French Swords

Beautiful and ornate, the classic French swords during the Napolean era had straight single edged double blood fullered 37" blade with engravings on the back edge. The four branch brass guard was massive with brass pommel, leather covered grip bound with twisted brass wire. The scabbard was made in all steel with two hanging rings.

Fourteen years after the collapse of the disastrous M1882 universal sword's system, the French government made the design of the M1896 cavalry sword. This straight bladed sword was designed for both heavy and light cavalry. It differed only on the length of the blade: 950mm for the heavy cavalry troopers and 900mm for the light cavalry. The full basket five bars brass hilt had two sidebars symmetrically arranged each side of the knuckle bow. As usual with French regulation swords, an officer's pattern with an embellished hilt was issued simultaneously with the trooper pattern.

Falguière arranged intricate flowing curves and botanical forms in abstract patterns symmetrically arrayed around the guard. On the pommel, an open wreath of acanthus and oak foliates surrounded the initials of the owner of the sword. The grip was made of black buffalo horn.