The Cavalry Saber: History, Types of Saber Swords and How to Choose One
The saber is the horseman's sword: curved, single-edged, with a guard that protects the hand, built so that a rider passing at speed could cut without the blade binding. It was the last sword to matter on a battlefield, carried by cavalry into the First World War, and it is still the sword that officers wear on parade. This guide covers where the saber came from, the patterns that defined it, the types of saber swords you will see named, how it differs from the cutlass, the scimitar and the katana, and how to choose one.
What is a saber?
A saber (sabre in British spelling) is a single-edged sword with a curved blade of roughly 30 to 36 inches and a knuckle guard or bow protecting the hand, weighing 2 to 2.5 lb. The curve is the point: a curved edge drawn across a target slices rather than chops, and on horseback, where the rider's speed did the work, a curved blade cut cleanly and came free where a straight one would stick. The name probably comes through Hungarian, szablya, though the etymology is disputed.
From the steppe to the hussars
The curved cavalry sword came out of Central Asia with the Turkic and Mongol horse peoples, whose sabers reached Eastern Europe through the Ottomans and the Tatars. Hungary and Poland adopted it first, and the Hungarian hussars of the 15th to 17th centuries made the saber the light cavalry sword of Europe. By the 18th century every European army had hussar regiments and every hussar carried a saber.
The Napoleonic saber
The great age of the saber was the Napoleonic Wars. The British 1796 Light Cavalry Sabre, with its deep curve and broad point, was the cutting saber taken to its extreme and was reportedly notorious for the wounds it made. The French, by contrast, gave their heavy cavalry long straight thrusting swords and argued for the point over the edge, a debate that ran through every cavalry manual for the next century. The 1796 pattern and its Prussian and Austrian cousins are the sabers most collectors picture.
The American saber
The US Model 1860 Light Cavalry Saber, a lighter development of the 1840 heavy saber, was the sword of the Civil War cavalry and the last American sword to see wide use in combat. The Model 1913 Patton Saber, a straight thrusting sword designed by George Patton, was issued but never used in earnest. The Army NCO sword and the Marine NCO sword derive from the cavalry pattern; the Marine officer's Mameluke is a different, Ottoman-derived design.
Types of saber swords
Light cavalry saber. Deeply curved, 30 to 33 inch blade, single bar or stirrup guard. The hussar and 1796 pattern.
Heavy cavalry saber. Longer and straighter, sometimes nearly straight, with a heavier guard, for the cuirassier and dragoon. The 1840 US pattern and the French 1822 fall here.
Naval cutlass. The saber's sea-going cousin: shorter, 24 to 30 inches, with a heavy guard, for the deck. Covered in the cutlass collection.
Officer's and dress saber. Lighter, more decorated, often etched, worn rather than used, from the 19th century to the parade ground today.
Artillery and infantry sabers. Short, heavy-bladed sidearms issued to gunners and foot troops through the 19th century.
The scimitar family. The Persian shamshir, the Turkish kilij and the Indian talwar are the Eastern curved swords the saber descends from, and they are covered on the scimitar page. The katana is a curved single-edged sword too, but it is two-handed, has no knuckle guard and comes from a separate tradition; it is a cousin, not a saber, and the scimitar versus katana article explains the difference.
Saber versus cutlass versus scimitar
All three are curved and single-edged. The saber is the longest, at 30 to 36 inches of blade, with a moderate curve and a bar or bowl guard. The cutlass is the shortest, 24 to 30 inches, with a heavy solid guard, built for a crowded deck. The scimitar family is narrower, more deeply curved and usually without a knuckle guard, built for the drawing cut from horseback in the East. Our cutlass history covers the naval sword.
The saber today: fencing, parades and collecting
Sabre is one of the three Olympic fencing weapons, and the one in which cuts with the edge count as well as thrusts, with the target above the waist; it is the sport descendant of the cavalry saber's drill. Ceremonially, commissioned officers and honour guards in most armies still wear a saber, and the Marine and Army NCO swords are cavalry patterns. For collectors the saber is the 19th century in one object, and reenactors of the Napoleonic and Civil War periods carry reproductions of the 1796 and 1860 patterns.
Choosing and caring for a saber
Decide what it is for first. A display saber can be stainless and decorated. A saber built to the working standard is 1095 high carbon or pattern-welded Damascus, hardened and tempered, with a full tang and a steel guard seated tight; the listing should state all of that. Check that the guard fits your hand with room for a glove, that the grip is wood under leather or wire rather than plastic, and that the blade length suits the display or the kit. Our Damascus and 1095 sabers are hand forged, and the saber collection holds the range, including the 38 inch cavalry sabre in 1095. Keep a high carbon saber dry and lightly oiled, wipe it after handling, and store it in the scabbard or on a mount.
Cavalry saber FAQ
What is a cavalry saber?
A curved, single-edged sword with a hand guard, 30 to 36 inches in the blade, designed to be used from horseback.
Saber or sabre?
The same word. Saber is the American spelling, sabre the British.
What are the main types of saber swords?
Light cavalry, heavy cavalry, naval cutlass, officer's dress saber, and the short artillery and infantry sabers, plus the Eastern scimitar family the saber descends from.
Is a katana a saber?
No. Both are curved and single-edged, but the katana is two-handed, has no knuckle guard and comes from a separate Japanese tradition.
Why is a saber curved?
A curved edge slices as it passes through a cut and comes free cleanly, which matters most when the cut is delivered at a horse's speed.
What is the difference between a saber and a cutlass?
Length and guard. A cutlass is shorter, 24 to 30 inches, with a heavy solid guard for use on a ship's deck.
What saber was used in the Civil War?
The Model 1860 Light Cavalry Saber, with some 1840 heavy sabers still in service.
How much does a saber weigh?
About 2 to 2.5 lb.
About the author
Owen Juarbal is Director of Marketing and head writer at Battling Blades. He has been with the company since 2021 and writes or reviews every guide the team publishes. Read more about Battling Blades.
