1796 Pattern British Sergeant’s Sword – Universal Swords Standard Grade
In stock
$219.99
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- Every blade inspected before shipping
- 30-day returns
- Class
- Battle Ready
- Blade
- 1060-1065 High Carbon Steel
- Overall Length
- 37 1/8"
- Weight
- 2 lbs 2 oz
- Brand
- Universal Swords
- Culture
- British
Overview
1796 Pattern British Sergeant's Sword - Universal Swords Standard Grade
Before Britain standardized the sword carried by its regimental sergeants and musicians, they were obliged to purchase swords of varying design that were chosen by wealthy regimental commanders. These were often expensive blades with characteristic silver-detailed mountings, and were painfully expensive for these sergeants and the drummers to buy and replace on their army wages.
When Britain standardized the swords to be carried by regimental officers, it also standardized a simpler, cheaper version of the sword that was to be worn by the sergeants and their accompanying drum and fife. Omitting the silver detailing and blade engraving, these all-brass hilted swords were in the form required and at a price befitting the wages of the men carrying them.
The sword design settled upon had a spadroon-like cut-and-thrust blade that was fitted into a hilt inspired by the gentlemanly smallswords of earlier years. A shorter-bladed version was created for the musicians, for they were often the shorter men in the regiment. These swords were not for show, sergeants and musicians were expected to fight when required. Unfortunately for them these 1796 swords were considered an inferior design of the time. The blade, though a compromise for cutting and thrusting, could do neither exceptionally well and the guard was considered too small to properly protect the hand. It wasnt until 1822 that Britain introduced new, standardized designs, making the 1796 infantry swords one of the blade patterns used throughout the entirety of the Napoleonic wars.
This recreation of the British 1796 Sergeants sword has a plain blade of unsharpened, tempered, high carbon steel. The hilt is entirely of brass. The scabbard is of leather with brass accents. The sword is the longer version used by the sergeants instead of the shorter blade used by the musicians, though the overall sword design and construction were inherently the same.
Specifications
Every measurement that matters
- Brand
- Universal Swords
- Culture
- British
- Overall Length
- 37 1/8"
- Blade Length
- 31"
- Blade
- 1060-1065 High Carbon Steel
- Weight
- 2 lbs 2 oz
- Edge
- Unsharpened
- P.O.B.
- 6"
- Thickness
- 8 mm - 4 mm
- Width
- 26 mm
- Grip Length
- 3 3/4''
- Class
- Battle Ready
- Country of Origin
- India
Reviews
What collectors are saying
Q&A
Questions from the community
Q What is this sword best suited for—display, collecting, or historical study? Common Question
This is a Battle Ready recreation of the 1796 British sergeant's sword, built with a tempered 1060-1065 high carbon steel blade and a full-length tang, so it's constructed to handle the stresses of a working sword rather than being a wall-hanger. It ships unsharpened, which makes it well suited to collecting, historical study, and display while retaining the weight and handling of the original pattern.
Q Is this a full tang sword? Common Question
Yes. The tang runs the full length of the hilt in the same 1060-1065 high carbon steel as the blade and is peened over at the pommel,.
Q Does this sword come sharp, and can it be used for cutting? Common Question
The blade ships unsharpened. As built, it's suited to handling, drilling, and display rather than cutting test media like tatami or water bottles.
Q Where does the point of balance sit, and what does that mean for handling? Common Question
The point of balance is 6 inches from the guard, keeping mass close to the hand on this 31-inch cut-and-thrust blade. That's consistent with the original 1796 pattern's design as a compromise blade meant for both cutting and thrusting rather than a blade-heavy chopper.
Q What is the hilt and grip made of? Common Question
The hilt is entirely brass, with a knucklebow guard and a wire-wrapped grip, finished with a peened pommel. The scabbard is black leather with brass fittings at the throat and chape to match.
Q How should I care for the blade and scabbard? Common Question
Wipe the high carbon steel blade down after handling and apply a light coat of oil to prevent rust, since this steel will corrode if left damp or bare. The leather scabbard looks great on display, but for long-term storage keep the blade out of it, as leather holds moisture against the steel.
Q Can I store the sword in its scabbard long-term? Common Question
It's fine to sheath the sword for display or handling, but for long-term storage it's better to keep the blade out of the leather scabbard. Leather can trap moisture against the high carbon steel and encourage rust over time.
Q Is this sword safe for sparring or stage combat? Common Question
This sword is not built or sold as a sparring or stage-combat weapon. An unsharpened edge does not make it safe for contact use on its own, and nothing in its construction is rated for blade-on-blade sparring. It can be sharpened with our add-on sharpening service and made ready for cutting use.
Q What makes this different from the officer's version of the 1796 pattern? Common Question
This is the longer sergeant's version of the 1796 pattern rather than the shorter blade issued to regimental musicians, though both shared the same spadroon-like cut-and-thrust blade and all-brass hilt. The all-brass hilt and plain, unengraved blade reflect the cheaper standardized pattern issued to sergeants and musicians rather than the silver-mounted swords officers purchased privately.
Q How much does this sword weigh and how long is it overall? Common Question
It weighs 2 lbs 2 oz with an overall length of 37 1/8 inches and a 31-inch blade, in keeping with the historical 1796 sergeant's pattern's balance of cutting and thrusting capability.
The Maker
Universal Swords
With origins going back to 1960, India’s Universal Swords has been making reproduction swords for decades. With an emphasis on military sabers, universal produces a number of designs not found elsewhere. As the official US distributor of Universal Swords, KOA will be expanding to stock their entire line over time.
Often paired together
Firstly, this sword is not near the specs KuA advertises, or for that matter many other companies both in the U.S. and in EU that offer it. It is advertised by KuA as 1lb. 13.3oz (830 g) and by other sites as 883g (1lb 15oz); it is in fact 2.07lbs, or 940g. The blade is exactly 31″ in length and 10% thicker at the hilt than advertised (7.75mm vs. 7mm). Its POB is 6″, so the heavier blade does not compromise handling per se, even though the grip diameter foils optimum control. The grip is rather too small in diameter to allow good control of the piece, but thus may reflect the actual shortcoming of the original historical design. It does have more of a distal taper than most Universal offerings, but there is not as pronounced a blade taper to the tip as the actual historical sword, causing it to feel more tip-heavy than I expected. As delivered, the sword would not fully seat into the scabbard, leaving an inch of blade exposed, so filing must be done to both the scabbard throat and the blade.
Otherwise, the quality of fit and finish is up to Universal’s normal level. Overall, the sword is most compromised by its grip as previously said. Once I find a remedy to this, I hope to have more confidence in wielding it properly as I grow accustomed to its overall weight.