I'm one of the 'some' that like a good clean up video on a sword, thus making me part of one of the smallest special interests groups on the planet. 'Bright & Enlightened not Dull & Sad' is our motto.
Another interesting fact to the french 1822 sabre. The prussians captured a great number of those during the franco-prussian war and used the blades and scabbards for the Ulanensäbel M/73 (eng. lancers sabre model 73). These french bladed sabres stayed in prussian service until the mid 1890s.
They also used a large number of captured Chassepots and bayonets too. IIRC, The Prussians captured a fully stocked arsenal in Alsace at the start of the war.
I have two of the Ulanensaebeln M 1873. It took me a while to figure out why they had the French cursive etch on the top of the blade. The Refitted French scabbard was a clue as well, the Germans removed the rivets and installed the usual German screws. I do not know if they used the French wood strips over again, or made new ones.
@@scholagladiatoria: Hey Matt...could you direct me to your other videos pertaining to these two swords? I've looked around in your video list...but can't seem to find them...cheers!
I have owned several 1860 Lt cav sabres. US Sabres and the French 1822 thrusts quite well. It is just curved enough to slash well and just straight enough to thrust well. Plus, a curved blade just is elegant and beautiful.
A video about light cavalry sabres used on foot could be interesting. I’ve read, looking up the US 1860, that in that conflict many infantry officers elected to use the government issued light cavalry sabre (based on the French 1822 of course) so they wouldn’t have to buy their sword out of pocket, and I’ve always wondered how good they were in that role.
My great grandfather served during the 1870 franco-prussian war. He owned this model as a secondary weapon in a "dragon" regiment (light cavalry and infantry combat). He later integrated the Guarde Republicaine and funny enough they still use this sabre to this day. We inherited the original sabre and restored it to its full glory.
Matt, I have suggestion on your videos. When referencing markings o the sword or scabbard, maybe taking a close-up "still" shot, and merge it into the video the way you do with "reference" artwork like "illuminations" that would eliminate the need for bringing the sword, scabbard, knife, dagger ect. in for a close-up and having the camera try to focus on it! Just a suggestion of course.
Huggin and Muninn , those pesky crows. Sometimes one or the other of them flies on broken wing. Sometimes people lie. How are we ever to get the (hi)story right?
Egypt also used this style of sword. Their late 19th century contracts for the pattern were fulfilled by Wilkinson. I think Mexico also used a sabre in the style of the M1822.
Another interesting thing about the French 1822 is that the Finns bought massive numbers of them post World War 1 and issued them to the Finnish cavalry. In Finland they were shortened by cutting 12 cm off of the tip of the blade and the tip was then reground to a point. Most of them had 2 of the three guards cut off, but some still survive that have the original guard left intact. They were later manufactured by the Germans for the Finns by such companies as Carl Eickerhorn, Weyerberg, Kirschbaum & Co, E & F Hörster, F. V. Höller, Alexander Coppel GmbH & Co and so on.
What a lovely shaped sword, it just looks the business. I collect knives and appreciate a well-formed piece, this sword can speak for itself, Intimidating like a deadly looking weapon can do. The French have always done things a little bit differently, and good style is usually quite high in French design. I am sure you will treat it, with TLC, and it will look its part. Watch a lot of your vids, don't think I have seen it before, just love the look of sabres.
I have one in "mint" never sharpened condition. They're a beautifully balanced...and wonderfully designed sabre. You're absolutely right..."it just looks the business"!!! No wonder countries from across the world copied it's design. Do yourself a favor and get yourself one in nice condition...you won't regret it. By the way...in Europe they're relatively inexpensive.
Hey there, Mat. I very much enjoy your show. Only one sligth mishap in Minute 2.03: During the 1850es Russia did not invade the Crimea, it invaded Walachia, belonging to the Ottomans. That let to an Allied Army coming in to aid the turks, cause Britain and France hated the idea of Russia ruling the straits. After Austria forced a Russian withdrawl, the Allied Anglo-French Armies invaded the Crimea more or less because they had nothing else to do with it. Best regards, and keep on telling us about swords.
Nice catch. This isn't anywhere close to my area of expertise, but if you examine Parliament-related correspondence from the preceding few decades, Britain had some concerns (probably not terribly well-founded) that Russia had designs on territory all the way down to Egypt. British finances from trade in China and India passed through Egypt from the Red Sea from at least the 18th century, and even in pre-Suez canal times, loss of the Red Sea waterway access would probably have bankrupted the British Empire. The reality is likely that stable overland Red Sea access depended on providing military support to the Ottoman Empire and other regional players, who were in constant conflict with Russia. Britain was in considerable debt for all this for much of the 19th century, and when you add in things like balancing trade between gold and silver standard currencies and the inability of gold and especially silver production to increase at the same rate as international trade, it was all a bit of a mess.
Many of these have ended up in Finland as well, after gaining independence they were the first officer sword given to military until domestically produced one was made.
I have a French model 1822 light cavalry sabre made by the German company Weyersberg. This model was adopted by several countries. thanks for the video.
I *love* the Mle 1822 LC as well. I have two. An 1880 Chatellerault trooper, and an officer's model with a heavily engraved and gilt pattern-welded Solingen blade.
Hi Matt! Love your channel! I find really interesting all of your videos, and opening the field to other countries seems a great idea. Looking forward to that comparison video you've talked about! Maybe sometime a Spanish sword can feature in your reviews? True that by the 19thC the empire was lost, but some late 18thC and Napoleonic era swords are very interesting, we went through a century of civil wars... And there's Toledo! Warm regards from Madrid, from a true 3-year fan.
I think it's awesome you listen to other people and will re-do a whole video just to get it right. I love Memoir on Swords, thanks for the recommendation. You should do a video on the US 1860 patter saber and Griffith's saber from Berserk. Both are iconic and well-known, plus it's your specialty.
Thank you Matt, this is another video that has helped me find out what some of the swords I got from my uncle. I wonder though as the only markings on them are two double digit numbers on two parts of the hilt.
I think for the influence of French sword design, you forget one factor: simple aesthetic preference. France was considered the centre of fashion and there's a not negligible element of fashion to how a nation dresses and equips its soldiers. I'm sure the elegant clean lines of French swords like this played a part in their popularity worldwide.
I believe the US 1840 Heavy Cavalry was the original US recreation/adaptation of the French 1822. The US 1860 heavy cavalry is a continuation of the theme with a bit of handle design modification and a shorter round backed blade which is less beefy (1840 has a very square back). which actually feels a bit more "user friendly" than the US 1840HC IMO. I have an 1840 design (in less than ideal condition) that I am cleaning up a bit - ironically it is of German manufacturing. The 1840HC is the sword nicknamed "Old Wrist-Breaker", but I see some people using that nickname to describe the 1860 Heavy Cavalry, as well. The 1860 HC is about 1.5" shy of the overall length of the 1840 HC.
Hey Matt, question on the Estoc (giant Smallsword). If that is essentially a scaled up smallsword with a three bar hilt is that essentially a cavalry rapier? Or is there some difference in how the swords handle?
A little unrelated, but I've been wondering about this for a while: where did you get your winged/lugged/boar spear in the background? It looks really well made, and I'm looking to try and get a similarly long-bladed spear myself.
Hi mat interesting video as usual. I have a question about sabres in general. In my mind and I think a lot of people not specifically interested in swords a sabre is a cavalry weapon that can if it must be used on foot. However as you learn more it becomes clear that there where extensive systems for using a sabre dismounted. So my question really is how did these to roles interact both in the design of the sabres and developing the systems of use? Has the need to be used on foot made they less effective calvary or blades or vice versa or is the sabre a nearly perfect balance of the two?
This is very relevant to my interests, as the saying goes. I inherited 2 pristine examples of this sword (the Chatellerault version) from my dad who passed away in 1996. I remember him saying that these should not be sharpened (both of mine have unsharpened edges), and that to not to polish the handle either, "to preserve the patina" :-). Unfortunately one the scabbards has been lost in time.
I recently purchased a "mint" condition unsharpened example from Chatellerault. Thank you...I think I'll take your father's advice and leave it unsharpened and unpolished...it seems like wise advice. By the way...were your scabbards blackened or shiny steel?
Sorry for the ever so slight delay in replying... the one scabbard I still have left was once shiny. The blackened version looks really cool in pictures, but I will still not be modifying or cleaning mine.
switzerland and i think belgium had it too. I own a 1822 infantry saber who was used by the swiss army. thank you for making a video about my favorite sabre :). I'd be interested what you think about the 1822 infantry saber
The hammer grip was more commonly used than the saber grip for this sword even though their wielders were known to favor the thrust? Wouldn't they hold the sword in a saber grip when thrusting?
What is the difference between an 1800's era sabre such as the US model 1860 light cavalry sabre and a fencing saber? When I look on-line at fencing sabres they appear to look just like fencing foils to my untrained eye. Thanks. Love your channel.
Since you keep mentioning dragoons and their sabres, I was wondering what weapon model is featured on the logo of the beer named after that regiment. Does it look accurate?
Hi Matt, thank you for another great video. Just a thought. Why dont you make a video talking and presenting your favorite swords from your collection? A top 5 sounds like a good number.
Is it possible that thrusting from horseback gets less advantage from having a straight blade with a spear point? I mean, you can't keep the blade perfectly in front of you anyway, unless you want to crash your horse into the target, so you need to keep you arm a bit off-line to the side (and also a bit downwards, I suppose, at least against infantry). It seems to me that a (slightly) curved blade would help that rather than hinder, letting you to keep the sword a bit angled (also, less impact stress on the wrist, maybe?) while still having the point perfectly aligned to the horse's movement. Anyone here experienced in mounted swordsmanship that can share their thoughts?
Just from the top of my mind: If it did offer a significant advantage, we wouldn't find so many straight cavalry swords and would at least find some lances trying to gain this advantage by design. I think it's more of a compromise in design.
6 років тому
You don't want to leave your sword stuck in some clown, you want to chop a big slice into them and move on.
I think a straight blade would be much more difficult to recover from a deep thrust wound; in the manuals (from after the Napoleonic era, though) I saw last summer, the cavalryman would indeed present the point on the side of the horse and turn his wrist (and the blade in the wound) as he was passing the thrustee, bringing it upwards backhand to avoid losing it (I think. My memory is unclear on some details). However, cuts were clearly far more common, whatever Bonaparte might have said. Besides, he had his Lancers whose armament was definitely more of the stabby-thrusty kind.
Many years ago I was in a museum in New York, that was featuring at the time display materials related to Commodore Perry's visit to Japan. In one section was Japanese lacquered armor and katanas. Counterpoised to these was an American uniform, etc. and an officer's sword. The display notes noted the second fuller on the sword and stated that when a man attempted to remove a sword that had penetrated deep into the body cavity, there was a weak though significant vacuum that resisted removal of a fuller-less and single fuller blade and there was a way to remove a blade with two fullers more rapidly. If memory serves, it was a wrist movement which allowed air back into the cavity. Being a pre-engineering student at the time, I was interested in vacuums, so the sword display has stayed with me to this day. As to the veracity of the statement, I am not qualified to evaluate, but it seemed to me, at the time, that even a small advantage gained when boarding or defending a ship, could be significant. Whether the designers of the sword had that in mind when this sword type was first made seems a little unlikely, but the advantage might have been noted and might, in part, been responsible for popularity of this design type. I suppose you might know better.
The vacuum thing is a myth. Fullers are pretty much there entirely for structural reasons. Similar to I beams and corrugated cardboard or steel, it allows less steel to be used to reach the desired size and stiffness, making the overall weapon lighter.
You've missed the point. Something that exists for one purpose can have a serendipitous secondary use. As to the notion that the "vacuum thing" being a myth, this merely shows a lack of understanding of the physics. When a sword is withdrawn from a piercing, with the proviso that it is not a through and through, the skin will be drawn outward as the sword is pulled on, increasing the cavity without increasing the amount of air within it. The result must be a partial vacuum which resists withdrawal, just as the penetration of internal organs will. In the heat of battle, the life of the swordsman, no matter how competent may well depend on how fast he can withdraw his blade.
Can you show, other than by supposition, that it actually works that way? I've never seen a shred of actual experimental evidence that shows a vacuum formation, or that it has any effect on the ability of someone to withdraw a blade. The blade hitting and getting lodged in bone is a far more likely cause for any stuck blade. Given that fullers have been around for over a thousand years, if there were any actual truth to the myth, you'd think that eventually all combat blades would have come to have them, and that they'd become more common over time. Instead, they seem to be only placed on those blades that need them for structural reasons.
I don't get your emotional investment in this. I was merely commenting on a commentary I read at a museum display years ago, but neither I nor the commentator said or believed that the vacuum he spoke of was the sole or even the principal cause of withdrawal problems. Yours is what logicians and rhetoricians call the excluded middle fallacy, an argument where one insists on a or b, when a and b or even a,b and c may be true. But as to vacuum forming itself, the standard gas equation states that if temperature remains constant and volume increases, pressure decreases. This is not debatable. The creation of pressure and vacuum is how steam, diesel and gasoline engines work and work according to the standard gas equation. As to sword extraction, the only way that a partial vacuum could not occur is if the coefficient of friction between human tissue and steel were zero, a mythic state. The question is how significant it is, not whether it occurs. My only purpose in the post was to inquire of the presenter his opinion. The reason for my interest in sabers is that prior to WW II, my father was part of a special drill team that carried sabers for presentations. The army rule in those days was that if they issued you a weapon, you needed to qualify with it, even if it were used only for parade purposes. Thus my father obtained expert qualification with saber, though, of course, he never had to use it. When the war broke out there was little time to train in saber and the requirement to do so was dropped. But I believe that for other weapons the rule still holds.
@@donaldkaspersen3768: Another thing to keep in mind is that this is a Cavalry Sabre...and as such it's primary use was from horseback. I think the force exerted from a galloping horse would negate any minor vacuum force...making the issue completely moot. It sounds like the museum curator was simply full of shit!!! By the way...I believe Matt has weighed in on this question...and called bullshit on the theory.
Even in Costa Rica, they had a similar uniform to the french. During a war in 1856 against a USA army, some soldiers thought, they were french soldier´s aidding us
I have two of the Mle 1822 Tranformed 1882. Somehow, the French un-bent the blades, and scavenged the hilts, and scabbard fittings. This was the light cavalry replacement for the Mle 1822...It did not work out all that well....The blades often returned to curved whilst in the scabbards, and the French had to made new blades from scratch to replace the the transformed examples. But, they did spear point the transformed blades--finally!
OK, I think the Mle 1882 did not last long in service, as they are quite hard to find today, In 40 years of collecting, I have owned only 2 of this model, and two of the Transformed models. I suppose that this weapon might be easier to find in France or Europe. I like the Mle 1854 a lot more than the Mle 1882, those are easier to find in the US.
Did the people in Klingenthal began to forge blades because the place was called Klingenthal, or was the place called Klingenthal because there were blades forged?
The second. When it was founded in 1730 it was called the royal alsace blade factory (Manufacture Royale d'Armes Blanches d' Alsace). Alsace was - and partly is - german speaking, and the factory was located there because the king hired skilled bladesmiths from Solingen.
Could the shape of the point have something to do with the removal of the sword from a victim in a pass during a charge ? I imagine that a straight spear-point sword would just stick in like a skewer and be wrenched from a user's hand in passing !
Speaking of nations copying French swords... As a viewer from across the pond, can you do a video about the British 1822 light cav sabre vs the US 1833 dragoon? They seem almost identical and it seems to be the only US sword not based or directly copied from a French design... it'd be interesting to find out why!
But if your galloping along bent forward the curve of the last third of the sword and point would sort of become parallel to the ground. Wasnt this sword designed to be used on horseback?
I love your videos and I'd be curious to know what do you think about the sword fight scenes of one of my all time favorite movies: "The Duelist" from Ridley Scott (from a Conrad novel). I'd be extremely grateful if you could answer.
How do you secure lose grip wire? I have a Japanese Kyu-gunto ca WW1 (with a western style factory made blade) where this needs to be done, along with making a new leather washer... the hilt is really loose and I want to tighten the lot up without destroying the original grips as I use it to run drills. What's your advice?
Very nice blades in hoping that's a plum patina on the French 22 and not rust, I'm not one to destroy 100-200 years worth of time patina but if that's rust you need to clean it, rust will destroy a blade and there's no coming back from the damage,you need to get rid of the surface rust (if that's what it is ) it can be done without total loss of the patina,rust will turn it into worthless scrap...please take care of those blades, if that's rust it's making me cringe if it's a plum attic patina then that's fine
@@scholagladiatoria: Hey Matt...I took your advise and bought a "mint" 1822. never sharpened...with no nicks, dings or scratches. However...like most I've seen...the scabbard was painted black sometime in the 19th century. Do you have any info about why they did this? And how difficult would it be to restore to shiny steel...or should I just leave it alone? Help needed...thanks for your invaluable channel.
Regarding the emphasis on stabbing with a curved rather than straight blade, in this video a gendarme of the French Republican Guard, which still uses (original) 1822 models, says the curve was meant to stab while clearing the horse's head... ua-cam.com/video/mpywEl1VKEM/v-deo.html (around the 3:15 mark). Not sure how accurate that is
ua-cam.com/video/KtzBsKbPkHA/v-deo.html At The 1 minute mark Pewds challenges another channel to a duel. Just figured I'd mention it remembering that video you made haha, made it way funnier for me.
Doc Holliday The US Model 1860 weighs about 2 lbs 4 ozs. There are no good replicas out there. The Cold Steel bizarrely uses the 1840 blade on the 1860 hilt.
If for whatever reason you have a high budget you might want to commition a historically accurate reproduction with the proper specifications from a competent blacksmith otherwise I have yet to see a good replica. Though the internet never ceases to surprise me with its ability to find anything, good luck.
The only decent replica is a limited edition of the 1906 model made by Windlass. The Windlass 1860 is actually a fairly decent light saber but it is NOT historically accurate.
08:34 well, thats a question i always ask myself: why does matt easton always grip his blades without any gloves etc. doesnt he fear corrosion by skin amino-acids ? as you understand way more than me about antiques, maybe you can explain that ?
Hi, Matt, On the french sabres subject, I'm wondering, have you ever had the chance to weild an infantry "briquet", and is it as bad and useless as is often said ?
Who says it's bad and useless? It's short, sure, but all originals I own are handling quite nicely and are well balanced. The regulation An XI pattern is pretty well balanced, as design goes. They are backup weapons, and can be used for light camp/bivouac chores, and also for chopping fascines and other branches to make gabions during sieges. It's also pretty idiot-proof, because of the brass single piece hilt. It makes sense as a backup infantry weapon, and occasional light duty tool, much more, for example, than the stupidly heavy and short 1831 infantry gladius. And because they were not given to all the infantry, but only to Grenadiers (the big guys, most often veterans with years, of not decades of service), and occasionally to Voltigeurs (short guys with a lighter pack, sent for reconnaissance and skirmishing, usually through difficult terrain), they were also badge of honour and morale boosters. Napoléon managed to mount a whole cult around them, as he would personally give a highly decorated briquet to a trooper who would have achieved some exceptional feat of courage and bravery. He was basically the most powerful man alive back then, and he would personally hand an honorific saber to a soldier who might have been a factory worker or a simple peasant a few months ago. A bit of that prestige was in each briquet, and especially to Voltigeurs, Napoléon would often threaten to remove them their briquet after a defeat or something. They acted as morale boosters, and things to be worthy of carrying.
It doesn't change the fact they're poorly balanced, over weighted for their rather diminutive size ( not as bad as the infantry gladius but still) and frankly make poor weapons. Honestly if I needed a melee weapon that bad as a french soldier I'd gladly use my bayonet instead and I think bayonets were pointless.
Many historians and officiers reports say so. I can't cite names as I don't have any poping up in my head right now, but whether it be from old books, historical magazines or tv documentaries, I've always read/heard that they were solid *tools* and, yes, honorary attributes, but poorly concieved weapons. Even internet forums dedicated to napoleonic wars seem to abide by that. To be honest, that has always bugged me (I can't fathom why you would ever send soldiers to war with a butter knife as a sidearm), and part of me is quite certain its current bad reputation comes in the wake of the later infantry gladius' (the infamous "coupe-choux") own, but I've never held any kind of sword in my life and never even seen an actual briquet, so I'm only left with questions and other people's reports.
The irony of this channel is that you've really gotten me into French military history and french swords since I started watching
I'm one of the 'some' that like a good clean up video on a sword, thus making me part of one of the smallest special interests groups on the planet. 'Bright & Enlightened not Dull & Sad' is our motto.
The video where he cleaned and uncovered the Wootz pattern on that tulwar made me want to weep in awe. Can I join your club?
No references needed, you're in, unless you get caught without a pair a Marigolds then you're out.
Afterwards, we can watch Greg's Airplanes about turbosupercharging in various WW2 aero engines :)
Right there with you.
I also hail from this sorry race
Another interesting fact to the french 1822 sabre. The prussians captured a great number of those during the franco-prussian war and used the blades and scabbards for the Ulanensäbel M/73 (eng. lancers sabre model 73). These french bladed sabres stayed in prussian service until the mid 1890s.
Interesting, I didn't know that. Thanks.
They also used a large number of captured Chassepots and bayonets too. IIRC, The Prussians captured a fully stocked arsenal in Alsace at the start of the war.
I have two of the Ulanensaebeln M 1873. It took me a while to figure out why they had the French cursive etch on the top of the blade. The Refitted French scabbard was a clue as well, the Germans removed the rivets and installed the usual German screws. I do not know if they used the French wood strips over again, or made new ones.
Collaboration, when?
Congratulations on 200k
Thanks!
May the force be with you.
@@scholagladiatoria: Hey Matt...could you direct me to your other videos pertaining to these two swords? I've looked around in your video list...but can't seem to find them...cheers!
Between this man and Ian from Forgotten Weapons, they should have a full collection of French military arms soon...
I have owned several 1860 Lt cav sabres. US Sabres and the French 1822 thrusts quite well. It is just curved enough to slash well and just straight enough to thrust well. Plus, a curved blade just is elegant and beautiful.
A video about light cavalry sabres used on foot could be interesting. I’ve read, looking up the US 1860, that in that conflict many infantry officers elected to use the government issued light cavalry sabre (based on the French 1822 of course) so they wouldn’t have to buy their sword out of pocket, and I’ve always wondered how good they were in that role.
My great grandfather served during the 1870 franco-prussian war. He owned this model as a secondary weapon in a "dragon" regiment (light cavalry and infantry combat). He later integrated the Guarde Republicaine and funny enough they still use this sabre to this day. We inherited the original sabre and restored it to its full glory.
Matt, I have suggestion on your videos. When referencing markings o the sword or scabbard, maybe taking a close-up "still" shot, and merge it into the video the way you do with "reference" artwork like "illuminations" that would eliminate the need for bringing the sword, scabbard, knife, dagger ect. in for a close-up and having the camera try to focus on it! Just a suggestion of course.
The person who insists they are never wrong about history doesn't understand what history means.
Huggin and Muninn , those pesky crows. Sometimes one or the other of them flies on broken wing. Sometimes people lie. How are we ever to get the (hi)story right?
Egypt also used this style of sword. Their late 19th century contracts for the pattern were fulfilled by Wilkinson. I think Mexico also used a sabre in the style of the M1822.
France was so pivital to the formation of the USA. So much of our history and military doctrine are intertwined with France.
Yes, then they turned around and tried to fuck us. But I still like them. Except their goddamn language. Its too fanciful.
Yep. It's fascinating to me.
Another interesting thing about the French 1822 is that the Finns bought massive numbers of them post World War 1 and issued them to the Finnish cavalry. In Finland they were shortened by cutting 12 cm off of the tip of the blade and the tip was then reground to a point. Most of them had 2 of the three guards cut off, but some still survive that have the original guard left intact. They were later manufactured by the Germans for the Finns by such companies as Carl Eickerhorn, Weyerberg, Kirschbaum & Co, E & F Hörster, F. V. Höller, Alexander Coppel GmbH & Co and so on.
Matt please tackle both the US 1840 and 1860 Cavalry sabers! 🤠
Hells yeah, I'd love to see Matt's opinion of Old Wristbreaker. XD
What a lovely shaped sword, it just looks the business. I collect knives and appreciate a well-formed piece, this sword can speak for itself, Intimidating like a deadly looking weapon can do. The French have always done things a little bit differently, and good style is usually quite high in French design. I am sure you will treat it, with TLC, and it will look its part. Watch a lot of your vids, don't think I have seen it before, just love the look of sabres.
I have one in "mint" never sharpened condition. They're a beautifully balanced...and wonderfully designed sabre. You're absolutely right..."it just looks the business"!!! No wonder countries from across the world copied it's design. Do yourself a favor and get yourself one in nice condition...you won't regret it. By the way...in Europe they're relatively inexpensive.
I learned a lot of information from you. I now know I have the exact same sword as in the video.
Gotta admit if you are going to copy fashion like uniforms and designs, you can't go wrong with French.
Hey there, Mat. I very much enjoy your show. Only one sligth mishap in Minute 2.03: During the 1850es Russia did not invade the Crimea, it invaded Walachia, belonging to the Ottomans. That let to an Allied Army coming in to aid the turks, cause Britain and France hated the idea of Russia ruling the straits. After Austria forced a Russian withdrawl, the Allied Anglo-French Armies invaded the Crimea more or less because they had nothing else to do with it. Best regards, and keep on telling us about swords.
Nice catch. This isn't anywhere close to my area of expertise, but if you examine Parliament-related correspondence from the preceding few decades, Britain had some concerns (probably not terribly well-founded) that Russia had designs on territory all the way down to Egypt. British finances from trade in China and India passed through Egypt from the Red Sea from at least the 18th century, and even in pre-Suez canal times, loss of the Red Sea waterway access would probably have bankrupted the British Empire. The reality is likely that stable overland Red Sea access depended on providing military support to the Ottoman Empire and other regional players, who were in constant conflict with Russia. Britain was in considerable debt for all this for much of the 19th century, and when you add in things like balancing trade between gold and silver standard currencies and the inability of gold and especially silver production to increase at the same rate as international trade, it was all a bit of a mess.
Many of these have ended up in Finland as well, after gaining independence they were the first officer sword given to military until domestically produced one was made.
Don't let Lindeybeige see this one!!
He will appear in the room and break it with intense rhetoric
Beige is shit
I have a French model 1822 light cavalry sabre made by the German company Weyersberg. This model was adopted by several countries. thanks for the video.
Looking forward now to the clean up and 1821 videos. Keep it coming!
I *love* the Mle 1822 LC as well. I have two. An 1880 Chatellerault trooper, and an officer's model with a heavily engraved and gilt pattern-welded Solingen blade.
Noice on 200k! I think I came around when he was at 67k
I hope he never stops growing, and making great videos for us ^_^
Hi Matt! Love your channel!
I find really interesting all of your videos, and opening the field to other countries seems a great idea. Looking forward to that comparison video you've talked about!
Maybe sometime a Spanish sword can feature in your reviews? True that by the 19thC the empire was lost, but some late 18thC and Napoleonic era swords are very interesting, we went through a century of civil wars... And there's Toledo!
Warm regards from Madrid, from a true 3-year fan.
I always look forward to your videos. Excellent content; thanks for all the effort.
Sean Bean suddenly appears, takes the blade, feels it and says "....still sharp".
I think it's awesome you listen to other people and will re-do a whole video just to get it right. I love Memoir on Swords, thanks for the recommendation. You should do a video on the US 1860 patter saber and Griffith's saber from Berserk. Both are iconic and well-known, plus it's your specialty.
Thank you Matt, this is another video that has helped me find out what some of the swords I got from my uncle. I wonder though as the only markings on them are two double digit numbers on two parts of the hilt.
Nice details pointed out and nice sabre there.
Thank you.
I think for the influence of French sword design, you forget one factor: simple aesthetic preference. France was considered the centre of fashion and there's a not negligible element of fashion to how a nation dresses and equips its soldiers. I'm sure the elegant clean lines of French swords like this played a part in their popularity worldwide.
You just have to look at the Rafale fighter... Mr Dassault always said a good fighter has to be beautiful and elegant ;)
I like the French model saber, it looks very well made and solid.
Yes they're absolutely fabulous. I have one in "mint" unsharpened condition...it's a lovely sabre!!!
Great video! Looking forward to the comparison video!
Just purchased this sword and it was manufactured in July of 1827, I wish all historical artifacts had dates on them 😂
imitation is the sincerest compliment. and america gave france one hell of a compliment with this sword.
32 mins? This is gonna be good!
I believe the US 1840 Heavy Cavalry was the original US recreation/adaptation of the French 1822. The US 1860 heavy cavalry is a continuation of the theme with a bit of handle design modification and a shorter round backed blade which is less beefy (1840 has a very square back). which actually feels a bit more "user friendly" than the US 1840HC IMO. I have an 1840 design (in less than ideal condition) that I am cleaning up a bit - ironically it is of German manufacturing. The 1840HC is the sword nicknamed "Old Wrist-Breaker", but I see some people using that nickname to describe the 1860 Heavy Cavalry, as well. The 1860 HC is about 1.5" shy of the overall length of the 1840 HC.
Yay! Another cleaning video!
Hey Matt, question on the Estoc (giant Smallsword). If that is essentially a scaled up smallsword with a three bar hilt is that essentially a cavalry rapier? Or is there some difference in how the swords handle?
A comparison between this and some German/Prussian models would be most welcome, Matt!
A little unrelated, but I've been wondering about this for a while: where did you get your winged/lugged/boar spear in the background? It looks really well made, and I'm looking to try and get a similarly long-bladed spear myself.
It's made by Hanwei. The wood of the shaft is not good, but the head is okay.
Hi mat interesting video as usual. I have a question about sabres in general. In my mind and I think a lot of people not specifically interested in swords a sabre is a cavalry weapon that can if it must be used on foot. However as you learn more it becomes clear that there where extensive systems for using a sabre dismounted. So my question really is how did these to roles interact both in the design of the sabres and developing the systems of use? Has the need to be used on foot made they less effective calvary or blades or vice versa or is the sabre a nearly perfect balance of the two?
This is very relevant to my interests, as the saying goes. I inherited 2 pristine examples of this sword (the Chatellerault version) from my dad who passed away in 1996. I remember him saying that these should not be sharpened (both of mine have unsharpened edges), and that to not to polish the handle either, "to preserve the patina" :-). Unfortunately one the scabbards has been lost in time.
I recently purchased a "mint" condition unsharpened example from Chatellerault. Thank you...I think I'll take your father's advice and leave it unsharpened and unpolished...it seems like wise advice. By the way...were your scabbards blackened or shiny steel?
Sorry for the ever so slight delay in replying... the one scabbard I still have left was once shiny. The blackened version looks really cool in pictures, but I will still not be modifying or cleaning mine.
switzerland and i think belgium had it too. I own a 1822 infantry saber who was used by the swiss army. thank you for making a video about my favorite sabre :). I'd be interested what you think about the 1822 infantry saber
That was great. Thank you for your work.
Excellent video.
i have a couple French sabers which are a year 9 a la chasseur with a back strap and a hussar year vi with a back strap
The hammer grip was more commonly used than the saber grip for this sword even though their wielders were known to favor the thrust? Wouldn't they hold the sword in a saber grip when thrusting?
What is the difference between an 1800's era sabre such as the US model 1860 light cavalry sabre and a fencing saber? When I look on-line at fencing sabres they appear to look just like fencing foils to my untrained eye. Thanks. Love your channel.
Since you keep mentioning dragoons and their sabres, I was wondering what weapon model is featured on the logo of the beer named after that regiment. Does it look accurate?
Hi Matt, thank you for another great video. Just a thought. Why dont you make a video talking and presenting your favorite swords from your collection? A top 5 sounds like a good number.
Is it possible that thrusting from horseback gets less advantage from having a straight blade with a spear point?
I mean, you can't keep the blade perfectly in front of you anyway, unless you want to crash your horse into the target, so you need to keep you arm a bit off-line to the side (and also a bit downwards, I suppose, at least against infantry).
It seems to me that a (slightly) curved blade would help that rather than hinder, letting you to keep the sword a bit angled (also, less impact stress on the wrist, maybe?) while still having the point perfectly aligned to the horse's movement.
Anyone here experienced in mounted swordsmanship that can share their thoughts?
Just from the top of my mind: If it did offer a significant advantage, we wouldn't find so many straight cavalry swords and would at least find some lances trying to gain this advantage by design. I think it's more of a compromise in design.
You don't want to leave your sword stuck in some clown, you want to chop a big slice into them and move on.
Seán O'Nilbud, you don't "chop a big slice" with a thrust. (You don't leave your sword stuck either, obviously.)
I think a straight blade would be much more difficult to recover from a deep thrust wound; in the manuals (from after the Napoleonic era, though) I saw last summer, the cavalryman would indeed present the point on the side of the horse and turn his wrist (and the blade in the wound) as he was passing the thrustee, bringing it upwards backhand to avoid losing it (I think. My memory is unclear on some details).
However, cuts were clearly far more common, whatever Bonaparte might have said. Besides, he had his Lancers whose armament was definitely more of the stabby-thrusty kind.
I think I was here when you had around 10k subs. Congrats on the 200k.
Thanks for staying with the channel.
What about the ''bancal'' heavy cavalry sword ? Does it share the same features ?
4 bar guard...slightly longer and straighter blade. sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/49757/french-cavalry-swords-holy-trinity
Hey Matt, I hope to see some wootz pattern reveal some time in the near future.
Many years ago I was in a museum in New York, that was featuring at the time display materials related to Commodore Perry's visit to Japan. In one section was Japanese lacquered armor and katanas. Counterpoised to these was an American uniform, etc. and an officer's sword. The display notes noted the second fuller on the sword and stated that when a man attempted to remove a sword that had penetrated deep into the body cavity, there was a weak though significant vacuum that resisted removal of a fuller-less and single fuller blade and there was a way to remove a blade with two fullers more rapidly. If memory serves, it was a wrist movement which allowed air back into the cavity.
Being a pre-engineering student at the time, I was interested in vacuums, so the sword display has stayed with me to this day. As to the veracity of the statement, I am not qualified to evaluate, but it seemed to me, at the time, that even a small advantage gained when boarding or defending a ship, could be significant. Whether the designers of the sword had that in mind when this sword type was first made seems a little unlikely, but the advantage might have been noted and might, in part, been responsible for popularity of this design type. I suppose you might know better.
The vacuum thing is a myth. Fullers are pretty much there entirely for structural reasons. Similar to I beams and corrugated cardboard or steel, it allows less steel to be used to reach the desired size and stiffness, making the overall weapon lighter.
You've missed the point. Something that exists for one purpose can have a serendipitous secondary use. As to the notion that the "vacuum thing" being a myth, this merely shows a lack of understanding of the physics. When a sword is withdrawn from a piercing, with the proviso that it is not a through and through, the skin will be drawn outward as the sword is pulled on, increasing the cavity without increasing the amount of air within it. The result must be a partial vacuum which resists withdrawal, just as the penetration of internal organs will. In the heat of battle, the life of the swordsman, no matter how competent may well depend on how fast he can withdraw his blade.
Can you show, other than by supposition, that it actually works that way? I've never seen a shred of actual experimental evidence that shows a vacuum formation, or that it has any effect on the ability of someone to withdraw a blade. The blade hitting and getting lodged in bone is a far more likely cause for any stuck blade.
Given that fullers have been around for over a thousand years, if there were any actual truth to the myth, you'd think that eventually all combat blades would have come to have them, and that they'd become more common over time. Instead, they seem to be only placed on those blades that need them for structural reasons.
I don't get your emotional investment in this. I was merely commenting on a commentary I read at a museum display years ago, but neither I nor the commentator said or believed that the vacuum he spoke of was the sole or even the principal cause of withdrawal problems. Yours is what logicians and rhetoricians call the excluded middle fallacy, an argument where one insists on a or b, when a and b or even a,b and c may be true. But as to vacuum forming itself, the standard gas equation states that if temperature remains constant and volume increases, pressure decreases. This is not debatable. The creation of pressure and vacuum is how steam, diesel and gasoline engines work and work according to the standard gas equation.
As to sword extraction, the only way that a partial vacuum could not occur is if the coefficient of friction between human tissue and steel were zero, a mythic state. The question is how significant it is, not whether it occurs. My only purpose in the post was to inquire of the presenter his opinion.
The reason for my interest in sabers is that prior to WW II, my father was part of a special drill team that carried sabers for presentations. The army rule in those days was that if they issued you a weapon, you needed to qualify with it, even if it were used only for parade purposes. Thus my father obtained expert qualification with saber, though, of course, he never had to use it. When the war broke out there was little time to train in saber and the requirement to do so was dropped. But I believe that for other weapons the rule still holds.
@@donaldkaspersen3768: Another thing to keep in mind is that this is a Cavalry Sabre...and as such it's primary use was from horseback. I think the force exerted from a galloping horse would negate any minor vacuum force...making the issue completely moot. It sounds like the museum curator was simply full of shit!!! By the way...I believe Matt has weighed in on this question...and called bullshit on the theory.
Great video as always! Would love to hear your thoughts on the prussian m1852 if you ever feel like covering it.
Even in Costa Rica, they had a similar uniform to the french. During a war in 1856 against a USA army, some soldiers thought, they were french soldier´s aidding us
I have two of the Mle 1822 Tranformed 1882. Somehow, the French un-bent the blades, and scavenged the hilts, and scabbard fittings. This was the light cavalry replacement for the Mle 1822...It did not work out all that well....The blades often returned to curved whilst in the scabbards, and the French had to made new blades from scratch to replace the the transformed examples. But, they did spear point the transformed blades--finally!
The model was also hated by cavalrymen, who in many instances plainly refused to adopt it.
Maxime; Do you refer to the Cavalrie Lourde Model? "Bancal"
No the 1882.
OK, I think the Mle 1882 did not last long in service, as they are quite hard to find today, In 40 years of collecting, I have owned only 2 of this model, and two of the Transformed models. I suppose that this weapon might be easier to find in France or Europe. I like the Mle 1854 a lot more than the Mle 1882, those are easier to find in the US.
Okay you cleared it up you have a plan to rescue, be sure to post that video
Did the people in Klingenthal began to forge blades because the place was called Klingenthal, or was the place called Klingenthal because there were blades forged?
The second. When it was founded in 1730 it was called the royal alsace blade factory (Manufacture Royale d'Armes Blanches d' Alsace). Alsace was - and partly is - german speaking, and the factory was located there because the king hired skilled bladesmiths from Solingen.
Can you do the japanese version of the 1822 the one with a katanaesque blade?
Could the shape of the point have something to do with the removal of the sword from a victim in a pass during a charge ? I imagine that a straight spear-point sword would just stick in like a skewer and be wrenched from a user's hand in passing !
Please do the Prussian 1852 vs the French LC 1822 vid!
Second this idea
I'm currently restoring a 1822 cavalry sabre 😅
Russia DID NOT invade the Crimea in Crimean war. It was Russian territory sinse 18th century. Russia invaded the Ottoman empire.
Correct. Russia didn't invade Crimea until 2014.
Being Greek American... Fuck the Ottomans
Speaking of nations copying French swords... As a viewer from across the pond, can you do a video about the British 1822 light cav sabre vs the US 1833 dragoon? They seem almost identical and it seems to be the only US sword not based or directly copied from a French design... it'd be interesting to find out why!
EDIT 1821, sorry...
We have an original 1822 french saber. #936 to be exact.
But if your galloping along bent forward the curve of the last third of the sword and point would sort of become parallel to the ground. Wasnt this sword designed to be used on horseback?
I love your videos and I'd be curious to know what do you think about the sword fight scenes of one of my all time favorite movies: "The Duelist" from Ridley Scott (from a Conrad novel). I'd be extremely grateful if you could answer.
Didn't this sabre's predecessor, the AN XI, have not only a backstrap but also those weird side buttons on the grip?What are those by the way?
Would you ever spray luminol on your blades and look under black light for blood to confirm if used in battle?
Wasn't there a Belgian Calvary sword which had a similar handle like the 1822?
Yep, I have one. Beautiful sabre ;). I got the 1822-84 modification. The only change is that it has only 1 ring on the scabbard.
Btw they also had French supplied m1822 sabres.
a timely reminder, pointing out the lack of a video on the US 1860...
How do you secure lose grip wire? I have a Japanese Kyu-gunto ca WW1 (with a western style factory made blade) where this needs to be done, along with making a new leather washer... the hilt is really loose and I want to tighten the lot up without destroying the original grips as I use it to run drills. What's your advice?
Musketeers on 18th century used rapiers,foil,or sabers??
You should start a melee fight leaghe where each team uses beyonettes except for each teams officer, who gets a sword
Shouldnt you compare this to the british 1853 sword or the 1864?
Very nice blades in hoping that's a plum patina on the French 22 and not rust, I'm not one to destroy 100-200 years worth of time patina but if that's rust you need to clean it, rust will destroy a blade and there's no coming back from the damage,you need to get rid of the surface rust (if that's what it is ) it can be done without total loss of the patina,rust will turn it into worthless scrap...please take care of those blades, if that's rust it's making me cringe if it's a plum attic patina then that's fine
Would like to know what is worth?
Are there any short sabers like that UK police saber in France?
matt, if they have duralumin alloy back then, would marey recommends it as the hilt material?
What makes this different from the anix/xi
Sorry I found you already made a video on that topic
Matt you never did the us cavalry sword you promised us
Has time ended?
@@scholagladiatoria haha no! Was just curious lol 😊 btw i knew i get your attention by commentin on an older video 😉 haha
@@scholagladiatoria: Hey Matt...I took your advise and bought a "mint" 1822. never sharpened...with no nicks, dings or scratches. However...like most I've seen...the scabbard was painted black sometime in the 19th century. Do you have any info about why they did this? And how difficult would it be to restore to shiny steel...or should I just leave it alone? Help needed...thanks for your invaluable channel.
Regarding the emphasis on stabbing with a curved rather than straight blade, in this video a gendarme of the French Republican Guard, which still uses (original) 1822 models, says the curve was meant to stab while clearing the horse's head... ua-cam.com/video/mpywEl1VKEM/v-deo.html (around the 3:15 mark). Not sure how accurate that is
New video yeh yeh 😁😁
where can i buy one of these?
ua-cam.com/video/KtzBsKbPkHA/v-deo.html At The 1 minute mark Pewds challenges another channel to a duel. Just figured I'd mention it remembering that video you made haha, made it way funnier for me.
Maybe, the officers knew the sword was good at cutting, but they wanted that there is a 'point' for Thrusting too? The ladies like a good thrust!
How heavy should a us cavalry saber be? I'm trying to find a historically accurate replica.
Doc Holliday The US Model 1860 weighs about 2 lbs 4 ozs. There are no good replicas out there. The Cold Steel bizarrely uses the 1840 blade on the 1860 hilt.
If for whatever reason you have a high budget you might want to commition a historically accurate reproduction with the proper specifications from a competent blacksmith otherwise I have yet to see a good replica. Though the internet never ceases to surprise me with its ability to find anything, good luck.
If it is based on this 1822 maybe look for a replica of it? If it isn't original than specs should be close enough.
Thanks y'all. I appreciate the input.
The only decent replica is a limited edition of the 1906 model made by Windlass. The Windlass 1860 is actually a fairly decent light saber but it is NOT historically accurate.
I have one in perfect shape, built in 1881, with its post 1887 sheath
Don't let Lloyd find out that you're fondling French goods.
Lindybeige is off to enlist in the Scallop War.
08:34
well, thats a question i always ask myself:
why does matt easton always grip his blades without any gloves etc.
doesnt he fear corrosion by skin amino-acids ?
as you understand way more than me about antiques, maybe you can explain that ?
My guess would be that Matt uses a quality microchrystalline wax.
Because he wipes it down afterwards. Rust doesn't appear a second you touch something.
Hi, Matt,
On the french sabres subject, I'm wondering, have you ever had the chance to weild an infantry "briquet", and is it as bad and useless as is often said ?
Who says it's bad and useless? It's short, sure, but all originals I own are handling quite nicely and are well balanced. The regulation An XI pattern is pretty well balanced, as design goes. They are backup weapons, and can be used for light camp/bivouac chores, and also for chopping fascines and other branches to make gabions during sieges. It's also pretty idiot-proof, because of the brass single piece hilt. It makes sense as a backup infantry weapon, and occasional light duty tool, much more, for example, than the stupidly heavy and short 1831 infantry gladius.
And because they were not given to all the infantry, but only to Grenadiers (the big guys, most often veterans with years, of not decades of service), and occasionally to Voltigeurs (short guys with a lighter pack, sent for reconnaissance and skirmishing, usually through difficult terrain), they were also badge of honour and morale boosters. Napoléon managed to mount a whole cult around them, as he would personally give a highly decorated briquet to a trooper who would have achieved some exceptional feat of courage and bravery. He was basically the most powerful man alive back then, and he would personally hand an honorific saber to a soldier who might have been a factory worker or a simple peasant a few months ago. A bit of that prestige was in each briquet, and especially to Voltigeurs, Napoléon would often threaten to remove them their briquet after a defeat or something. They acted as morale boosters, and things to be worthy of carrying.
It doesn't change the fact they're poorly balanced, over weighted for their rather diminutive size ( not as bad as the infantry gladius but still) and frankly make poor weapons. Honestly if I needed a melee weapon that bad as a french soldier I'd gladly use my bayonet instead and I think bayonets were pointless.
Many historians and officiers reports say so. I can't cite names as I don't have any poping up in my head right now, but whether it be from old books, historical magazines or tv documentaries, I've always read/heard that they were solid *tools* and, yes, honorary attributes, but poorly concieved weapons. Even internet forums dedicated to napoleonic wars seem to abide by that. To be honest, that has always bugged me (I can't fathom why you would ever send soldiers to war with a butter knife as a sidearm), and part of me is quite certain its current bad reputation comes in the wake of the later infantry gladius' (the infamous "coupe-choux") own, but I've never held any kind of sword in my life and never even seen an actual briquet, so I'm only left with questions and other people's reports.
Artillery only?
pretty sword
Attempt #2. What about Polish/Ukrainian/Cossack sabres? Cheers Folks!
unity brought me here
I have a reproduction made by the manufacturer BALP, France. The tip is quite different (beside other small details), pretty much like a sword blade.