page_title: 1796 Heavy Cavalry Sword
section_title: Trooper's pattern
hierarchical_section_title: 1796 Heavy Cavalry Sword / Design / Trooper's pattern
caption_attribution_description: English: Digital image of Pattern 1796 Heavy Cavalry Trooper Dress Sword
context_page_description: The pattern 1796 Heavy Cavalry Sword was the sword used by the British heavy cavalry, and King's German Legion Dragoons, through most of the period of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. It played an especially notable role, in the hands of British cavalrymen, at the battles of Salamanca and Waterloo. The pattern was adopted by Sweden and was used by some Portuguese cavalry.
context_section_description: Technically the 1796 heavy cavalry sword was a backsword, that is a sword with a straight blade with one cutting edge and the opposite edge of the blade (the "back") thickened for most of its length to give added strength. The blade was 35 inches (890 mm) in length, with a single broad fuller each side. The grip was of ribbed wood, or wood bound with cord to resemble the same, and covered in leather. The iron backpiece of the grip had ears which were riveted through the tang of the blade to give the hilt and blade a very secure connection. The hilt combined a disc guard pierced with 2 semicircular and 6 oval (never circular) holes, with single knucklebow and two slim 2 inches (51 mm) long langets (projections from the guard, which gripped the throat of the scabbard) extending from the front of the guard. The langets were often removed and the left side of the guard ground away so as to reduce wear to uniforms. The latter modification would also have made it more comfortable to wear, especially on horseback.
  The sword was often modified by its users. The point was originally a 'hatchet point', a curved diagonal front edge similar to that of the Japanese katana, but most were altered to a symmetrical 'spear point', more common at the time, or alternatively made more acute whilst retaining the asymmetry of the tip. This was done in order to improve the sword's ability to thrust. Quite large numbers of spear-pointed examples exist with 33 inches (840 mm) blades, along with an appropriately shortened scabbard. These may be conversions of the original standard 35 inches (890 mm) blade, although many appear to have been manufactured to this shorter length. The sword was carried in an iron scabbard with wooden liners,  and hung from the waist via sword-belt slings attached to two loose suspension rings.
caption: Pattern 1796 Heavy Cavalry Trooper's Sword.
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