British 95th Rifles Regimental Pattern Sabre – Universal Swords

Available now due to popular demand is the reproduction of the Regimental Saber of the famed 95th Rifles! The 95th features heavily in the acclaimed Sharpe's Rifles novels of Bernard Cornwell and the regiment had a distinctive and beautiful pattern for its regiment pattern saber which has been carefully reproduced here after an original in the collection of the National Army Museum in London. The regiment adopted this saber pattern after 1803 and the 95th would have borne them to war both in the Iberian actions in the Peninsular Campaign and at Waterloo. The design was copied by several other Light Infantry Regiments such as the King's German Legion and the Glengarry Light Infantry.

A robust saber, the blade has no fuller groove and is kept slab-sided in its cross section - a delberate design choice to make the sword blade as tough as possible for parrying heavy overhead blows from cavalrymen and their larger heavy cavalry swords. The blade is forged from high carbon steel and it is mounted into an intricate nickel-plated hilt with a leather-wrapped wooden grip completed with braided wire. The scabbard is made from thick and stiff high quality leather with nickel-plated hardware and hanging rings.

A number of Light Infantry Regiments (examples: the King's German Legion, Glengarry Light Infantry) copied this pattern of sabre. As the pictures below attest, this sword is a work of art.  The high carbon steel slab blade style makes it stronger for field service, and more durable when defending against a mounted attack.  The original blade has faded evidence of complex acid etching which we have not reproduced, so our replica is not passed off as an original.  The leather scabbard is based on an 1812 watercoloured print of a 95th officer showing this configuration: