If you put together a French blade and a British Hilt, do you get a Canadian sword?

"They tend to be shorter, heavier and stiffer, these Frenchmen." Typical Matt! :D

Now that's a title to draw people in.

"30 inches is pretty short for British standards" Damn.

Hey Matt! What about Russian and German/Austrian blades of the time? Can you talk about them? And speaking of Russia, would you mind talking about their medieval armour/weaponry sometime? They seem to be a very interesting mix of European and Asian styles.

You should do a time line, where you describe the changes of a particular sword-type overtime with shifting images. It would be interesting for us sword-noobs to get an overview of things. It makes it easier for us to understand the topic that way.

"Pound for pound: it's lighter." I know that's not what you meant, but had to point it out. :)

Outstanding content and thus far my two absolute favorites!! I currently posses three French 1845's one of which is an etched bladed example , and the one Indian Garuda ( what I call her now ) I got from you .I consider it to be a robust 1845 British .. I have to say that I too really quite like my 45's they feel like Ferraris compared to others .. Interesting that Musgrave says to wrap the handles for two reasons 1.) I'm just now beginning my journey with his teachings and 2.) I have been wrapping the sabers I use with non dyed hemp twine for some time now .. It helps with the slippery horn whilst protecting them ,and on the shagreen ( annoys my hands an awful lot ) protects it as well ... Bravo , and why on God’s earth has this taken you soooo long Matt ?? This other than the accounts is now my new favorite video !!!!

Thanks for the video Matt! Love the content, would be awesome if you did a series on the models! Best regards to you and the family.

Doesn't stiffer blade make it easier to actually cut for less trained people? with more flexible blade edge alignment is of far higher importance and less trained person is more likely to get it wrong.

Great intro, Matt! Sounding very polished.

Really enjoy this type of video, straight comparisons of swords, lots to talk about and also a bit more easy to grok the things you talk about with swords for those of use who don't come into contact with them often.

14:53 the day we almost see Matt impale himself on camera.

Matt, you called it. French blade and English hilt. I thought that the French blade looked better before you said it. I was ,however just going by the looks. Thank-you for the video.

20 seconds adverts seem to last for days and 20+ min Matt's videos always sem too short for me! And as you mentioned there are many variations in both those designs. I have several 1845-1855 French Infantry swords, NCO and officers issues and they all vary in shape, blade, and length. Even the copper proportion in the hilt conception can change from one to another - Bronze

"Ooh! That blade is sharp!" Aaaah! Matt, my anxiety me every time! X D I know you're extremely practiced, but eek!

Mate, love your content, thank you

I really like this video and hope to see more comparison videos in the future! Are there any records of why they chose these designs or made the changes from the previous pattern/models? I know from watching Othias's videos on C&Rsenal that there are reports on firearms developments so we know what the various army review boards were thinking but were there similar formal reviews when it came to sword design? Obviously for wealthy officers it often came down to personal choice and the ability to buy what you wanted, but there had to be a formal review process for the official designs right?

If you like the French 1845, wait until you see the American 1850 Staff & Field Sword... It's got a better protected wrapped hand guard with a slightly longer French style blade, but etched in the British style. You'd love it.

Still waiting for that 1788 pattern video. I'd love to see how the 1780s and 90s cavalry patterns compare with French weapons too.

That French lower officers sabre is GORGEOUS.

At time: 21:11 you have your signature voice that sells things great. Really Really good. You say it with passion.

Incredibly informative video :). Merci

I happen to own two dutch sabres which seem to benear copies of the french. The 1822 infantry (home guard) sabre is just like the french one you showed (the hilt gives them away), there is also a 1845 pattern that has the same overall construction as the french one, but with substantial differences: A 29" blade of a pipe-back construction with a yelman, spear point and 3" Balance point thanks to a lighter, more flexible blade and a heavier three-bar hilt design. This just feels strong and nimble at the same time, giving much confidence. I remember Maxime Chouinard once demonstrating an 1845 where the Montmorency develops into a pipe-back towards the tip...

Since Matt started to compare the french and the british, how can we compare french and british sabre techniques on foot during napoleonic wars (because that's a period I'm interested in and there are probably many sources from that time)?

when you charge into battle with a longsword and its 1845 . . .

Very interesting. Thank you.

An interesting comparison in the same vein may be the the 1845 cutlass and the American m1860 cutlass, both beautiful weapons!

It's so nice to have historical Anglo-Franco comparison videos without incredibly tiresome patriotism in the mix, even if it is merely feigned for a laugh. I greatly appreciate your objectivity!

I'm fan of the british infantery saber, is so FANCY!

Hello DicoGrey!! I have question: I recently became aware that you've been to Florence Italy via you Q&A. Ill be moving there late this year and would appreciate any advice you could me.

The etching on the British blade is really nice. But the shape of the French blade is really good looking.

i enjoyed that comparing!!

Very nice video. Do you have any Austrian blades in your collection from around the period?

So the french ones are shorter but stiffer. The important question now is, who could use it better.

The general effect of fullers is to make the sword stiffer while using the same amount of steel. The precise effects are going to be quite tricky to compute, but I am fairly confident in this general claim. (This is regarding the single vs. double fuller stuff).

very interesting video, and very informative. Thank you very much. Would you please talk about French 1896 MODEL CUIRASSIER TROOPER'S SWORD as well? I find its hand guard quite unique, and an eye catcher.

Btw, as always, Matt, very informative and interesting. Personally, I agree with the late Hank Reinhardt that "There is no "best" sword. Now, in regards to point shapes- you make good points, pun certainly intended- but personally I wonder if the spear-tip is really better on a curved blade than the modified hatchet, or katana or whatever one calls it. If the blade is slightly deflected because of curvature, might not the latter style of tip "dig in" if you follow me, better than the spear tip, and allow at least a partially effective thrust to be made? Also, the hatchet-style does have a little more "meat" in most cases backing the tip. So, it could be that while spear-points are the most effective thrusters where straight weapons are concerned, the others might be optimum for a curved blade.

Hello Matt , I enjoyed this comparison of the two 1845 swords and feel a slight leaning towards the French sword overall . Can you tell me are there any differences between the French and the German , Solingen / Horster Infantry Officers swords of the same period ? And why were the same German swords manufactured , for other countries uses ?

Always a good thing to gain stiffness for the thrust.

I have a couple of French 1845s, both Châtellerault officers models, one made in 1846 and one made in 1914. The 1846 one masses 903g and the 1914 is 1004g.

Love the blade design on the French sword. I could just hear a meaty "Thunk" when you were swinging it around.

Hi @scolagladiatoria aka Matt Easten. Hopefully you still read comments under this video.😄 I recently bought a frech Infantry officer's saber model 1855 (because it has a steal sheath). Just like that you showed in this video. It is in good condition overall but the horn grib shows its age a little bit and is quite brittle and has some small cracks. Do you have some tips or ideas how to take care of it to prevent further damage? Thanks allot.🙂

Nice video. Please do german cavalry sabre. M1811 especially.

As someone who has hold (an American Civil War adaptation of) the French one I think it is a beast, I would love to see that blade on a full steel hilt like that of the Spanish Robert type

I adore my French 1845. It cuts so immaculately, thrusts beautifully, and its ornate hilt melts my face. By far the favorite sword in my collection.

Agree with french blade on a brit hilt. The 1850 U.S. officer sword went the other way. French hilt, More of a Brit blade in cross section but was only 30 inch long. Not exactly a brilliant design.

I've got a pic of a General's sword with a wootz Persian shamshir blade in my Wilkinson "Edged Weapons". Still has the maker's cartouche on the blade.

"Every centimeter matters" - British officer

I do own one of these french infantry officer sabers ! A beautiful piece ! Unfortunately, my grandfather poorly maintained it and has deep rust spots on the blade. I'm currently looking for a way to restore it.

Hello Matt, I recently acquired a French cutlass which I quite enjoy. We are all well aware of your affinity for British cutlasses but have you ever owned any from any other nations and what is your opinion of them?

Hi Matt, just out of interest, do you know of any accounts of the Collier flintlock revolver in Indian service? I wonder if they were ever put to use.

My theory for the different french blades for high ranks would be that they could be recognized from a certain distance, so they could be used to indicate maneuvers, like where to go, or ask for regroup... I'm not a specialist, and it's just an idea.

Fought with both, liked both!

Hello, British viewer. You saying a lack of patriotism has just made my day. I actually think the french sword in this case looks nicer than the british sword

Hey there! You mentioned Mamluk swords and their ornamental purpose, as opposed to a "proper fighting blade." I've been really interested in blades and combat from near east/middle east weapons (I know you have a couple of tulwars), especially the Kilij (or Pala rather), and the Shamshir, also Katars - why they are effective or not, and why, and how would they have been useful at all when people were wearing armor? Anyway... I have yet to find a channel that focuses on this area of the world and history in a context of weapons and combat and was hoping you knew some stuff about this! Love your channel and thanks!

MATT! I'm jealous , you have very nice swords, I would be very happy with just one of those sabers

Your blade has a stiff rod?

Hello, Would you consider shooting a video putting both these blade designs to test by cutting and thrusting them into drenched mats or something ? A test cutting (and thrusting) bout would be highly interesting, all the more as the French officers in the first world war would often prefer reverting to a 1845 blade than their issued one, deeming it sturdier and more combat-worthy. Thanks !

Shoutout Colin Campbell, that was my grandfather's name. :) It's an important one from the clans history

I'm always a little bit worried that you will stab yourself in the hand when you demonstrate flexibility of a sword, and this time it was close lol. I have for a long time really liked the British 1845 -type blade for some reason, maybe exactly because of the tip construction and how it looks kinda like a slightly curved medieval sword blade. I feel like I have a wrong opinion among sabre-fans because most seem to favor the 1796 or something like Polish sabres, really curvy, choppy types, but I like how nimble the 1845 one is in the hand.

wonderful

Well I am loving the Talwar in the background.

1796 heavy cavalry sword! Please acquire one and talk all about it, I love me some sharpe's

I've never been fond of American sabers as they, for the most part have the upward swept point, but these two are a kind of saber I could get used to.

As for me I'd simply go with combination of both, with British guard but prolonged (about 3 inches) French blade with both fuller ending around 4 inches from tip. Perfect design in my eyes :)

Thanks for another interesting video. I don't know swords, so the inferences that I make are likely wrong. However, I got the impression that the British sword would be better in a duel between two officers while the French sword would be better if the fighting became close and ugly and the officer just needed to hack and stab at anything and everything in order to survive. If I were going to design something for myself just for fun and for what I think my fighting personality would be (if I were trained to fight), I would probably want the French blade on a hilt and guard that had the British styling but was midway in guard size between the British and French guards. I like the looks of the British hilt and guard, but I would want the guard to be a little smaller and thicker because I like that look. I guess the end result of what I'm describing would be a sword that was even heavier than the French sword, but if I thought that the fighting was suddenly going to descend on me, a little extra weight might not be a problem.

I've always been under the impression that the higher ranking guys carried blades more akin to court swords, since that was in vogue with the dueling culture of the aristocracy at the time. Not sure why the distinction either, just my impression.

Of the swords directly behind you, what are the third and the fourth from the top. I particularly like the forth from the top, due to the curve. Is a decent replica made?

honestly there are some french swords i really like, but yeah im a fan of steel handguards over brass. also if you ever manage to get a sword company going or have someone making blades for you, you should do a hybrid of a french and english 1845. sometimes swords dont need to be accurate or even attempt to be proper "replicas" to be fun or nice swords. sorta why i want a kogarasamaru(double edged for the top half or less of the blade) type katana blade(though spring tempered) but set up like a single handed sabre with a complex hilt. my buddy has a sword that has a small sword like hilt with a sabre blade, its modern but its kinda cool, kinda feels like a zombie apocalypse sword though as it handles like a cleaver. itd also be interesting because then you could potentially have cast replicas made of original hilts and put to test your claim that you can chop through some swords knuckle guards with a sabre. my buddy also has a small sword im fairly certain i could cut through with my longsword or a couple katana i have, or my buddies dao, and probabaly even a viking swords or certain messer. actually you could probably hit it with just a bokken and split it just by snapping the thing, and yeah the idea of going to block a strike and having your fingers chopped off sounds pretty fucking awful.

I do believe that there are two or three lengths for the French 1845, Matt has the shortest example. I could be wrong, I just seem to remember reading this. I too have one of these at the same length. Its a really nice 'little' sword.

Hey matt, slight correction here - the sword before the Mle1845 is called the Mle1821, at least in all cases I've seen it in.

British sword better for duelling enemy officers. French sword seems better for general melee.

The blade on the French sword is just gorgeous- similar curve to a Katana, but with a spear point. I don't really know jack about actually using swords, but aesthetically, it's just beautiful. It's the sword I'd choose to be impaled with if I had to die in a big, cinematic duel- being transfixed through the chest with that thing would just ooze class.

I know this is years late, but what is “ironic” about the longer, lighter British sword being more flexible than the shorter heavier French sword? Sorry, that kind of confused me.

I was wondering, are they not sabres? since they are slightly curved? (i think you mostly referred to them as swords, but i might be wrong) Great video as always! :)

Although I'm all for the Crown and the British empire, I prefer the French sword in this case, the French blade is superb.

Regarding each sabre, at the center of the primary fuller, how thick is the blade? Width and breadth at base and distal taper of each? Point of percussion on each?

At last someone who can use the word 'impact' in its correct sense, as opposed to 'affect' . Swords , clubs , maces, lances ; impact on things , decisions ; affect them.

That French sword that you holding up and are claiming is the predecessor to the 1845 is actually a 1821 model! The 1822 model that you mention is the cavalry pattern sword.

Will you do german next?

Matt My only and like only concern I’ve ever thought I’d have about French sabres is the lack of metal back strap that the British have present in the handle ... And I can’t seem to get a good answer form the forums for some reason but I’ll try here ..... Are the French sabre handles tough enough to really get with it against say a British infantry officers Sabre or even better a ww1 Prussian M73 sabre ??? 🤞

Perhaps the French superior grade officers used that pattern sword because they would usually be mounted?

You, sir are a true patriot. Only a real Englishman would address the age-old rivalry of England (later Great Britain too) and France

I definitely want the French one, it looks beefy and looks like it would be a great cutter.

Nice silver play button you have there :)

The thick back is contributing to the stiffness.

How much difference does that 10%, 100g, weight actually make? Realistically how much more will that actually tire you, or "speed"/overcome its "extra inertia"?

>smoking my cigarette

Interesting how units affected the choice of weapon, the French went for a round 1kg, the British for about 2lb.

I wonder how the French Cavalry NCO Sword Model 1883 compares to the French Officer Model 1961 besides the 1961 being shorter.

The previous French pattern you show is a 1821, not 1822 which is the cavalry pattern.

Is there a purpose to the different end cap designs, the rounded british cap vs the flat can shaped french cap?

The French sword looks a lot more forgiving than the British one. I'd imagine the British sword being longer and nimbler would be more dangerous in the hand of a skilled (and calm) swordsman however someone lashing out with the French sword would be more likely to do damage.

I think I'd prefer the britisch sword, giving me an edge in not dying from superior hand protection, mobility, and a bit more reach. I might even go for an even longer blade if available, like a 36 inch blade, considering my size (I could easily dangle a 36 inch sword from my waist without dragging it on the ground...)

Matt if Napoleon and the Duke of Wellington were to fight each other on the battlefield with swords what do you think their respective choices would be with swords of that time?

Nice video I have same French sword 1855 but handle is lettlebet lose how can I fix it?

We all know that French spadroons are way better

Matt's about to compliment the French, someone cover Lindybeige's ears!

Infantry officer's swords interest me the most. I've always had a passion for infantry as an arm of the military, officer's swords are nicer and better, and for self-defense/my purposes the infantry context is most applicable. Perhaps engineers or artillery can be applicable, depending on what they designed their swords for. I think high ranking swords were straight because they may need them for duels, and even on a battlefield they are likely to only fight 1 enemy at a time in melee. The average enlisted fighting man is more likely to find himself surrounded on all sides in a swirl of confusion where lunge and recover footwork is less useful and thrusts aren't the optimum strike to make. Also, I think using the point and lunch/recover footwork is a more difficult and unnatural skill that the lowest ranks are not so likely to have or have mastered, so they need the kind of swords you'd give to untrained cave people on some level. A few high ranked people can all be ensured to have lots of fencing classes, so straight thrust dominant swords aren't a problem, not so for the guys coming out of jails or impressed into the army for being passed out drunk in the gutter.