What is the most EXTRAORDINARY Napoleonic Era sword? I think I have found a strong contender with this antique sabre....
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Swordsmith: Here you go sir, all done Me: Bigger Swordsmith: I don't thi- Me: BIGGER. MORE SWORD
+rep for EFT as a profile pic
Funnily enough it might be the other way around, as a knife maker you tend to end up in some weird places once in a while when making individual blades for people. Like if someone wants a full sized french chef's knife I might start on on a template of roughly 7-8" long, but if it ends up at 9" and conforms to the standards of being that type of chef's knife. It gets even more wild if someone shows me a photo on their phone as a 'ballpark' of what they'd like it to be like with some rough dimensions and leave the rest of it up to me, so if someone from that Napoleonic period was given a look at a sword to a custom swordsmith of the time, he might bash one out 'to spec' but if it ends up a bit wider, bit longer and still works just fine you plonk your money down and go, hey, that'll do for sure! That's just sort of the nature of making things completely by hand
Mo bigger is Mo better.
-"Matt, watch out, he's got a sword!" -"A sword?! That's not a sword! THIS is a sword...!" ;-)
A Cantinflas sword!
When that came on screen I just started laughing with joy.
I totally lost it when he hoisted it over his shoulder. Utterly ludicrous, and I want one.
I was starting to lose interest due to the long intro, thinking he'd found a 1788 heavy guard on a 1796 blade. When he lifted it, I was still shocked.
Me too. What a big nasty thing, I imagine seeing someone whirling it over his head screaming at you would be pretty intimidating.
When a big soldier of the Royal Horse Guard is promoted to an officer of the Light Dragoons, the standard sabre feels like a skinning knife. As he is not allowed to use his old, straight blade, he has a curved one made of the same size.
Much loved by indian troops... Not surprised it looks a lot like a more comfortable talwa.
the sentence 'my sword is bigger than yours' explains it tbh.
It almost looks like an unrealistic movie prop or animated sword used for shock value. I can't believe it isn't an absolute brick.
Bizarrely it's one of the most comfortable, quick blades I've ever held. I had your exact thought when I bought it and was shocked when it arrived.
@@WYCD you bought this one from Easton antique arms?
@@justincarrasco3680 Not from Easton but it's not a decorative sword either. I was impressed enough with how it moves that I'll inevitably get a proper historically accurate recreation.
A video about the selection criteria for Napoleonic cavalry and their training would be absolutely 👌🏻
Well, good to know the age-old tradition of "overcompensating" was practiced in the Napoleonic Era as well 🤷🏻♂️😅😂 Great video as always Matt 😄👍
Frenchmen drawing their regular sized swords. That british officer: "You call that a sword?" *draws his absolutely humongous beast of a sabre* "That's a sword".
Would really like to see test cuts, with such a long, curved and tapered blade. I am curious to see if it wobbles like crazy, if you use the middle of the blade to hit something. Also it looks like it has a really long 'effective cutting' portion of the blade (I hesitate to say center of percussion).
'Gimme that!........ But make it bigger!'
Something I would really appreciate (since I personally only ever used the metric system) would be if you could just show the measurements you are talking about on the screen but converted to metric units. It would be a bit of extra work for you but I had to convert everything since I really can't relate to imperial measurements. Apart from that it's a great video as always.
10 inches are ~ 25cm; 4 inches are ~ 10 cm; 2 inches are ~ 5cm - - - you do the maths, it's easy.
What's wrong with Google unit calculators if you can't be bothered to multiply inches or feet into cm yourself? :)
Hello Matt, i would love a video about Argentinian independence war swords. Love your content, keep it up!
@@shinobi-no-bueno Sorry, that's a failed troll. We Brits have no dislike of Argentinians. After all, if we hated everyone we've had a war with, we'd hate most of the world lol.
@@zednotzee7 agreed
Yes! Any content on Argentinian weapons would be greatly appreciated
So when you talk about the length of a curved blade you're not actually talking about the total length of the edge of the blade, you're talking about the distance between the base and the point. For a very curved blade that makes a considerable difference.
Much easier to measure and, I guess, makes more sense in comparison of reach against straight swords 🙂
@@konstantin.v Yeah, sure, it makes sense. It's just that one has to be aware.
I wonder if part of why it was made that way was intimidation slash morale. A fighting officer that wanted his sword to be part of a persona that would scare the other side and impress his own men while still being a usable fighting implement.
@Scott MacGregor, slash morale. I see what you did there 😆
Indiana Jones provided a solution to that kind of giant curved sword.
That only works if you have gastro-intestinal problems though;).
Could be for a guy who likes be showing off that he could have the biggest sword. Kind of like a Colt Buntline pistol.
That very long saber... This reminded me about Sasaki Kojirō, famous samurai and respected duelist, killed by Miyamoto Musashi. If I'm not mistaken, Kojirō had an unusually long Katana, well suited for duels. This very long saber, but nimble and flexibel... Can it have been especially made for duells?
I could watch you talk about and show off old swords for hours, so good
8:30 Actually, I would say that the 1788 LCS seems to be more similar to Central-Eastern European sabers than the 1796 pattern. At least to the Polish and Russian sabers.
The blade profile is very similar to some much earlier Polish and Hungarian sabres from the 17th century. However, by the 1780s and 1790s the contemporary Austro-Hungarian and Russian (Poland had been dissected by surrounding powers by then) military sabres were more like the 1788 pattern. None of them had a widening of the blade towards the tip. This begs the question, where did Le Marchant see antique Eastern European sabres, or did he at all?
@@urseliusurgel4365 there was a very large expat Polish population in France & UK, because of the partition and the resulting constant revolts. Hence the fashion for Eastern European flavour at the time. Many people brought over their possessions and joined various militaries, as it was a career path that was open and many had experience in. While France famously had whole Polish units, it wasn't the only country to take advantage of the available veterans.
@@lucidnonsense942 Indeed. The US famously accepted Count Casimir Pulaski as a cavalry officer, with him eventually remaking it into an effective force (after he overcame some initial suspicion) until his unfortunate death. Afterward, the US seemed to favor more dragoon-style cavalry forces, due to more familiarity with firearms, use of the cavalry arm, and terrain.
@@eldorados_lost_searcher Don't forget Tadeusz Kosciuszko who actually "created and design" the West Point.
@@Adrian_Pawel I'm going to look him up. Thanks.
I LOVE how enthusiastic you are about this beast of a sword :D So fun to see you geek out about it's handling and distal taper :D
its actually for the very famous hobbit cavalry units during the napoleonic wars as they had to compensate for their lack of reach. honestly it’s disappointing you didn’t know about this.
I love how giddy you were when you pulled out that giant version, lol. Really nice to see someone *genuinely* enjoy their hobby.
Somehow I've never seen those 88' pattern swords. Beautiful, love the hilt on the heavy cavalry.
That has indeed brightened my day!
Absolutely love my 1796 cavalry saber! It was munitions dulled for storage who knows how long ago and I carefully re sharpened it last year. I have cut tatami mats with it and it's a chopper for sure and a real pleasure to cut with.
If it was made for someone of unusual size, isn't it likely the hilt would have been larger than usual as well?
No, hands don't get much larger with increased height.
@@scholagladiatoria Yeah, I was thinking of someone proportionally larger all over like Andre The Giant but just getting taller is actually more common. Basketball players, for example may have longer fingers but not necessarily much broader palms than more normal-sized people. I'd have realized that if I'd thought about it for a while. D'oh!
@@itsapittie Andre the Giant had acromegaly which causes the giant hands and feet. I wonder if there are any historical examples of weapons or armor made for someone of his proportions with the same condition in the past.
I would like to see you cut with that extra large saber.
You found an ankle slasher. Achilles would be proud of you.
9:20 for those who can't wait
I got a prussian artillery saber, with a hilt that looks really really similar. The blade is different in that it doesn't have that broad of a cutting blade, lesser curvature and a tip which is more slender and designed to give point better.
That straight heavy cavalry sword looks awesome, it kinda resembles a 16-17th century rapier.
if the French, or any other enemy complain that your weapons are 'barbaric', surely that is a sign that you are doing something right?
I wish there was a Matt Easton for Spanish swords.
Ridiculous. I love it. Was it service sharpened? I'm thinking 'was it battle ready', given its fairly utilitarian makeup, but perhaps I'm showing my ignorance and bespoke swords came sharp from the maker, as opposed to the bog standard ones kept in an arsenal.
Thanks Matt, I now have a better understanding on the difference between light and heavy calvary swords. I didn't realize you could have different swords for different styles of fighting. I just thought they got better until 1796 and wondered why there was a downgrade.
I was a hussar in the Danish army, we still retain the black scarf as part of our camo service uniforms as opposed to our field uniform. I was infantry but our cavalry still wear a pretty fancy parade uniform when guarding the queen for instance and it is similar to the drawing
I do love a plain old solid workman like sword, function first
The old guard carried a rather wicked short sword bayonet
The build up did not disappoint.
A classic Matt preamble with lots of information and lots of context 😁. Also its half the video.
Paul Bunyan, called and wants his sword back.
to be perfectly honest what that beast reminded me of was in the 40s- 50s and later in the 70s Hollywood produced Arabian Nights/Sinbad and similar movies these loosely look like the weapons carried by the harem guards 😇
I've been referring to the 1796 for a while as the Birmingham Bacon slicer.
This is my all time favorite sword!
I believe you've mentioned in the past that they had specialized blades for cutting feats like cutting lead bars and handkerchiefs. Would this sword have been sharp enough for a handkerchief? Alternatively it may have been made for an inexperienced and impoverished young officer who couldn't afford some of the more elegant features and thought bigger will automatically be better. Much like first time shooters these days will often buy impractically overpowered guns because they don't understand the trade offs between recoil and accuracy.
In Germany we say : Es gibt nichts, was es nicht gibt. ( There is nothing, what doesn' t exists) - You should not be surprised about unusual things.
I like your ideas! Both very plausible.
@@brittakriep2938 If you please, would you walk me step-by-step through the meaning that figure of speech? I can guess at the meaning generally but the specifics of such linguistic idiosyncrasies have always interested me greatly.
Minor question, when did the British fight cuirassiers in the Peninsula? I was under the impression the only cuirassiers Regiment that fought in the Peninsula after Napoleon left was up with Suchet kicking the crap out of Blake's Spanish armies?
While not cuirassiers, heavy cavalry squadrons of the Horse Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard fought at Fuentes de Oñoro. Masséna sent an aide to request the whole regiment from its CO Oudinot, who refused to commit it without a direct order from his corps CO, Bessières. Thus Wellington was able to escape from the dire predicament into which Masséna had forced him.
Hi Matt, love your videos 😊 - I'm looking into stories from the peninsula war and some time ago I remember catching one of your videos where you read a passage from a historical book about a combat between two officers (British and French)...they agreed that they would fight rather than their whole 2 groups. If you recall this could you let me know the title of that book? I'm trying to get a definitive collection of first person accounts, thanks, Clare 👍🏻
I have a sword with a 32" blade quite similar to that one. Only the hilt has simple quillons, bent like we see on a taiji dao. It has a wire grip & a brass pommel. It was on sale as an antique ornament, though it's quite wieldy & sharp as a razor. It works as a slashing blade; Doesn't cut very deeply. It wouldn't be my first choice for battle.
Matt, have you made a video about what to look for (and avoid) when buying modern saber reproductions online? With so many styles and options, it’s hard to know what you’re looking at. Like a basic breakdown of the most popular reproduction sword styles, and the do’s and dont’s. If you’ve already made a video like that I need to check it out! -All the best
Really big sword for really big man. Actual life guards, not just seremonial ones, usually were huge dudes.
You have found Sharp's saber , I knew it wasn't a work of fiction!
It’s awesome! I love it.
Hate to say it Matt. But it seems to me as though it was for beheadings. Perfect blade for that. Extra length, so slightly more power to the cut, lots of distal taper so very thin at the forte. And a curved blade, perfect for imparting a draw-cut. Even the level of decoration would seem to be appropriate; as a special function sword, it had the level of decoration suited to an officer - the officer (presumably) who would have been responsible for ordering the execution. But as a specific function sword, it wouldn't have needed high levels of decoration, because it was only there to do one (gruesome) job, and not be paraded about. That's my two penorths anyhow.
Love to hear your thoughts on the TV show The Last Kingdom. Some interesting weaponry choices there, whether historically accurate 🤔 especially the old fantasy trope of carrying a sword on the back….
Great video and what a fascinating object, is it possibly a prototype and have you ever even heard of other similar examples? If not, could well be a model prototype that was rejected?
Looks like this particular General was a Size Queen.... can't blame him though...
I imagine that antique wouldn't be something you'd want to test, but dammit I want to see how that monster cuts.
Very cool
Now that is cool!
Big Boi. Would be fun to swing that around for a spell. Imagine my arms would tire fast but it woukd be a good time.
I nearly spat out my tea.
Any chance you'd show us some light cutting with that saber? I'd be very interested to see how it cuts with such a blade.
Based on what you've said in this and other videos - it's a fighting sword (no decoration). - it's a bespoke request (someone who knows what they are asking for). - if you can move it easily, then it doesn't need a giant to use it. Just someone pretty strong and tall. Your size and strength and more. So it's a combat sword ordered by someone who had seen combat and knew what they were asking for. Probably an absolute beast to fight against, with long arms and a long sword and that combat experience.
Thats one big Sabre.
14:44 Sandor Clegane wants to know your location
It might have been produced for public displays of mounted swordsmanship. A longer blade with a thinner foible might have been advantageous for turnip cutting in front of an audience.
Before Austerlitz Bonaparte had a light cavalry screen pretty much from Vienna to Olomutz (Olomouc) and knew where the enemy was. In later years he lacked such information/ i intellidence
I found a sabre whilst magnet fishing and would love to know what it is. I've posted on social media and they've said it's a 1788 sabre. So if you are happy to help drop me a heads up and I will share pictures with you so we can establish what I found. Thanks in advance and love You're professional knowledge on the subject.
I was legitimately surprised when Matt pulled that big as sword 🤣
I need one!
Hi scholagladiatoria! got an off topic question for you. do we ever see spear variants designed to have centers of gravity that are further back via the use of weighted spear butts and smaller heads?
Super curious how effective at chopping/cutting it is given how flexible the blade is
Machetes are flexible and thin too, it's probably AWESOME at cutting, what I wonder about is the defensive capabilities of a sword with such low mass at the end of the blade
I would assume that the name of original owner is Hugh Mongous.
How dare you! You have just assaulted a woman!
In Russia women assault you)
Sorry, i am bad at irony, especially in text's. Basically, i didn't get that joke.
No worries. Watching the original Hugh Mongous video should clear that up.
Im still waiting for a Sarissa video.
That sword is an absolute unit.
I think I’ll stick with my Broom-handled Mauser thanks! 🤣
Good luck getting ammo
All right, Winston.
large sword, officer's styling, but not embellished ... was it made for Lannes? he used a sword as a cane when he was dispatched to Portugal as an ambassador, and terrorized the court by walking around with his huge sword clanging into the ground. It's called a "great saber" in some accounts, and in portraits he is shown with curved blades. He was recovering from a wound to the leg at the time, and had refused to use a cane or crutch and needed a large sword so he could lean on it to rest his leg.
Crocodile Dundee joins the light cavalry
"they're bigger guys, they can handle a bigger blade" For you. Also, that's hot 🥵
sounds like a hard gayness
I found a place that studies 1788 pattern heavy calvary sword, 40km away. I called them, they recently moved 981 km away
holy cow what a huge ass sword
i have a Gill marked one wish i could find a scabbard
what about a 6 foot 6in guy. I am tall and having a longer reach id rather have extra blade reach so its more difficult to hit my wrist or arm
The owner must have had workmanlike forearms
I am in no way shape or form anything of an expert in British military swords/sabers. But when Matt did the reveal my first thought is it looks similar in shape ( Both blade and Hilt) to an American Artillery Saber (May have been either Militia or Confederate, it’s been too long and I can’t remember what state I was in when I saw it) That I saw in a museum during when I was traveling 3 weeks out of every month about 10 years or so ago. Now from my fuzzy memory the blade was more in the 30-34” range though.
that officer must have had two swords one for show and one to go
Probably not for simple wall display, otherwise they would put more resources into showiness, and less into the distal taper and quality of the steel. However, as a "demonstrator" in a sword shop, it would attract attention. "Here's an example of what we can do..." However I think it was probably made for someone who intended to use it on the battlefield. A huge factor in battle is intimidation and morale. If you can get the enemy to flee, you don't have to risk them chopping at you with their own swords. Personally, and it's only me, faced by a big bloke on a big horse with a big sword like that, I'd be fleeing like a good 'un. I also like the suggestion earlier in the comments that it would make battlefield signals more easily recognisable.
So the big question. Can you do some test cutting with it??
I've heard of rodents of unusual size, but not cavalry swords of unusual size.
Would it be particularly good at taking stationary heads?
What about the Model 1767 Infantry Briquet? That's pretty short and curved.
My guy just really wanted to be a Dark Souls boss
Sharpe's sword but if he was a cavalry officer instead of a rifles officer Edit: I recall seeing a fat 1796 sword at the kempton arms and armour fair last year (I think it was a 1796 sword iirc) that was supposedly used as an execution sword. The thing was ridiculously wide, something like 12-15cm wide approx, unfortunately I didn't buy it and haven't seen anything like it since then.
That sword is still functional
Matt, what is the weight of that flatty stick?
1788 heavy is my favorite pattern.
Looks just like a Blücher Saber. Wait, this is a Blücher Saber!