Introduction
Sabers are prominently featured in many European cultures, including French, German, Italian, Polish, and Russian. Saber size and weight depend on their specific construction and function.
Polish sabers feature a minimal knuckle guard. The curve of the sword enables it to wind around an opponent's guard and deliver devastating cuts. Richard Marsden has done definitive work on reconstructing and providing historical context to this system of saber fencing, which he has shared in his book, The Polish Saber.[1]
A ceremonial Polish saber.
Courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of Art. Public Domain.
English sabers were either straight or curved and varied in their specialty. Some excelled at quick, precise motions; others had the perfect curve and length to be used on horseback. Their intended role determined their construction and handling characteristics. The British military, specifically the cavalry units and officers, spent decades refining and perfecting the art of the saber and used them in military actions across the world for centuries.[2]
The Academy of Historical Fencing presents a brief introduction to the saber.
British 1796 pattern light cavalry officer's saber. The blade is remembered today as one of the best of its time and has been described as the finest cutting sword ever manufactured in quantity due to its effectiveness in cutting from horseback and on foot.
Courtesy of Urselius.
1845 pattern infantry officer’s sword. Notice the straight cut-and-thrust blade which is perfectly suited to infantry use.
Courtesy of Jean roch.
A breakdown of a generic Western saber. Polish sabers generally followed the same anatomy but the hilt would be modified with a simplified knucklebow and often include a thumb ring.
Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, edited by TOTA. Public Domain.
Sources
Polish
While sources specifically dealing with the Polish saber can be difficult to find, an excellent resource for beginner fencers is Richard Marsden’s The Polish Saber, which delves into the concept of the duel as well as the form and function of the weapon. This resource can serve as an excellent starting point to more deeply explore the world of Polish saber.
British
Charles Roworth (1798 (revised 1824)): Charles Roworth was a serving member of the prestigious Royal Westminster Volunteers. His work, The Art Of Defence On Foot With The Broad sword And Sabre, is one of the most important references on British swordsmanship on foot in the Napoleonic period. It was recommended for purchase and use by British officers in many publications of the time and was intended to provide a unified system for all military swords in use at the time, including the spadroon, infantry sabre, Scottish broadsword, hanger, and cavalry swords. Nick Thomas, instructor and co-founder of the Academy of Historical Fencing, has published an excellent companion workbook to be used alongside The Art of Defense.
Lieut. William Pringle Green (1812): Green’s book is designed to teach naval boarding actions to new British navy recruits and allows a window into close quarters saber fighting on a ship’s deck. It also provides unique instruction about the realities of group melee tactics and training, a stark departure from the traditional individual use of swords and sabers.
Henry Angelo (The Elder) (1845): Henry Angelo came from a line of fencing masters; his father Domenico Angelo founded his own fencing school in England in the 1750s, quickly becoming one of the most celebrated fencing masters in England. As Domenico’s son, Henry Angelo took over his father’s dynasty and also went on to develop a system of military swordsmanship described in his works, Hungarian and Highland Broad Sword (1798) and The Guards of the Highland Broad Sword (1799).
Henry Angelo (The Younger) (1817): Henry’s son took over his father’s fencing school and began to teach the Royal Navy a cutlass exercise that was based upon his father’s work. By 1817, his system was accepted as the standard system for the British Army, and his text served as the standard and official manual of infantry sword exercise until nearly the end of the 19th century.
John Musgrave Waite (1880): An excellent example of late saber instruction, Waite includes the singlestick in his treatise as well as the saber. He covers everything from how to hold the saber to cutting and counter techniques.
Portuguese
Antonio Domingos Pinto Martins (1895): This text gives a window into what the fencing scene of 1800s Portugal was like and mentions the three weapons of sport fencing, i.e. foil, epee, and sabre. Consequently, this could be a bridge between military and sport fencing as the activity transitioned from a military discipline to a sport and recreational activity. The author also claims his system has strong foundations in the French military fencing systems.
American
While the United States falls outside of the purview of Historical European Martial Arts, American saber texts are heavily influenced by European masters. As such, different descriptions or depictions of saber techniques taught to the Unites States military might provide a different perspective on European sources and techniques.
Corbesier, A. J (1872): Corbesier presents a basic manual for the instruction of Navy recruits and attempts to establish a standardized fencing system and method of instruction.
Lieut.-Comdr. William F. Fullam (1904): Lieut.-Comdr. Fullam, at the Direction of the Bureau of Navigation, prepared a drill book to be used to maintain established saber skills and to keep seamen in fighting condition. For the practitioner, these drills are clearly illustrated, clearly explained, and cover foundational saber techniques.
Demonstration
An example of a sparring match with sabers:
A demonstration of basic polish saber techniques
Nick Thomas of the Academy of Historical Fencing gives a brief overview of the sabers used by the British Empire:
Matt Easton demonstrates how to attack with the military saber:
Equipment
I have written an extensive list of recommended saber equipment for beginners in HEMA.
Works Cited
Footnotes
[1] Richard Marsden, Polish Saber (repr., [S.l.]: Tyrant Industries, 2015).
[2] D. A. Kinsley, Swordsmen Of The British Empire, 3rd ed. (repr., Lulu Publishing, 2013).
Citations
Kinsley, D. A. Swordsmen Of The British Empire. 3rd ed. Reprint, Lulu Publishing, 2013.
Marsden, Richard. Polish Saber. Reprint, [S.l.]: Tyrant Industries, 2015.
