French Napoleonic Heavy Cavalry Sword – Universal Swords

Napoleonic Heavy Cavalry swords of many European nations favored straight, stiff blades that were intended to excel at thrusting. They were often used in a manner not unlike a lance, charging at the foe and holding the blade out to skewer the foe with the full force of horse and rider. Even at slower speeds the momentum of the moving horse and the geometry of the blade ensured that lethal thrusts were nearly guaranteed in a good hit. The stiff blade flexes just enough to prevent it from snapping, but is stiff enough to ensure that it drives home with as much force as possible.

The blade could also be used to cut and slash and its inherent heft ensured that foes struck by the blade would be hacked with considerable force. Though it would not be as ideal for this method of fighting as the curved swords favored by light cavalry. Heavy cavalry swords such as this example here would have been used by many cavalry officers in Napoleons Grande Arm. It would be seen in the scabbards of men of the Dragoons, Horse Artillery and other Heavy Cavalry regiments.

This replica French Heavy Cavalry sword has a blade of unsharpened high carbon steel etched with the motifs of the French Empire on both sides. The elegant clamshell guard is of brass and the pommel is likewise of brass. The grip is of leather and is inlaid with twisted copper wire. The scabbard is of black steel lined with wood on the interior. It has accents of brass and two steel hanging rings.