Recommended combination
Product description
British Lifeguards, Royal Horse Guards, Dragoon Guards, and Dragoons all carried this sword through the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Designers copied it directly from the Austrian Pallasch 1769 heavy cavalry sword. British cavalry officer John Le Marchant carefully sketched the weapons carried by Austrian cavalry during the Low Countries Campaign in 1793–95 and likely recommended this pattern to his superiors. The sword saw notable action at Salamanca and Waterloo.Technically, the 1796 heavy cavalry sword is a backsword — a sword with a straight blade, one cutting edge, and a spine (the "back") thickened along most of its length for added strength. This is not a delicately maneuverable weapon by any stretch of the imagination. Troops favored it as a bludgeoning weapon and also used the guard as a knuckle duster.
The blade is forged with a single broad fuller on each side. The grip is made from ribbed leather. The basket guard features ears riveted through the tang of the blade, giving the hilt and blade a very secure connection. The hilt combines a disc guard pierced with 2 semicircular and 6 oval holes, a single knucklebow, and two slim 2-inch-long (51 mm) langets — projections from the guard that grip the throat of the scabbard — extending from the front of the guard. Arrives sharpened and includes a steel scabbard.
