i just bagged a late 1700s early 1800s ,blunderbuss carbine today matt,came back from crimean war lovely thing. Was in a museum here in devon, and they sold some things off, so i put in a bid and got her, with some old vellum parchments of the man who owned it, which is lovely.
As a French, I've had German as primary foreign language in school for seven years, and I'm always surprised by how English-speaking people pronounce German words. In the case of Blücher, I guess it doesn't help that English people don't have the [y] phoneme at all, but the "ch" becoming almost silent sounds rather dialectal. From what I've learnt, it's to be pronounced with the "cute ch", the one with the tongue high and forward in the mouth, as in MeerschweinCHen or MädCHen. Am I right? (now I imagine Mädchen pronounced "mad-hen")
@@MadNumForce Yes, you you are right. What makes Matt's attempts so funny is that at times he says "ü" right, other times "ch" but never at the same time. He knows that he pronounces the name wrong but not why. I carry myself with the idea of learning French. ... Chose Latin at school.
@@germanvisitor2 - I've been watching videos about German dialects, and it appears that I've simply been taught standard Hochdeutsch. Why English people learn dialectal variations is kind of weird. By the way, it's so good to listen to some German - I know I couldn't speak, but it's a pleasure to just ear it. It's a language I find so easy to pick, as all the sounds are very distinct and clear, and you can almost always look for a word you've heard, cause you can pretty much always figure out the spelling from what you've heard. And once you get used to this German things or gluing words together to mean something more specific and precise, you're kind of sad that it doesn't exist in your mother tongue or in English. I admire every foreigner who wants to learn French. Grammar is not too difficult unless you get into literature, but our phonology is relatively specific, and it becomes a real telltale sign of how much time a foreigner has been studying or practicing French. But French is rather rich, and I'd say that French and German are really complementary languages of philosophy. French is kind of the language for heated philosophical arguments. Now for everyday discussion, there isn't any specific beauty in the French language, and we tend to mangle words and speak rather fast, which on top of our unusual phonology makes things even more confusing to foreigners trying to learn the language. Latin will help with etymology, but of all romance languages, our phonology is the furthest from the root, and this is where lies the highest difficulty, I'd say. But I think I can humbly say we're champions of swearing and insults. It is simply impossible to run out of insults/swearings in French, and it flows effortlessly.
@@MadNumForce Well, they (usually) don’t. It’s just that some fairly common sounds in (standard) German are not present in (standard) English, and vice versa. Which means that native English speakers who have little practise speaking German /really/ struggle with pronouncing some German words. And the other way around as well, of course. Germans’ butchering the “th”-sound(s) isn’t a cliché for no reason at all, for example.
@@MadNumForce English does have a similar -ch sound like the 'h' in the beginning of 'huge' or 'Hugh', but it's at the beginning of the word, so putting it in the middle of a word like in Blücher may feel awkward.
If you guys are interested in a more detailed look at the prussian "Blücher-Sabre" or M 1811 you can watch my video about that sword. Great to see this topic here on such a big antique sword channel. Nice video!
Live and learn: „Marschall Vorwärts“ , (Marshal Forward) as Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher (* 16. December 1742 in Rostock; † 12. September 1819 in Krieblowitz) was popularly called, even made it into an idiom in German. "Rangehen wie die Blücher" - to tackle something like the Blücher - describes a stormily and rather resolute approach. Outdated nowadays, unfortunately. Cheers, JC
I want to see a Zombie-Movie in wich the protagonists have the final goal of reaching Matt Eastons house for all the sabres and then ending the Zombiethreat with a lot of gore.
Or Jorg Sparve's if you're in Germany. The Metatron's if you're in Italy or Sicily, and Skall's place if you're in the Eastern half of Canada. If you're in the US, then go to Texas and find Demo Ranch, that Matt doesn't have much in the way of swords, other melee weapons, or even improvised weapons but he does have a lot of guns.
Matt's sword shop would beat the hell out of the Winchester Pub as a final goal, IMO. And if all else fails, you can always commit Sepuku with one of his fantastic tanto or wakizashi. That would have to be better than being eaten alive by a bunch of mindless UK zombies...or by the Walking Dead, for that matter! 😉🤔🙂 I kid! I kid! I admire the UK greatly, I just couldn't resist the chance to fire off a patented Dad Joke! My company _Dad Jokes for Days_ prides itself on having dad jokes for days! 😉🙂😉🙂
Anyone noticed when he's sitting down the videos last longer? I think if he gets ill and has to lie down for a video we're going to break the hour mark.
I’ve actually found several 1796 light cavalry sabres here in Peru (south America). It appears our hussars used them during the 1820’s against the Spanish Royal Army. One example that was quite strange was that it was used in 1824 against the Spanish, then in 1840 during the Peruvian Civil War, and then in 1883 during the war against Chile.
Alot of 1796 light cavs were given to Mexico in time for the Mexican American war. By that point the US dragoons had stopped using domestic copies of the 1796 for awhile, though the US 1st Dragoons used copies in the 1812 period. For the Mexican war, some combination of 1833 US Dragoon sabers (copy of a roughly napoleanic French Hussar saber,) and the 1840 heavy cavalry "wrist breakers" were in use. Ofcourse by the civil war, 1860 light cavs (another French Hussar saber) were predominant, with a few 1840 heavy cavs about the place. Really amazing how long a service life the 1796 light cav had as a military assistance weapon in Latin America when compared to even the relatively slow procurement process of the US with swords, let alone France.
Up to 1989/90 a similar looking saber was used for ceremonies by the East German , Nationale Volksarmee'. Sabers of this style are still produced in Germany, some , Historische Bürgerwehren/ historic town guards' and target shooters societies/Schützenvereine' still use them.
I own "same" Blucher sword, just the version from 1848 (Shorter Blucher) and it's great! Really reccomend buying one. And by the way, the ,,youngest" M1811 date i saw was 1865
I just found you I've been binge-watching you're the man you know everything that I want to libraries to find I'm 58 years old I don't do good with technology but I really think you're something special much love from California to you and yours my brother
The grip looks designed for use with heavier gloves in Central European winters. Ditto with the heavy front strap, metal gets brittle when it's sub 0 for weeks at time, making it thicker would make it less likely to shatter.
The accidental virtue of the Blucher sabre IS that heavy guard...in a pinch you could womp somebody with it (head or chest) and they'd *know it" (and scarcely muss the guard).
Great vid on a great topic. I’ve got three 1796 troopers by different makers and one 1830-ish Blucher. The distal taper on the ‘96s is significantly more acute than on the Blucher. And the quillon on the 96s tapers to a much thinner “curl” than the Blucher. The Blucher is just more heavily built.
Yeah we all know why there is a shortage of 1796 on the market, because Nick Thomas is hoarding them all, and oiling them up at night and touching them in ways that are best left to the imagination.
Excuse my ignorance, but were these sword hilts designed to be usable when wearing gloves? I would think gloves would be essential in a German winter, let alone further east in Poland, Russia, etc.
Nice to see a weapon from Germany here once in a while (kudos for saying "Blücher" right, btw :) ). "Ich wünschte, es wäre Nacht oder die Preussen kommen." 😉
@@aysseralwan Well you cannot expect him to know the correct pronounciation of every swords name. It is funny that he keeps experimenting with it throughout the video, though.
@@germanvisitor2 yeah ofc I don't expect him to know the pronunciation but I just responded to the original comment that said he pronounced it correctly which is simply not true. It's nothing wrong with mispronouncing it but he shouldn't think he's pronouncing it correct through comments like this
What i have forgotten. In the mid 1800s the german military forces critisiced the not so good handprotection of this saber. By the time the german cavalry stopped using this saber, but the ,Reitende Artillerie'/ mounted artillery used it up to wwl. For reasons unknown to me, after the Versailles treaty the Reichswehr was only allowed to use this saber. So up to 1941 this saber was used by german cavallry.
@@scholagladiatoria If you want i can help you "decoding/translating" all the markings on the prussian blücher sabre. Maybe it helps if you want to sell this sword. Just send me some pictures to imperialgermanbayonets@gmail.com.Im more then happy to help. Cheers, Vincent.
I am reminded by this about how all the comments on the CS reproduction of the 1796 is actually far closer to the M1811 'Blücher'. Your comments and description make me think this all the more. Have you ever handled on of the CS blades, Matt?
Have you seen the movie "Born for the Saber"? The Polish saber featured looks very similar. I was interested by the mystique or culture around making special sabers for the elite, similar to the reverence for the Katana maker.
Hi I have just gone into my collection to get my 1796 and have now discovered that I have a Blucher with scabard. It has the markings R.A.M. 18.21 on the ears of the hilt the same duplicated on the scabard.
30 years ago I had the opportunity to purchase a Blücher saber with the chamber stamp of the Leibhusaren for only 1100 German marks and I didn't take the opportunity. the value with the chamber stamp of the Leibhusaren is probably a multiple today
So this is a old video but I wanted to comment on it to point something out i haven't seen others point out. The cold steel 1796 might be modeled on a Blücher not a British 1796 which could account for it it not handling properly. In one of Cold steels promotional videos for the 1796 they even call it multiple times the 1796 Blücher with a hilariously bad American pronunciation, but a Blücher nonetheless. I have to wonder if they had a original Blücher that they used as its design influence. How would the cold steel 1796 compare to a historical Blücher might be a better measurement. If anyone has any input on this I would greatly appreciate it.
I have a new made Prussian Mod 1811, the date on the blade is 1883. It is not a Mod 1848, it is almost identical to the one you have in this video. This is not a rebuild of an earlier saber, it is made new as a Mod 1811. I have seen English made blades with Prussian hilts, and English made Blücher sabers that were marked for Prussian units...In the 1830's, the Prussians did a general rebuild of all of these on hand, and also made new sabers. Mostly they used the heavier Prussian hilts, and made new scabbards for the earlier models.
Did the Prussian use of the lance have a role in the m1811 remaining in service for so long? Has anyone compared the differences between that saber and the model that the Prussian used before it, it might be a hybrid between that model and the p1796.
I have a M1811 that I found in the attic of a house I bought back in the 1990's. The scabbard appears to match the sabre with its numbers. On the hilt I have the numbers which appear to be 10.TP.1.57 Can anyone advise what they mean? Where can I find the date of mfg. I noticed on the spline of the sabre, there are numbers up close to the hilt 1142. If anyone has info would be appreciated.
Blücher, AKA "Marshall Vorwärts!". Not even able to master written German, but with a visceral hatred of the French and the Prussian spirit of aggression. Fortunate for him he had Scharnhorst as CoS to turn the map the right way up for him 😉
Blücher was no military genius, that is true. However, when he told his men "ran und immer feste druff" that was exactly what they did. Sometimes all it takes is a commander with authority.
Matt: I have the Bavarian version, which you need to see, in 1830's Bavaria and Saxony adopted this weapon, but they changed the grip and hilt design to conform with your preferences...They did not like the fat grip either!! I have no complaints about the pronunciation of the notorious umlauted U....It takes a while to get used to the German" Ü" !
Looks like the post Napoleonic Blucher being the heavier type circ. 1830's. I had an 1831 dated Blucher and it was substantial. Earlier Blucher swords are much lighter.
My elderly neighbor had the hilt to some German saber his dad had brought home to Louisiana from WWI. He used it to hack down bamboo cane til it wore out and broke. They were wealthy and intelligent people but I always thought that was kinda dumb
I have a sword I cant tell if it a Blühker or a 1796. Has half of the things Matt say is Blühker and the other half is 1796. One thing is it has no ears on the grip, always wondered about that?
I think the correct pronunciation is ''Blyscher'' for Blücher...lol That was also the name of a German battleship that was sunk in the Oslo Fjord in Norway 9 April, 1940. "Blücher" was a German cruiser, the second of five ships of the Admiral Hipper class, launched on 8 June, 1937.
As for governments buying overbuilt products, the modern example I always think of is the description of the original HMMWV as "Designed to be driven by an 18 year old who didn't pay for it." Also related, which resonated as a Marine NCO, "You can give a naked Private in a padded room two steel ball bearings, and in an hour he'll have lost one and broken the other."
Actually he used several different swords through out the BBC series. Sometimes it was actually part of the plot like the one that was reworked by Harper after he lost his. Other times it was just a different prop sword. In the books however his sword is rarely described.
@@chadfalardeau9162 Politely I have to disagree. It was quite some time since I have read books from Sharpe series but I checked it 5 minutes ago and in the Sharpe´s Eagle it is said that he has heavy cavalry sword.
When you refer to the British war debt being paid until recently I believe you are talking about payment for hardware that the British chose to receive delivery of after the war's end.
Some of it was, but the lend-lease act only came in in 1941, the UK had amassed quite a debt by that point anyway, and couldn't afford to keep buying equipment, food and oil. When the act was repealed after the war the UK had to pay for equipment which was not covered by the act, such as some in transit.
@@bubsnicket Correct, but you also took a loan and a line of credit at war's end that was to be repaid over 50 years starting in 1950. One often hears the claim from Brits that the US charged them for war assistance while we were fighting the Axis together. I don't think that's true.
Would love to know if you had to pick. Either a soldiers sword or an officers sword to depend upon in a post apocalypse world, which would choose? Generally speaking of course!!!
Matt, came across a disclaimer on "kult of athena" (a site that sells repro swords) saying that curved swords are restricted in England nbow. Is this true and if so is it a problem? Sounds ridiculous to me but wondering if it is the case... as in my experience people who ban stuff usually don't understand it [how many literate people support banning books lol]. Given the urban legend that the French complained about the curved 1796 and blucher's "horrific" wounds, this seems an appropriate vid to ask the question on... is this true or just a rumor?
Entirely true I'm afraid. The Law against "Curved Swords" was brought in to prevent gangs of youths and young men, mainly in certain areas of London, but also some other big cities to a lesser degree, usually involved in the drug trade, from using reproduction Samurai swords in turf wars. Why did it not apply to straight swords? Because of Scottish Pipe Bands' Scottish Basket Hilted Broadswords, Medieval Re-enactment, and English (now British) Civil War Re-enactment. It applies to curved swords with blades longer than 18 inches. They apparently had a problem using the term Samurai Sword because they were not only used by Samurai, so they just said "Curved Swords". If you already had reproduction Curved Swords then you can keep them, but you are not allowed to sell or give them to anyone else. They can be inherited however. Antique (over 100 years) curved swords are not covered by the act. Collectors of British military swords are thus not affected, because there have been none with curved blades made since 1908 over a hundred years ago. However there are German and Polish, as well as Russian swords that have curved blades that are less than this, so those collectors could be affected if they wanted to sell or add to their collection. There were also Indian Cavalry Regiments that had Curved swords up to 1939. Funnily enough you are now allowed to buy a new Samurai Sword as long as the blade is made in the traditional Japanese way, with successively folded steel blades. The ones used by the gangs were passable, but were just tempered steel blades. They had become fairly common as decorative items in the UK due to the success of Japanese films and Hollywood films about Samurais as well as films such as Kill Bill; most were not full tang and some were chrome plated 'monkey metal', that looked good on the window sill or on a sideboard or bookcase.
Ah. Now I understand why the Cold Steel "1796" is virtually indistinguishable from an antique Prussian sabre. I've laid the two side-by-side, and my friend and I took turns cutting with each one and they felt identical. I suppose Cold Steel, being in the "Land of the Lawsuit," simply overbuilt their sword for the same reason government-issue swords were: to minimize the probability of breakage by clumsy users.
I think you miss a massive point when comparing how the Blucher feels to the 1796 model. I think it's unfair to state that you don't like the Blucher for it's heavier handle and bulkier feel. It's a CAVALRY Sabre! Of course it's going to be heavy and thick! It's not designed for daintily prancing around like a fairy pretending to be Captain Jack Sparrow! You swing it from a horse back or you don't swing it. The Blucher is exceptionally THICC! ~Matt 2019
Matt, You should become a pianist or guitarist having long fingers. I have played piano for 30 years and I'm giving up... Frustrated with being short with shorter fingers and Psoriatic Arthritis.
Can someone for once and for all tell me the exact pronunciation of Blucher. I have heard so many different pronunciations it's starting to make my head hurt. I have been pronouncing it Booker for years as I thought the L somewhat silent. Someone on here must be German of Prussian decent and knows their dialects.
if you got enough conscripts with time to do stuff on their own. I am shure they will find a way to break a railway rail that is why NCO and officers exists.
During the Napoleonic war the British supplied a Prussian regiment with uniforms, the British besides not dying them red, did nothing to make them into a Prussian uniform and simply supplied them in the British cut. This led to the Prussian soldiers in that regiment to believe they had been sent the wrong uniforms by mistake, and that their was a British regiment marching around in Prussian uniforms somewhere. So the story goes anyway.
Yes, by the Artillery and Support troops. The line cavalry used the Mod 1852, and the Kürassieren used their French or Russian style Pallosch, depending on which regiment was equipped with which model...
Sir I need that sword in my life how can I make this happen you are the man if I would have known this 10 years ago I would already have my favorite sword
@Colin Cleveland my cold steel 1796 light cavalry Saber feels and handles like a crowbar. Came downright dull as well. Wish a decent company would make a modern reproduction in the $500ish range...
"German knock-off [...] British classic" Well, 1796 models are obviously based on East European sabers. This 1796 light looks like Polish Hussar saber for example, so it's a German knock-off of a British knock-off, at best.
The 3 morons that disliked this video think swords are offensive and rude........ on the other hand, i love your videos, best history lessons since college..... thank you.....
I have an old sword in relic condition that was found by a bottle collector here in the Carolinas. It was buried in the dirt, but, still has some of the wood from the grip present. It has all the characteristics of the 1796 LCS, with a 35 1/2 inch blade. I think some British swords were supplied to the Confederates during our civil war, and that's how one ended up buried within 100 miles of Charlotte. Does that sound plausible? I liked the first sword so much that I recently bought one in better condition. It's definitely not a Blucher, according to this video, but, what are the differences between the original 1796 LCS and the later swords on that model made by Mole manufacturing for the Indian army? As, you can tell, I'm pretty new at this, so if anyone has some information, I'd appreciate it.
@@wierdalien1 If you call Blücher a "mecklenburg general", you'd have to consider Masséna a General of Nice, Barclay de Tolly lithuanian etc. Blücher was never a General or in fact Marshal of any other nation than Prussia, although he did join the Swedish Army in his youth.
i just bagged a late 1700s early 1800s ,blunderbuss carbine today matt,came back from crimean war lovely thing. Was in a museum here in devon, and they sold some things off, so i put in a bid and got her, with some old vellum parchments of the man who owned it, which is lovely.
i must send you a picture when she arrives,shall do it via your site matt.
Matt: "Bluhker... Blucher... Blühker..."
It is a work in progress.
As a French, I've had German as primary foreign language in school for seven years, and I'm always surprised by how English-speaking people pronounce German words. In the case of Blücher, I guess it doesn't help that English people don't have the [y] phoneme at all, but the "ch" becoming almost silent sounds rather dialectal. From what I've learnt, it's to be pronounced with the "cute ch", the one with the tongue high and forward in the mouth, as in MeerschweinCHen or MädCHen. Am I right?
(now I imagine Mädchen pronounced "mad-hen")
@@MadNumForce
Yes, you you are right.
What makes Matt's attempts so funny is that at times he says "ü" right, other times "ch" but never at the same time. He knows that he pronounces the name wrong but not why.
I carry myself with the idea of learning French. ... Chose Latin at school.
@@germanvisitor2 - I've been watching videos about German dialects, and it appears that I've simply been taught standard Hochdeutsch. Why English people learn dialectal variations is kind of weird.
By the way, it's so good to listen to some German - I know I couldn't speak, but it's a pleasure to just ear it. It's a language I find so easy to pick, as all the sounds are very distinct and clear, and you can almost always look for a word you've heard, cause you can pretty much always figure out the spelling from what you've heard. And once you get used to this German things or gluing words together to mean something more specific and precise, you're kind of sad that it doesn't exist in your mother tongue or in English.
I admire every foreigner who wants to learn French. Grammar is not too difficult unless you get into literature, but our phonology is relatively specific, and it becomes a real telltale sign of how much time a foreigner has been studying or practicing French. But French is rather rich, and I'd say that French and German are really complementary languages of philosophy. French is kind of the language for heated philosophical arguments. Now for everyday discussion, there isn't any specific beauty in the French language, and we tend to mangle words and speak rather fast, which on top of our unusual phonology makes things even more confusing to foreigners trying to learn the language. Latin will help with etymology, but of all romance languages, our phonology is the furthest from the root, and this is where lies the highest difficulty, I'd say.
But I think I can humbly say we're champions of swearing and insults. It is simply impossible to run out of insults/swearings in French, and it flows effortlessly.
@@MadNumForce Well, they (usually) don’t.
It’s just that some fairly common sounds in (standard) German are not present in (standard) English, and vice versa.
Which means that native English speakers who have little practise speaking German /really/ struggle with pronouncing some German words. And the other way around as well, of course. Germans’ butchering the “th”-sound(s) isn’t a cliché for no reason at all, for example.
@@MadNumForce English does have a similar -ch sound like the 'h' in the beginning of 'huge' or 'Hugh', but it's at the beginning of the word, so putting it in the middle of a word like in Blücher may feel awkward.
If you guys are interested in a more detailed look at the prussian "Blücher-Sabre" or M 1811 you can watch my video about that sword. Great to see this topic here on such a big antique sword channel. Nice video!
This is the exact content we expect from you mate, historical sword reviews and comparisons with a bit history lesson on the side!
Live and learn: „Marschall Vorwärts“ , (Marshal Forward) as Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher (* 16. December 1742 in Rostock; † 12. September 1819 in Krieblowitz) was popularly called, even made it into an idiom in German. "Rangehen wie die Blücher" - to tackle something like the Blücher - describes a stormily and rather resolute approach. Outdated nowadays, unfortunately. Cheers, JC
Id love to see Von Blücher in person. He was supposed to be an utter powerhouse of charisma
I want to see a Zombie-Movie in wich the protagonists have the final goal of reaching Matt Eastons house for all the sabres and then ending the Zombiethreat with a lot of gore.
Allmachts Daggl Lol, perfect 🤣
Or Jorg Sparve's if you're in Germany. The Metatron's if you're in Italy or Sicily, and Skall's place if you're in the Eastern half of Canada. If you're in the US, then go to Texas and find Demo Ranch, that Matt doesn't have much in the way of swords, other melee weapons, or even improvised weapons but he does have a lot of guns.
XD
Matt's sword shop would beat the hell out of the Winchester Pub as a final goal, IMO.
And if all else fails, you can always commit Sepuku with one of his fantastic tanto or wakizashi. That would have to be better than being eaten alive by a bunch of mindless UK zombies...or by the Walking Dead, for that matter! 😉🤔🙂
I kid! I kid! I admire the UK greatly, I just couldn't resist the chance to fire off a patented Dad Joke! My company _Dad Jokes for Days_ prides itself on having dad jokes for days! 😉🙂😉🙂
Anyone noticed when he's sitting down the videos last longer? I think if he gets ill and has to lie down for a video we're going to break the hour mark.
*sound of scared horses*
MrDrboomstick it is pronounced “Frahnk-en-steen”
"Frau..... BLUCHER!!!"
He vas meine BOYFRIEND!!!!!
Vee must mach sure zat zee doctur iz not folloving in his grandfaddars vootshtops….
I hear the horses every single time he says it😅
I’ve actually found several 1796 light cavalry sabres here in Peru (south America). It appears our hussars used them during the 1820’s against the Spanish Royal Army. One example that was quite strange was that it was used in 1824 against the Spanish, then in 1840 during the Peruvian Civil War, and then in 1883 during the war against Chile.
Alot of 1796 light cavs were given to Mexico in time for the Mexican American war. By that point the US dragoons had stopped using domestic copies of the 1796 for awhile, though the US 1st Dragoons used copies in the 1812 period. For the Mexican war, some combination of 1833 US Dragoon sabers (copy of a roughly napoleanic French Hussar saber,) and the 1840 heavy cavalry "wrist breakers" were in use. Ofcourse by the civil war, 1860 light cavs (another French Hussar saber) were predominant, with a few 1840 heavy cavs about the place. Really amazing how long a service life the 1796 light cav had as a military assistance weapon in Latin America when compared to even the relatively slow procurement process of the US with swords, let alone France.
the correct pronunciation of "Blucher" can be had from Cloris Leachman in "Young Frankenstein". You will need at least 2 horses.
Every time i hear Blucher i expect to hear horses neighing,Mel Brooks young Frankenstein
Up to 1989/90 a similar looking saber was used for ceremonies by the East German , Nationale Volksarmee'. Sabers of this style are still produced in Germany, some , Historische Bürgerwehren/ historic town guards' and target shooters societies/Schützenvereine' still use them.
The style lived into WWII, my great granddad brought back 2 and now my cousin has them.
I own "same" Blucher sword, just the version from 1848 (Shorter Blucher) and it's great! Really reccomend buying one.
And by the way, the ,,youngest" M1811 date i saw was 1865
I just found you I've been binge-watching you're the man you know everything that I want to libraries to find I'm 58 years old I don't do good with technology but I really think you're something special much love from California to you and yours my brother
The grip looks designed for use with heavier gloves in Central European winters. Ditto with the heavy front strap, metal gets brittle when it's sub 0 for weeks at time, making it thicker would make it less likely to shatter.
The accidental virtue of the Blucher sabre IS that heavy guard...in a pinch you could womp somebody with it (head or chest) and they'd *know it" (and scarcely muss the guard).
that's proper savage steal. I especially appreciate those freckles on the first one. Doubtless, the previous owners didn't wash off the blood in time.
Great vid on a great topic. I’ve got three 1796 troopers by different makers and one 1830-ish Blucher. The distal taper on the ‘96s is significantly more acute than on the Blucher. And the quillon on the 96s tapers to a much thinner “curl” than the Blucher. The Blucher is just more heavily built.
Yeah we all know why there is a shortage of 1796 on the market, because Nick Thomas is hoarding them all, and oiling them up at night and touching them in ways that are best left to the imagination.
He's hoarding 1803 infantry sabres.
@@CDKohmy Nothing with curves is safe.
Londinium Armoury 🤣
This does not solve the issue of the duel between Nick Thomas and Matt Easton.
Excuse my ignorance, but were these sword hilts designed to be usable when wearing gloves? I would think gloves would be essential in a German winter, let alone further east in Poland, Russia, etc.
Good point many swords were wielded with gloves and many uniforms had gloves...
They're wonderful with gloves. The 1796 grip feels kinda weird to me with bare hands, but with a glove on it locks in place perfectly.
Nice to see a weapon from Germany here once in a while (kudos for saying "Blücher" right, btw :) ).
"Ich wünschte, es wäre Nacht oder die Preussen kommen." 😉
You think he pronounced "Blücher" right? What dialect do you have ?!
I have heard "Bluhker", "Blucher" and "Blühker".
I like Matt but man he butchered the pronunciation of Blücher
@@aysseralwan
Well you cannot expect him to know the correct pronounciation of every swords name. It is funny that he keeps experimenting with it throughout the video, though.
@@germanvisitor2 yeah ofc I don't expect him to know the pronunciation but I just responded to the original comment that said he pronounced it correctly which is simply not true. It's nothing wrong with mispronouncing it but he shouldn't think he's pronouncing it correct through comments like this
Another thing: The way you (quite correctly) pronounce the "ch" in Blücher is how you do it in Landsknecht
Or like the "L" in "Llandewi Breffi" :D
What i have forgotten. In the mid 1800s the german military forces critisiced the not so good handprotection of this saber. By the time the german cavalry stopped using this saber, but the ,Reitende Artillerie'/ mounted artillery used it up to wwl. For reasons unknown to me, after the Versailles treaty the Reichswehr was only allowed to use this saber. So up to 1941 this saber was used by german cavallry.
Thanks for this, Matt.
I have a Blücher-type Prussian saber made in 1870. The blade is slimmer, yet it is a heavy weapon. A good workout for the arm.
I have my eye on both these swords Matt, are you putting them up for sale soon?
Yes both of these will be up on the website in a few days.
@@scholagladiatoria If you want i can help you "decoding/translating" all the markings on the prussian blücher sabre. Maybe it helps if you want to sell this sword. Just send me some pictures to imperialgermanbayonets@gmail.com.Im more then happy to help. Cheers, Vincent.
Also the Blücher sabre scabbard drag has a triangular downward extension, while the 1796 scabbard drag is entirely rounded.
I am reminded by this about how all the comments on the CS reproduction of the 1796 is actually far closer to the M1811 'Blücher'. Your comments and description make me think this all the more. Have you ever handled on of the CS blades, Matt?
I think he has the 1796 and the US officer Sabre as he mentioned their handling in a video.
I don't own any CS swords, but I have used several, including 3 of the 1796s.
@@scholagladiatoria So was it closer to correct for the 1811 being heavier and more "bludgeony"?
Have you seen the movie "Born for the Saber"? The Polish saber featured looks very similar. I was interested by the mystique or culture around making special sabers for the elite, similar to the reverence for the Katana maker.
Hi I have just gone into my collection to get my 1796 and have now discovered that I have a Blucher with scabard. It has the markings
R.A.M. 18.21 on the ears of the hilt the same duplicated on the scabard.
Reserve Artillerie Munitionen Nr 18, weapon # 21 or Reserve Artillery Ammunition (Column) 21, weapon 21.
@@vonmazur1 what would A.M.I mean? Artillerie Munition 1. Heer?
@@SmellsLikeTeenPoo Artillery Munitionen First Armeekorps.
I have a corner of a room in my house that is very similar to Matt's.Well, newer, but similar.
Why do the horses around me start neighing like crazy starting around 4:35?
I´d like to suggest a video where you show us your collection of muskets.
finally someone explained the differences between 1796 and 1811 👍
30 years ago I had the opportunity to purchase a Blücher saber with the chamber stamp of the Leibhusaren for only 1100 German marks and I didn't take the opportunity. the value with the chamber stamp of the Leibhusaren is probably a multiple today
So the Blucher is like an early version of Lynn Thomas's 1796 lcs?
"RPC" is Reserve Proviants Colonnen or Reserve Provisions Column...
So this is a old video but I wanted to comment on it to point something out i haven't seen others point out. The cold steel 1796 might be modeled on a Blücher not a British 1796 which could account for it it not handling properly. In one of Cold steels promotional videos for the 1796 they even call it multiple times the 1796 Blücher with a hilariously bad American pronunciation, but a Blücher nonetheless. I have to wonder if they had a original Blücher that they used as its design influence.
How would the cold steel 1796 compare to a historical Blücher might be a better measurement. If anyone has any input on this I would greatly appreciate it.
I have a new made Prussian Mod 1811, the date on the blade is 1883. It is not a Mod 1848, it is almost identical to the one you have in this video. This is not a rebuild of an earlier saber, it is made new as a Mod 1811. I have seen English made blades with Prussian hilts, and English made Blücher sabers that were marked for Prussian units...In the 1830's, the Prussians did a general rebuild of all of these on hand, and also made new sabers. Mostly they used the heavier Prussian hilts, and made new scabbards for the earlier models.
Your pronunciation of Blücher is quite good.
Matt was the French Napoleonic stirrup hilted Hussar sword identical to the British 1796 ?
SOMEBODY!! Get this man a sabre!!! \m/
Did the Prussian use of the lance have a role in the m1811 remaining in service for so long? Has anyone compared the differences between that saber and the model that the Prussian used before it, it might be a hybrid between that model and the p1796.
I have a video covering what units and until when the Blücher-sabre was used within the prussian army. It might be interesting to you :-)
I have a 1796 that is a lot more rounded on the tip. Is that fairly typical? I inherited it, so I'm not a collector/expert
Some 1796s exist that were deliberately blunted at the tip for training use.
I have a M1811 that I found in the attic of a house I bought back in the 1990's. The scabbard appears to match the sabre with its numbers. On the hilt I have the numbers which appear to be 10.TP.1.57 Can anyone advise what they mean? Where can I find the date of mfg. I noticed on the spline of the sabre, there are numbers up close to the hilt 1142. If anyone has info would be appreciated.
Blücher, AKA "Marshall Vorwärts!". Not even able to master written German, but with a visceral hatred of the French and the Prussian spirit of aggression. Fortunate for him he had Scharnhorst as CoS to turn the map the right way up for him 😉
Choosing and keeping qualified subordinates as a leader is a quality in itself.
@@ColHoganGer90 indeed, arguably the most important.
Blücher was no military genius, that is true. However, when he told his men "ran und immer feste druff" that was exactly what they did. Sometimes all it takes is a commander with authority.
Matt: I have the Bavarian version, which you need to see, in 1830's Bavaria and Saxony adopted this weapon, but they changed the grip and hilt design to conform with your preferences...They did not like the fat grip either!! I have no complaints about the pronunciation of the notorious umlauted U....It takes a while to get used to the German" Ü" !
Very interesting video.
If i end up getting a sword for myself it will propably be a M1811
Looks like the post Napoleonic Blucher being the heavier type circ. 1830's. I had an 1831 dated Blucher and it was substantial. Earlier Blucher swords are much lighter.
lovely sabre.
My elderly neighbor had the hilt to some German saber his dad had brought home to Louisiana from WWI. He used it to hack down bamboo cane til it wore out and broke. They were wealthy and intelligent people but I always thought that was kinda dumb
You forgot to mention the built-in flashlight of the Prussian sabre. That's why the Duke of Wellington said: "Give me night and give me Blücher."
What would you say was the heaviest "issued not private/experimental" bayonet (world wide but not the Japanese machinegun bayonet)
I have a sword I cant tell if it a Blühker or a 1796. Has half of the things Matt say is Blühker and the other half is 1796. One thing is it has no ears on the grip, always wondered about that?
send me an image to imperialgermanbayonets@gmail.com and i can tell you if its prussian/german :-)
I think the correct pronunciation is ''Blyscher'' for Blücher...lol
That was also the name of a German battleship that was sunk in the Oslo Fjord in Norway 9 April, 1940.
"Blücher" was a German cruiser, the second of five ships of the Admiral Hipper class, launched on 8 June, 1937.
As for governments buying overbuilt products, the modern example I always think of is the description of the original HMMWV as "Designed to be driven by an 18 year old who didn't pay for it." Also related, which resonated as a Marine NCO, "You can give a naked Private in a padded room two steel ball bearings, and in an hour he'll have lost one and broken the other."
Any reason why the Blucher couldn't be used left-handed?
Is that what Richard Sharpe was using?
No, he uses 1796 heavy cavalry saber
Still looks vicious. Thanks man.
No, he was using 1796 heavy cavalry sword.
Actually he used several different swords through out the BBC series. Sometimes it was actually part of the plot like the one that was reworked by Harper after he lost his. Other times it was just a different prop sword. In the books however his sword is rarely described.
@@chadfalardeau9162 Politely I have to disagree. It was quite some time since I have read books from Sharpe series but I checked it 5 minutes ago and in the Sharpe´s Eagle it is said that he has heavy cavalry sword.
A noob question; does cleaning up an antique sword lower the value in the same way that cleaning up antique coins devalues them?
No, if it is done well. If done well, then it increases their value.
@@scholagladiatoria What should I use to clean the accumulated muck from an antique, aside from, maybe, warm soapy water?
Thank you for adding the fact you're cleaning the swords afterwards.... people touching the blades makes me cringe. Lol
What's the purpose of the "bulge" on the guard?
"I am BIG by early 19th century standards.... Baby."
That is a Damned big Fuller on both Blades, Sharpie would approve ;-) So which was the superior Steel, Sheffield/Birmingham or Solingen?
Toledo, Spain, way back when they actually produced quality swords... Not tourist trap crap.
@@mallardtheduck406 Amen to that
When you refer to the British war debt being paid until recently I believe you are talking about payment for hardware that the British chose to receive delivery of after the war's end.
Some of it was, but the lend-lease act only came in in 1941, the UK had amassed quite a debt by that point anyway, and couldn't afford to keep buying equipment, food and oil. When the act was repealed after the war the UK had to pay for equipment which was not covered by the act, such as some in transit.
@@bubsnicket Correct, but you also took a loan and a line of credit at war's end that was to be repaid over 50 years starting in 1950. One often hears the claim from Brits that the US charged them for war assistance while we were fighting the Axis together. I don't think that's true.
Is there a modern manufacturer of guard hilted sabers or guard hilted swords who are make better sabers or sword than the 18th century manufacturers?
The military aid can be traced at least until ww1 & ww2 when you look at the treaty of verseilles which has been paid in full until 2010.
Would love to know if you had to pick. Either a soldiers sword or an officers sword to depend upon in a post apocalypse world, which would choose? Generally speaking of course!!!
He'd probably choose a trooper's sword, because they were designed to be a bit sturdier and less fancy.
@@hazzardalsohazzard2624 yes but can you flourish it and strike a gaurd/pose with a moustache and monocle?
The Spadroon... It's all about stiff Penetration
More on Austrian swords please :-)
Matt, came across a disclaimer on "kult of athena" (a site that sells repro swords) saying that curved swords are restricted in England nbow. Is this true and if so is it a problem? Sounds ridiculous to me but wondering if it is the case... as in my experience people who ban stuff usually don't understand it [how many literate people support banning books lol]. Given the urban legend that the French complained about the curved 1796 and blucher's "horrific" wounds, this seems an appropriate vid to ask the question on... is this true or just a rumor?
Entirely true I'm afraid. The Law against "Curved Swords" was brought in to prevent gangs of youths and young men, mainly in certain areas of London, but also some other big cities to a lesser degree, usually involved in the drug trade, from using reproduction Samurai swords in turf wars. Why did it not apply to straight swords? Because of Scottish Pipe Bands' Scottish Basket Hilted Broadswords, Medieval Re-enactment, and English (now British) Civil War Re-enactment.
It applies to curved swords with blades longer than 18 inches. They apparently had a problem using the term Samurai Sword because they were not only used by Samurai, so they just said "Curved Swords". If you already had reproduction Curved Swords then you can keep them, but you are not allowed to sell or give them to anyone else. They can be inherited however. Antique (over 100 years) curved swords are not covered by the act. Collectors of British military swords are thus not affected, because there have been none with curved blades made since 1908 over a hundred years ago. However there are German and Polish, as well as Russian swords that have curved blades that are less than this, so those collectors could be affected if they wanted to sell or add to their collection. There were also Indian Cavalry Regiments that had Curved swords up to 1939.
Funnily enough you are now allowed to buy a new Samurai Sword as long as the blade is made in the traditional Japanese way, with successively folded steel blades. The ones used by the gangs were passable, but were just tempered steel blades. They had become fairly common as decorative items in the UK due to the success of Japanese films and Hollywood films about Samurais as well as films such as Kill Bill; most were not full tang and some were chrome plated 'monkey metal', that looked good on the window sill or on a sideboard or bookcase.
Ah. Now I understand why the Cold Steel "1796" is virtually indistinguishable from an antique Prussian sabre. I've laid the two side-by-side, and my friend and I took turns cutting with each one and they felt identical. I suppose Cold Steel, being in the "Land of the Lawsuit," simply overbuilt their sword for the same reason government-issue swords were: to minimize the probability of breakage by clumsy users.
I think you miss a massive point when comparing how the Blucher feels to the 1796 model.
I think it's unfair to state that you don't like the Blucher for it's heavier handle and bulkier feel.
It's a CAVALRY Sabre! Of course it's going to be heavy and thick!
It's not designed for daintily prancing around like a fairy pretending to be Captain Jack Sparrow!
You swing it from a horse back or you don't swing it.
The Blucher is exceptionally THICC! ~Matt 2019
he a thicc boi
Matt, You should become a pianist or guitarist having long fingers. I have played piano for 30 years and I'm giving up... Frustrated with being short with shorter fingers and Psoriatic Arthritis.
Can someone for once and for all tell me the exact pronunciation of Blucher. I have heard so many different pronunciations it's starting to make my head hurt. I have been pronouncing it Booker for years as I thought the L somewhat silent. Someone on here must be German of Prussian decent and knows their dialects.
Bloo... (Not blue)
Cher... Flem hher
@@anthonyoer4778 not really
It is hard to explain, since the ü is the most emphasized part of Blücher.
What a pity
should do a video on the 1788 light cav sabre, not just because i have one.....*Cough*
if you got enough conscripts with time to do stuff on their own. I am shure they will find a way to break a railway rail that is why NCO and officers exists.
During the Napoleonic war the British supplied a Prussian regiment with uniforms, the British besides not dying them red, did nothing to make them into a Prussian uniform and simply supplied them in the British cut. This led to the Prussian soldiers in that regiment to believe they had been sent the wrong uniforms by mistake, and that their was a British regiment marching around in Prussian uniforms somewhere. So the story goes anyway.
Yessssss!!!!!
Bravo bravo 👏😊👏👏👏😊👏😊
is "it is what it is" the new "context"? It seems to come up quite often lately...
you must be very rich to own these amazing antique blades.
oh look my namesake, didn't know that he got a sword named after him, very cool.
although i prefer a thrusting sword myself.
I would love a blucher!!
Was this sword used in the Franco-Prussian war?
Yes, by the Artillery and Support troops. The line cavalry used the Mod 1852, and the Kürassieren used their French or Russian style Pallosch, depending on which regiment was equipped with which model...
I have the Ethiopian Imperial Guard saber which is a further copy of these!
Sir I need that sword in my life how can I make this happen you are the man if I would have known this 10 years ago I would already have my favorite sword
Have you done a video on the Russian Shashka (can't spell it, please correct me if wrong) i really like the look of them and own a reproduction
Shashka is a better romanized spelling. Should I get a reproduction?
@@sawyere2496 i got mine custom, i think Windlass does one possibly Albion and i heard its pretty good
Gotta get me one of those. My cold steel is not cutting it....
@Colin Cleveland my cold steel 1796 light cavalry Saber feels and handles like a crowbar. Came downright dull as well. Wish a decent company would make a modern reproduction in the $500ish range...
@Colin Cleveland that's the plan. Thanks!
Look at those hands! .)
"Today on Easton Antique Arms, how to tell a German knock-off apart from the British classic on which it's based." Just kidding. Carry on, good sir.
"German knock-off [...] British classic"
Well, 1796 models are obviously based on East European sabers. This 1796 light looks like Polish Hussar saber for example, so it's a German knock-off of a British knock-off, at best.
@@bakters So, a German knockoff of a British knockoff of a Slav (?) sabre?
SLAV SABRE BEST SABRE :P
For some reason, the german handguards always made me think of an ß (ss) rather than a stirrup
What about American sabers?
If you want to tell the difference between German and British you just have to look for the exaggerated bulge.
Could you really, actually break a breeze block and not damage it?
*angry horse noises*
The 3 morons that disliked this video think swords are offensive and rude........ on the other hand, i love your videos, best history lessons since college..... thank you.....
Fronkensteen?
I have an old sword in relic condition that was found by a bottle collector here in the Carolinas. It was buried in the dirt, but, still has some of the wood from the grip present. It has all the characteristics of the 1796 LCS, with a 35 1/2 inch blade. I think some British swords were supplied to the Confederates during our civil war, and that's how one ended up buried within 100 miles of Charlotte. Does that sound plausible?
I liked the first sword so much that I recently bought one in better condition. It's definitely not a Blucher, according to this video, but, what are the differences between the original 1796 LCS and the later swords on that model made by Mole manufacturing for the Indian army? As, you can tell, I'm pretty new at this, so if anyone has some information, I'd appreciate it.
"This big bulge is very characteristic of the German Blücher."
- Matt Easton.
The Prussian sword pattern sounds like a model of Machine gun lol.
It's the name of an important prussian general during the Napoleonic wars.
@@philvalz mecklenburg general :P
Well, that was part of Prussia then, I bet.
@@philvalz actually no Mecklenburg wasnt, but Blucher's life lead him to Prussia.
@@wierdalien1 If you call Blücher a "mecklenburg general", you'd have to consider Masséna a General of Nice, Barclay de Tolly lithuanian etc.
Blücher was never a General or in fact Marshal of any other nation than Prussia, although he did join the Swedish Army in his youth.
J's behind every curtain.