This blade is fascinating. Seems so unique as it is hard to imagine the person who commissioned the custom blade wasn't either a veteran or someone who had trained using a blade like that. So flexible yet so long and cut oriented. Really unique.
Aesthetically speaking it looks quite nice and, from what you've said, sounds like it would've been a robust blade in the field. Thank you for sharing!
It's an Elven Curve Sword, the flexibility gives you a +2 circumstance bonus against Sunder-attempts. The REALLY weird part is that Elven Curve Swords are usually two-handed...
Hey Matt was there any Victorian sword that resonated with the Irish? I mean I know most swords then were sabres, but I know the Scots liked Broadswords, so I was wondering if there was a type of sword the Irish favored over others.
In the Victorian era the Irish and Scots served in the British Army in very large numbers - they were an abnormally high percentage of British Army soldiers and they used all the normal British Army sword patterns. While Highland Scottish infantry regiments had baskethilts, Irish regiments did not have different swords to English regiments.
lenticular [len-tik-yuh-ler] adjective 1. of or relating to a lens. 2. biconvex; convexo-convex. 3. resembling the seed of a lentil in form; lentil-shaped.
That is a fascinating puzzle. I like the even, black coloring, but I understand that you know what you're doing. I'd like to find out what it is eventually.
Hey Matt! Inspired by your sword unboxings and other stories about how you started buying and selling swords - I've bought my first antique sword! A 18-19th centaury fencing foil. I paid for it just 23,5PLN which is roughly 5 quid xD If that's not a bargain I don't know what is. Bough it 2hours ago and now I only have to wait for it to arrive. I also saw many swords in quite good prices - I never knew antiques are so inexpensive. 100-110 pounds for a french sabre in good condition? 55 quid for 1889 Prussian Officer’s Sword (in rather poor condition, but still). I need to keep an eye out for new occasions.
andyraven yes I recall he was discribed by a French officer as the "British Officer with a straight sword." It was a sword that belonged to another officer that died.
I know of three that i can think of. The one what was given to him from Major Hogan after saving Sir Arthur Wellesley life. then he gets gifted a sword from the a dying officer in Sharpe's Rifles, Then in Sharpe's Sword, It gets broken and then reforged with a different blade or hilt i can't remember which. Not sure if he has the same sword in the Waterloo episode. Then you have the India Campaign episodes....
His main sword was a 1796 heavy cavalry sword, trooper's version,(gifted by the dying rifle officer.) In Sharpe's Sword it breaks and he takes a Klingenthal heavy cav sword from a French colonel, but then immediately goes back to a 1796 that Harper finds and customises and cleans up for him.
Have you done a video on cleaning old blades without destroying the value, I haven't seen one on your channel but I haven't had a chance to look at everything as of yet.
Matt, what is the sword/blade/date of the sword second down behind you? Is it a 1845 cavalry blade because I thought the cavalry blade went from 1821 until the 1908.......
I was wondering if the lack of a fuller in a blade just stems from the absence of technical knowledge or do blades without a fuller actually have qualities that make them different from fullered blades (maybe advantageous for certain situations)?
Hey Matt, I recently purchased an antique saber. It's in pretty bad shape. The hilt has been taken apart and has rusted, and according to the museum I took it too, the grip is not original. The blade has had some sort of lacquer placed (rather poorly) on it. An engraving of a crowned double headed eagle is on one side if the blade. All the museum could tell me us that it is European in origin and was likely sold to the US around 180 to 200 years ago as part of arms deals or some such. There does appear to be a Maker's Mark on the guard, a stamped K. Any idea where it might be from, and how I might go about restoring it? Thanks!
The profile of this sabre reminds me of some shashkas I saw. Shamshirs and some types of XVIII century Polish Sabres had similar blades too although a little bit shorter. I honestly could see this weapon either in the hands of an officer serving in India or during the Crimean War.
Some shashkas (especially the Circassian ones) didn't have fullers. Some models of polish saber didn't have them too but I'm not suggesting that this Officer's sword was inspired by them (shashkas or polish sabers) just that this one reminds me some of them. I agree that this one was most likely inspired by tulwars.
Thanks for an interesting video. Could this sword have been made for someone serving at an embassy somewhere that this blade style would be popular with the native culture?
Many officers and civic officials working in far off countries did take to wearing things related to the native culture, including wearing local swords and knives. So it is possible.
Matt, have you handled a Finnish officer's sword (with the lion guard)? If you have, do they handle like a weapon or are they designed with only ceremony in mind?
Matt I have a question I hope you can answer. How do you remove bluing from a sword? This is not an antique sword, it is a newer sword...so I am not damaging an antique piece. I hope you can help me with your expertise. Thank You very much!!!
Matt, you've got to be more careful. For those of us playing the Easton Drinking Game, we have to take a shot when you say the word "context" - you've got it out very early here.
Do you know much about more modern martial arts? The show "Archer" is pretty realistic for an animated comedy that parodies literally every genre in existence. In several episodes Archer(the character not the show) says that he's trained in Krav Maga but to me it seems more like an eastern martial art like Pannatuken (spelling is probably wrong) aka filipino dirty boxing
I was waiting for an explanation for the blade coloration. It's damn near matte. That's like what 'Valyrian steel' is supposed to look like. lol I know there's some Portuguese naval sword that was intentionally painted black to help it deal with salty naval conditions - wonder if that was a consideration.
Off topic here but really curious. Are there any historical references to the peasants/lower classes of European society using both spear and buckler together?
Matt, That's the type sword I'd want if I'd been around back then. None of the Sabers you've reviewed seems able to match the US 1860 Heavy Cavalry Saber with its 36'' Blade. Nothing less than 36'' seems to truly satisfy… …..RVM45 PS: Matt, In your opinion, how much interest did the typical infantry or cavalry officer of that time take in his sword and swordsmanship-Ranging from an obsession to something that he only practiced grudgingly because he had to? Granted, skill with a sword might very well save someone's life-but that doesn't seem terribly urgent to most during peaceful and prosperous times and once war is declared, it is a bit late to master the fundamentals. But maybe folks were different back then.
The US M1860 is quite slim compared to contemporary British swords - the British 1853 is a beast. The Italian M1860 is also massive. Most officers did not take swordsmanship OR shooting seriously - there are various period authorities complaining about it on record.
Could it have been an officer who served in India, came home, gave a swordsmith a picture of a tulwar and said "I want a sword like that." would fit with the idea of it kind of looking like a tulwar if you'd never really seen a tulwar up close before
scholagladiatoria is there any kind of difference between a backsword hilt and a saber hilt(not a cavalry one)?Because i always wondered what type of sword a pallasch is
Other officers: I hate the new regulation sabres. Lucky you, you got yourself a custom one. Unusual blade officer: Nah, i just went for the sexy curves.
Fuller's don't add strength in the way an I-beam does, it's more a case of moving mass out to the sides to make the blade wider while retaining strength. It's really just about distribution of mass: lighten and widen without weakening the blade too much. The raised parts have to be much higher to work like an I-beam.
Over-18 to buy and that's all (for antiques). For modern made swords there are some restrictions for curved blades over 50cm, but otherwise over-18 and that's all.
5:32 That's a proper cinematic 'shwing' if I ever heard one.
This blade is fascinating. Seems so unique as it is hard to imagine the person who commissioned the custom blade wasn't either a veteran or someone who had trained using a blade like that. So flexible yet so long and cut oriented. Really unique.
You can see the manic-joy all over Captain Context's incredibly English face.
You´re gonna unsheathe that?... oh that´s the blade haha
Same here. :)
25 seconds to "context". That may be a record.
19 ;)
I didn't skip the adverts in the video. Hope it helps if we all do this-----
Can we declare adpocalypse is officially over? Watched 3 ads during this fantastic video.
Aesthetically speaking it looks quite nice and, from what you've said, sounds like it would've been a robust blade in the field. Thank you for sharing!
Blood grooves are cool. Katanas with blood grooves are the coolest.
Is it blackened or is that just the patina? It looks impressively even in colour!
natoroja when I first saw it I thought the whole blade was blued
I have a similar response. The black color is really quite striking; is it possible that it is a deliberately applied finish?
But without the blood groove how will it stay clean?!
It's an Elven Curve Sword, the flexibility gives you a +2 circumstance bonus against Sunder-attempts.
The REALLY weird part is that Elven Curve Swords are usually two-handed...
the patina is amazingly even and dark it's really beautiful.
We really appreciate these videos; Thanks again Matt.
oh god...now i see why they put fullers in. Swords just look so much more cool with a fuller than without.
I prefer straight blades with fullering, but there you go.
When you clean the blade could you film it and show us how you do it?
Yeah maybe :-)
My grandfather was invited to Queen Elizabeth's coronation as an officer. I still have his sword carried at the ceremony. The sword speaks for itself
Hey Matt was there any Victorian sword that resonated with the Irish?
I mean I know most swords then were sabres, but I know the Scots liked Broadswords, so I was wondering if there was a type of sword the Irish favored over others.
In the Victorian era the Irish and Scots served in the British Army in very large numbers - they were an abnormally high percentage of British Army soldiers and they used all the normal British Army sword patterns. While Highland Scottish infantry regiments had baskethilts, Irish regiments did not have different swords to English regiments.
Thanks Matt!
I do like to call it a girder, thank u for the accommodation
I do like tulwars...especially with the German or European blades.
Matt how did officers carrying Indo persian Swords use them? I mean were they used like European Swords or on the native style?
lenticular
[len-tik-yuh-ler]
adjective
1.
of or relating to a lens.
2.
biconvex; convexo-convex.
3.
resembling the seed of a lentil in form; lentil-shaped.
I learned that word from this video despite being a fan of that blade grind. "Thanks, Matt!"
Please do a follow up once you've cleaned this sword up. Really interesting find
That is a fascinating puzzle. I like the even, black coloring, but I understand that you know what you're doing. I'd like to find out what it is eventually.
It's black. So it must be tactic!
:-D
Night ops.
diamened Scary assault sword
Needs a picatinny rail. How can you even attach your taclight or laser? Moar TACTICOOL!
It's like how much more black could it be?
And the answer is none.
None more black.
That is a beautiful blade.
It looks relatively light, how much does it weigh?
I was feeling all sad this weekend. And then you uploaded a video! ♥
Geez, that looks like a wrist breaker, with that convex geometry and broad blade.
Side note: that hunt for wootz is a contagious obsession, it seems. After I got my first I went nuts trying to get more.
Hey Matt! Inspired by your sword unboxings and other stories about how you started buying and selling swords - I've bought my first antique sword! A 18-19th centaury fencing foil. I paid for it just 23,5PLN which is roughly 5 quid xD If that's not a bargain I don't know what is. Bough it 2hours ago and now I only have to wait for it to arrive.
I also saw many swords in quite good prices - I never knew antiques are so inexpensive. 100-110 pounds for a french sabre in good condition? 55 quid for 1889 Prussian Officer’s Sword (in rather poor condition, but still). I need to keep an eye out for new occasions.
An intriguing piece.
It's profile reminds me of a shamshir.
it is shamshir, Persian origin
Mmmm, this blade is meaty and chunky, I like it
Love to see a cutting test with it.
_Glorious Context!_
The lack of fuller makes me wonder if that’s a wootz blade. Might be worth checking just in case.
That sabre blade is freakin huge.
As an aside do you own or have ever owned a general officers mameluke?
Strangely, no I haven't. Though I have handled quite a few.
scholagladiatoria fair enough
scholagladiatoria are they good swords or are they just really fancy status symbols?
I would love to see/hear your take on the swords used by Sean Bean in Sharpe?
andyraven yes I recall he was discribed by a French officer as the "British Officer with a straight sword." It was a sword that belonged to another officer that died.
I know of three that i can think of. The one what was given to him from Major Hogan after saving Sir Arthur Wellesley life. then he gets gifted a sword from the a dying officer in Sharpe's Rifles, Then in Sharpe's Sword, It gets broken and then reforged with a different blade or hilt i can't remember which. Not sure if he has the same sword in the Waterloo episode. Then you have the India Campaign episodes....
His main sword was a 1796 heavy cavalry sword, trooper's version,(gifted by the dying rifle officer.) In Sharpe's Sword it breaks and he takes a Klingenthal heavy cav sword from a French colonel, but then immediately goes back to a 1796 that Harper finds and customises and cleans up for him.
That's very interesting. I must go back, and watch them all again.
@@andyraven Read the books!
Hoping you do a follow up after cleaning the blade up. What’s the approximate retail value?
Quite an interesting sword! Thanks for sharing.
Interresting sword, i would like to see an update video. :)
Piquet wieght. XD Love it. XD
Did anyone replay the sound of the 1855 being drawn? Oooft.
Interesting. Bet it could tell a tale of two. What is the weight like, and the balance? It looked pretty quick in your hand despite the breadth.
Have you done a video on cleaning old blades without destroying the value, I haven't seen one on your channel but I haven't had a chance to look at everything as of yet.
What’s the point of a slightly curved blade? Are there any advantages over a straight blade?
Matt, what is the sword/blade/date of the sword second down behind you? Is it a 1845 cavalry blade because I thought the cavalry blade went from 1821 until the 1908.......
I have what I believe is an 1803 pattern sword but I would love to know more, can you recommend sources of information to fully identify this sword
I was wondering if the lack of a fuller in a blade just stems from the absence of technical knowledge or do blades without a fuller actually have qualities that make them different from fullered blades (maybe advantageous for certain situations)?
Hey Matt, I recently purchased an antique saber. It's in pretty bad shape. The hilt has been taken apart and has rusted, and according to the museum I took it too, the grip is not original. The blade has had some sort of lacquer placed (rather poorly) on it. An engraving of a crowned double headed eagle is on one side if the blade.
All the museum could tell me us that it is European in origin and was likely sold to the US around 180 to 200 years ago as part of arms deals or some such.
There does appear to be a Maker's Mark on the guard, a stamped K.
Any idea where it might be from, and how I might go about restoring it? Thanks!
Total speculation, but I'd consider such a blade suitable for demonstration cutting. Did the British employ demonstration drill teams and the like?
The profile of this sabre reminds me of some shashkas I saw. Shamshirs and some types of XVIII century Polish Sabres had similar blades too although a little bit shorter. I honestly could see this weapon either in the hands of an officer serving in India or during the Crimean War.
I agree on the overall shape, though the lack of fullers makes me think that this was more inspired by Indian or Middle Eastern swords.
Some shashkas (especially the Circassian ones) didn't have fullers. Some models of polish saber didn't have them too but I'm not suggesting that this Officer's sword was inspired by them (shashkas or polish sabers) just that this one reminds me some of them. I agree that this one was most likely inspired by tulwars.
Matt, if you had need, which sword from your wall would you chose for a fight?
His sword ;)
Depends on context!!
Minute Man wouldn't the context be "fighting defensively in his house"?
He said before he would prefer a cutlass for close quarters fighting.
He once made a video about his preferred weapon for home defense.
It was Cat Easton.
Were the black ones always thicker and longer?
In the UK are girders always I-beams?
next weekend im getting drinks and playing the drinking game! good vid though love this stuff
Thanks for an interesting video. Could this sword have been made for someone serving at an embassy somewhere that this blade style would be popular with the native culture?
Many officers and civic officials working in far off countries did take to wearing things related to the native culture, including wearing local swords and knives. So it is possible.
Matt, have you handled a Finnish officer's sword (with the lion guard)? If you have, do they handle like a weapon or are they designed with only ceremony in mind?
Sorry, I don't know them at all.
thank you for the reply anyway!
Matt I have a question I hope you can answer. How do you remove bluing from a sword? This is not an antique sword, it is a newer sword...so I am not damaging an antique piece. I hope you can help me with your expertise. Thank You very much!!!
Just polish/buff it. Blue comes off really easily.
Kind of off this topic... what do you know about the British constabulary/dock police cutlass? Were they sharpened?
Colin Cleveland why would they carry a blunt blade??? It’s kind of like carrying an empty pistol!
Colin Cleveland how well will they hold an edge?
What is a good resource for dimensions and masses of historical weapons from the 9th-14th centuries?
5:00 Matt are you selling that blade by chance? It's gorgeous!
Whu would you have a teardrop cross section? What are the banefits of it?
But is it wootz?
tell us about the bluing/blacking, please
Matt, you've got to be more careful. For those of us playing the Easton Drinking Game, we have to take a shot when you say the word "context" - you've got it out very early here.
Do you know much about more modern martial arts? The show "Archer" is pretty realistic for an animated comedy that parodies literally every genre in existence. In several episodes Archer(the character not the show) says that he's trained in Krav Maga but to me it seems more like an eastern martial art like Pannatuken (spelling is probably wrong) aka filipino dirty boxing
So, when are we going to see Sharpe's heavy cavalry sword?
When I finally manage to get one!
I suppose you could invite Bernard Cromwell on to the channel to show his off.
Is it normal when there is a gap between grip and backstrap?
No, but it often happens when a hilt has been tightened and the backstrap is quite thin.
I was waiting for an explanation for the blade coloration. It's damn near matte. That's like what 'Valyrian steel' is supposed to look like. lol I know there's some Portuguese naval sword that was intentionally painted black to help it deal with salty naval conditions - wonder if that was a consideration.
Off topic here but really curious. Are there any historical references to the peasants/lower classes of European society using both spear and buckler together?
Yes you can see the nic in the blade when you hold your hand behind the nic.
Do not know if I did spell nic right.
Matt,
That's the type sword I'd want if I'd been around back then.
None of the Sabers you've reviewed seems able to match the US 1860 Heavy Cavalry Saber with its 36'' Blade. Nothing less than 36'' seems to truly satisfy…
…..RVM45
PS: Matt, In your opinion, how much interest did the typical infantry or cavalry officer of that time take in his sword and swordsmanship-Ranging from an obsession to something that he only practiced grudgingly because he had to? Granted, skill with a sword might very well save someone's life-but that doesn't seem terribly urgent to most during peaceful and prosperous times and once war is declared, it is a bit late to master the fundamentals.
But maybe folks were different back then.
The US M1860 is quite slim compared to contemporary British swords - the British 1853 is a beast. The Italian M1860 is also massive. Most officers did not take swordsmanship OR shooting seriously - there are various period authorities complaining about it on record.
number 4 it;s black?
Is it black from yuck or has it been blued?
inches? Please talk to us in metric.
Could it have been an officer who served in India, came home, gave a swordsmith a picture of a tulwar and said "I want a sword like that." would fit with the idea of it kind of looking like a tulwar if you'd never really seen a tulwar up close before
It's possible.
I really wonder how straight sabers were distinguished from simple backswords
If it's straight, then it's not a sabre. It's a backsword, spadroon, estoc or some other sword type. Sabre means curved.
scholagladiatoria is there any kind of difference between a backsword hilt and a saber hilt(not a cavalry one)?Because i always wondered what type of sword a pallasch is
Check movie Alatriste please ( if you haven’t already)
Appleseed edge? I am not familiar with this term.
please explain "shing" at 5:30
Anything ever happen to/with that Hungarian saber with the 4-bar hilt?
It will be going up for sale soon.
So we don't get a video revealing all its deepest secrets? What if it's Wootz?
(I assume it probably isn't Wootz...)
Other officers: I hate the new regulation sabres. Lucky you, you got yourself a custom one.
Unusual blade officer: Nah, i just went for the sexy curves.
Do you own an “old wristbreaker”?
No, though I have an M1860 I need to make a video about.
IT'S THE DARK SABRE!
So fair tradition of tacticool gear goes way back? )
plz start with origins of the sword, non of these sword been originaly created in british blacksmiths , rather persian or african or indian origin
If pipebacked blades were so crap. Why were they made regulation?
Might it not be a cutting feat blade?
It's not impossible, but I think it is unlikely with the regulation infantry officer's hilt.
It may not be wootz, but it's still a good excuse to use some acid, amirite?
what is the third sword down from the top?
A British light cavalry officer's sword from about 1820, with a pipe-backed blade of large proportions, on a 1796 type hilt (but with a beak pommel).
Possible it was a rehilted blade?
Quite likely, yes.
scholagladiatoria any way to know when it was rehilted? Not sure if the odds are it was rehilted back in the 1850s-1860s or much later?
5:31
I think my ears just came.
Bait?
Bait?
scholagladiatoria Damn.
The word you were looking for is convexed
Wootz the matter?
Fuller's don't add strength in the way an I-beam does, it's more a case of moving mass out to the sides to make the blade wider while retaining strength. It's really just about distribution of mass: lighten and widen without weakening the blade too much.
The raised parts have to be much higher to work like an I-beam.
Gods. I don't want to see the episode where he cuts himself.
What are the laws of sword ownership in the UK? Does one need to have certain credentials?
Over-18 to buy and that's all (for antiques). For modern made swords there are some restrictions for curved blades over 50cm, but otherwise over-18 and that's all.
Apple seed edge???