plates covering the backhand, but other variants used half sized shells. Thus a balance problem.
I'm not ready for a chart. This saber is 42 inches long with a 36.5 in blade and a 5.5 in hilt. The sword only weighs 2.23 lbs. The width is 8mm at the guard and 2.75 at the point. The PoB is 8.5 in above the guard.
ISSUES And PROBLEMS
Weird blade. The numbers aren't bad. Little nose heavy numbers. The back blade runs 8-3 mm. That's pretty good. But the blade is soft. New sword delivered with two rolls in the mid to foible blade.
8.3 PoB??? Look at the picture above. The Meda blade has an Indian Hilt if I have ever seen one or not. I said that the guard plate shell can vary by half. You can see that in the picture. But the grip is too cramped. The PoB should be around 5. The guard is too small.
Guinhut says the problem will be fixed. Wonder when?
Recommendation
Obviously this sword has not reached it's potential. Fix it and it would be worth the time and aggravation.
Don't buy this now.