Sabre The sabre or saber " ( see spelling differences ) " is a sword that usually has a curved , single - edged blade and a rather large hand guard , covering the knuckles of the hand as well as the thumb and forefinger . Although sabres are typically thought of as curved - bladed slashing weapons , those used by the world ' s heavy cavalry often had straight and even double - edged blades more suitable for thrusting . The length of sabres varied , and most were carried in a scabbard hanging from a shoulder belt known as a baldric or from a waist - mounted sword belt , usually with slings of differing lengths to permit the scabbard to hang below the rider ' s waist level . Exceptions not intended for personal carry include the Patton saber adopted by the United States Army in 1913 and always mounted to the cavalryman ' s saddle . Etymology . The English word " sabre " derives from the French " sabre " which is akin to the Hungarian " szablya " , Polish " szabla " , and Russian " сабля " ( " sablya " ) . The word is believed to originate from the Kipchak Turkic " selebe " , with contamination from the Hungarian verb " szab " , which means " to cut " ( cognate with the English " stab " ) . Origins of the weapon . Sabre - like curved backswords have been in use in Europe since the medieval period ( falchion , Byzantinian paramērion which was inspired by the Avar Cavalry sword ) , but the introduction of the " sabre " proper in Western Europe , along with the term " sabre " itself , dates to the 17th century , via influence of the Eastern European " szabla " type . The weapon gained widespread use in the early 19th century , inspired by the Mameluke sword , a type of Middle Eastern scimitar . The original type of Szabla or Polish sabre was used as a cavalry weapon , probably inspired by Hungarian or wider Turco - Mongol warfare . The " Karabela " was a type of " szabla " popular in the late 17th century , worn by the Polish , Lithuanian , and Ukrainian nobility class , the Szlachta . While designed as a cavalry weapon , it also came to replace various types of straight - bladed swords used by infantry . The Swiss sabre originates as a regular sword with a single - edged blade in the early 16th century , but by the 17th century begins to exhibit specialized hilt types . Use . The sabre saw extensive military use in the early 19th century , particularly in the Napoleonic Wars , during which Napoleon used heavy cavalry charges to great effect against his enemies . Shorter versions of the sabre were also used as sidearms by dismounted units , although these were gradually replaced by fascine knives and sword bayonets as the century went on . The sabre faded as a weapon by mid - century , as longer - range rifle s made cavalry charges obsolete , even suicidal . In the American Civil War , the sabre was used infrequently as a weapon , but saw notable deployment in the Battle of Brandy Station and at East Cavalry Field at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 . Many cavalrymen — particularly on the Confederate side — eventually abandoned the long , heavy weapons in favour of revolver s and carbine s . Although there was extensive debate over the effectiveness of weapons such as the sabre and lance , the sabre remained the standard weapon of cavalry for mounted action in most armies until World War I . Thereafter it was gradually relegated to the status of a ceremonial weapon , and most horse cavalry was replaced by armoured cavalry from 1930 on . In the Polish – Lithuanian Commonwealth ( 16 – 18th century ) a specific type of sabre - like melee weapon , the szabla , was used . The Don Cossacks used the shashka , ( originating from Circassian " sashho " - big knife ) and sablja ( from Circassian " sa " - knife and " blja " - snake ) , which also saw military and police use in the Russian Empire and early Soviet Union . Adoption by Western Armed Forces . Europeans rekindled their interest in sabres due to their confrontations with the Mamelukes in the late 18th century and early 19th century . The Mamluks were originally of Turkish descent , the Egyptians bore Turkish sabres for hundreds of years . During the Napoleonic Wars , the French conquest of Egypt brought these beautiful and functional swords to the attention of the Europeans . This type of sabre became very popular for light cavalry officers , in both France and Britain , and became a fashionable weapon for senior officers to wear . The elegant but effective 1803 pattern sword that the British Government authorized for use by infantry officers during the wars against Napoleon featured a curved sabre blade which was often blued and engraved by the owner in accordance with his personal taste . In 1831 , the " Mamaluke " sword became a regulation pattern for British general officers ( and is still in use today ) . The American victory over the rebellious forces in the citadel of Tripoli in 1805 during the First Barbary War , led to the presentation of bejewelled examples of these swords to the senior officers of the US Marines . Officers of the US Marine Corps still use a mameluke pattern dress sword . Although some genuine Turkish kilij sabres were used by Westerners , most " mameluke sabres " were manufactured in Europe ; their hilts were very similar in form to the Ottoman prototype , however , their blades , even when an expanded " yelman " was incorporated , tended to be longer , narrower and less curved than those of the true kilij . During the 19th and in the early 20th century , sabres were also used by both mounted and dismounted personnel in some European police forces . When the sabre was used by mounted police against crowds , the results could be appalling , as in a key scene in " Doctor Zhivago " . The sabre was later phased out in favour of the baton ( or night stick ) for both practical and humanitarian reasons . The Gendarmerie of Belgium used them until at least 1950 . In the late 20th and early 21st century , swords with sabre blades are worn by most national Army , Navy , Air Force , Marine and Coast Guard officers . Some militaries also issue ceremonial swords to their highest - ranking non - commissioned officer s ; this is seen as an honorary since typically non - commissioned , enlisted / other ranks members are much more often given a cutlass blade rather than a sabre . Sword deployment in the modern military are no longer intended for use as weapons , and now serve primarily in ornamental or ceremonial functions . As such , they are typically made of stainless steel , a material which keeps its shone bright but is much too brittle for direct impacts and may shatter , let alone full blade - on - blade combat . One memorable ceremonial function a sabre serves is the Wedding Arch or Sabre Arch , performed for servicemen or women getting married . Modern sport fencing . The modern fencing sabre bears little resemblance to the cavalry sabre , having a thin , 88 cm long straight blade . One of the three weapons used in the sport of fencing , it is a very fast - paced weapon with bouts characterized by quick footwork and cutting with the edge . The only allowed target area is from the waist up - the region a mounted man could reach on a foe on the ground . Colorguard . In a marching band or a drum & bugle corps , the colorguard is a non - musical section that provides additional visual aspects to the performance . The marching band and colorguard performance generally takes place on a football field while the colorguard interprets the music that the marching band or drum & bugle corps is playing via the synchronized spinning of flags , sabres , rifles , or through dance . In the Winter colorguards , or Winter guard perform indoors on gymnasium floors and usually performs to interpret recorded music . Unlike in traditional , military colorguards , the sabre , and rifle are used as apparatus for spinning , tossing and as an extension to interpretative movement . The sabre is considered one of the more advanced of the equipment used by the guard members .