Cutlass vs Saber: The Naval Sword and the Cavalry Sword Compared

The cutlass and the saber are close relatives. Both are usually curved, both have a single main edge, and both were standard military issue for centuries. The difference comes down to where they were used. The saber was made for a rider on horseback, so it is long and built to cut at speed. The cutlass was made for a sailor on a crowded, rolling deck, so it is short, broad and sturdy enough for close work and rough handling.

The Short Answer

Check the length and the width. A cutlass blade usually runs about 24 to 30 inches and is noticeably wide for its length. A saber blade usually runs about 30 to 35 inches and is slimmer, with a longer, more graceful curve. Cutlasses also tend to have a solid cup or bowl shaped guard, while sabers more often use a knuckle bow, stirrup or basket.

Cutlass vs Saber at a Glance

What Is a Cutlass?

The name likely comes from the French coutelas, a large knife, and that is a good description. The cutlass grew out of short hunting swords and hangers in the 1600s and became the standard sidearm of sailors. On a ship, a long sword snags on rigging and is awkward between decks, so the cutlass kept its blade short and its build heavy. It was just as handy for cutting rope or canvas as for a boarding action.

Navies standardized it in the 1700s and 1800s. The British 1804 Pattern cutlass had a plain iron figure-eight guard, later replaced by a sheet steel bowl guard, and the United States Navy adopted the Model 1860 Naval Cutlass with a brass half basket. Pirates and privateers used whatever short swords they could get, which is how the cutlass became the pirate sword of popular imagination. Our cutlass history guide covers the full story.

What Is a Saber?

The saber's curve was designed for the horse. A curved edge slices along its length as the rider sweeps past a target, which made it the defining cavalry sword from the steppes of Central Asia to the armies of Napoleon. In the 1700s and 1800s every European army issued sabers, from Britain's 1796 Pattern Light Cavalry Sabre to the American Model 1860 Light Cavalry Saber. Naval officers often carried sabers of their own as a mark of rank, while ordinary sailors carried cutlasses. See our guide to the cavalry saber for more.

The Key Differences in Detail

Length

A saber needs reach to strike from horseback, so it is longer. A cutlass needs to work in tight spaces, so it is shorter. That single trade-off explains most of the other differences.

Width and weight distribution

Cutlasses are broad and sturdy for their size, with weight that helps a short blade cut powerfully. Sabers are slimmer and balanced for long sweeping cuts.

The guard

Naval cutlasses often use a solid cup or bowl that protects the whole hand in a crush of bodies. Sabers favor lighter knuckle bows or stirrup hilts, with basket hilts on some heavier patterns.

Who used it

The saber was a horseman's sword and an officer's symbol. The cutlass was a working sailor's tool and weapon, issued in large numbers and expected to take hard use.

Is a Cutlass a Type of Saber?

In a broad sense, yes. Many historians place the cutlass within the wider saber family because it shares the curved, single-edged design. In everyday use, though, the two are treated as separate types, and anyone familiar with swords will expect a short naval blade when you say cutlass and a long cavalry blade when you say saber.

Which One Fits Your Collection?

Choose a cutlass if pirates, the Age of Sail or naval history appeal to you, or if you want a sword that fits a smaller display space. Choose a saber if cavalry history, Napoleonic armies or the Ottoman and Polish traditions interest you more. A long naval saber makes a good bridge between the two.

Cutlasses to consider

• Naval Cutlass Sword, Damascus Steel, 30", $199.99. A classic naval profile in pattern welded Damascus steel.
• Pirate Cutlass, Damascus Steel Sword, 32", $199.99. The swashbuckling silhouette most people picture.
• Cutlass Sword, 1095 Steel, 28", $199.99. A compact cutlass in 1095 high carbon steel.

Browse the full cutlass collection.

Sabers to consider

• Cavalry Sabre Sword, 1095 High Carbon Steel, 38", $199.99. A classic cavalry saber with a curved single-edged blade.
• Kilij, 1095 Steel Turkish Saber, 35", $199.99. The classic Ottoman saber of the Turkish cavalry tradition.
• Naval Saber, Extended Cutlass Sword, Damascus Steel, 40", $239.99. A long naval sword that sits between the two families.

Browse the full saber collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is a cutlass so short?

Ships are cramped. A short blade is easier to use between decks and among rigging, and easier to carry while climbing.

Did pirates use cutlasses?

Yes, along with other short swords, axes and firearms. The cutlass was common aboard ships of every kind, so pirates naturally used it too.

Is it saber or sabre?

Both are correct. Saber is the American spelling and sabre is the British one. Our saber vs rapier comparison explains more.

Is a scimitar a cutlass?

No. Scimitar is a Western name for the curved swords of the Middle East and Central Asia, such as the shamshir. Like the cutlass, it belongs to the broad curved sword family, but it comes from a different tradition.

More Sword Comparisons

• Saber vs Rapier
• Scimitar vs Katana
• Longsword vs Broadsword
• Longsword vs Greatsword
• Claymore vs Zweihander
• Katana vs Longsword
• Katana vs Tachi
• Rapier vs Longsword
• Bastard Sword vs Longsword
• Katana vs Wakizashi vs Tanto
• Odachi vs Nodachi

For every sword family in one place, see our guide to the types of swords.