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Post by simitar on May 22, 2024 15:18:15 GMT
Hi there Does anyone know if the French cavalry jused for their officers, sabres with leather coloured scabbards or were they always from black leather, metal or brass?? Thanks for your answers Greetings luck
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Post by madirish on May 23, 2024 16:46:23 GMT
Predominately steel from what I've seen of 19th century cavalry blades.
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Post by bas on May 23, 2024 21:43:28 GMT
Short answer is all of the above. A lot depends on which branch of the cavalry the officer was from and the period of the Napoleonic era we are talking about. Prior to the standardisation reforms that introduced the AN XI for Light cavalry and the AN XI for heavy cavalry, trooper scabbards typically were leather with brass fittings. Officers would have had the option to exercise their personal preference so we see a mix of leather with brass fittings, brass, iron or silver plated scabbards. This is especially the case with the light cavalry that had a more varied range of hilts. Heavy cavalry used the Garde de Bataille hilt, and most the examples of these that I have seen had leather scabbards with brass fittings. Otherwise they appear to have brass scabbards with a panel of leather in the top quarter.
After the 1800 reforms, light cavalry officers that switched to the AN XI three bar hilt used iron scabbards like the enlisted men did. For the heavy cavalry there was no change.
With the Hussars, their scabbard was leather over wood with a very large chape and drag of brass leaving about a quarter of the scabbard covered in leather, between the two lockets. Although it was intended that the Hussars adopt the AN XI along with the rest of the light cavalry, most resisted and kept their same sabre through most of the era. Again, some officers may have opted to use a scabbard of brass or iron, instead of the typical one.
This is only a general overview as there will be lots of exceptions as officers were afforded a lot of individuality in their choice of sword or specific corps had their own special sword. The mameluke sabres are one such example that I haven't touched on.
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