Pattern 1908 British Cavalry Sword with Metal Scabbard

Pattern 1908 British Cavalry Sword with Metal Scabbard

The 1908 design and the more sophisticated 1912 design for officers are still in use nowadays, having been adopted by British, Australian, and Canadian cavalry regiments as their ceremonial sword.

Although this lightweight sword could still deliver effective cuts, it was clearly primarily intended for thrusting from horseback, and was allegedly able to match the reach of a lance when held with the arm fully extended. Its long, narrow, stiff blade featured a thick, T-shaped spine and a spear-like point that was sharp on both sides to facilitate both the thrust and the cut.

The generously sized, plain bowl-shaped guard plate with knuckle-bow provided excellent protection to the hand, and the substantial pommel helped balance the blade without forfeiting the sword's lightness, quickness, and manoeuvrability. What's more, the ergonomically shaped, pistol-like grip with thumb recess and textured diamond pattern offered good traction and control, and automatically brought the point in the correct position for the thrust.

The sword was also easy to carry, as its scabbard could be suspended from the saddle or to a belt or baldric.

The good value replica we offer here has a straight, single-edged EN45 spring steel blade, which is fullered about two thirds down its length. The unsharpened edge is about 1 mm thick. The guard and pommel are made of steel, and the grip is made of hard-moulded plastic to imitate the rubber or Bakelite grips found on original examples.

The cavalry sword is delivered with a blackened all-steel scabbard with two suspension rings.

Please note that this sword is not a battle-ready weapon. It is designed as a collector's or decoration/display piece and is not suited for combat reenactment. Besides its quality as a collectible, it is also perfectly suited as a prop, e.g. to complete your costume.

• Material: EN45 spring steel blade (high carbon steel, not stainless), steel guard and pommel, hard-moulded plastic grip
• Overall length: approx. 110 cm
• Blade length: approx. 91 cm
• Hilt length: approx. 19 cm (grip incl. thumb rest approx. 15 cm)
• Max. blade width: approx. 2 cm (tapering down towards the point to approx. 0.5 cm)
• Blade thickness: approx. 6 mm (tapering down towards the point to approx. 3 mm)
• Cutting edge: approx. 1 mm
• Point of balance: approx. 11.5 cm from the guard
• Incl. metal scabbard with carrying rings
• Weight without scabbard: approx. 1.26 kg
• Weight with scabbard: approx. 1.8 kg

Specs may slightly vary from piece to piece.

The steel used here is not rust-proof and might show slight surface tarnishing in places. We recommend you to maintain the blade on a regular basis, for example using Ballistol Universal Oil, which is ideally suited for steel care.