1897 Pattern British Infantry Officer ' s Sword The 1897 Pattern Infantry Officers ’ Sword is a straight - bladed , three - quarter basket hilted sword that has been the regulation sword for officers of the line infantry of the British Army from 1897 to the present day . History . The curved , Gothic - hilted 1821 and 1845 Pattern infantry swords , although elegant , had been widely criticized as fighting swords . In common with British cavalry swords of the era , they were compromised cut - and - thrust swords and as a consequence were not ideal for either task . In 1892 , a new , straight , blade was introduced , mated to the existing Gothic hilt . Presaging the introduction of the 1908 Pattern cavalry sword , the curved blade was abandoned in favour of a straight , stiff blade optimized for the thrust . Credit for the design has been given to Colonel G . M . Fox , Chief Inspector of Physical Training at the Board of Education , who was also influential in the design of the Pattern 1908 cavalry sword . In 1895 , a new pierced steel hilt pattern was introduced , replacing the earlier Gothic hilt with a three - quarter basket hilt . The new Pattern was short - lived due to the edge of the guard fraying uniforms , and in 1897 the final pattern was settled on , being simply the 1895 Pattern with the inner edge of the guard turned down , and the piercings becoming smaller . The 1897 Pattern has remained unchanged to the present day . By the time of its introduction , the sword was of limited use on the battlefield against rapid - firing rifles , machine guns and long - range artillery . However , the new sword was regarded , when needed , as a very effective fighting weapon . Reports from the Sudan , where it was used in close - quarters fighting during the Reconquest of the Sudan 1896 - 99 , were positive . Bernard Montgomery advanced with his 1897 Pattern drawn during a counteroffensive in the First World War . The actual sword he carried is exhibited in the Imperial War Museum , London . The sword remains in production for ceremonial use , manufactured by Weyersberg , Kirschbaum & Cie of Solingen , Germany . In 2005 , WKC purchased the tooling from Wilkinson Sword when that company shut its sword factory in London . Design . The blade is described in the pattern as being long and wide at the shoulder , with the complete sword weighing between 1 lb 12oz and 1 lb 13 oz ( 794 - 822g ) . The blade is straight and symmetrical in shape about both its longitudinal axes . The thick blade has a deep central fuller on each side and is rounded on both its edge and back towards the hilt , giving a “ dumbbell ” or “ girder ” cross section . Through a gradual transition , the blade becomes double edged towards the tip , and the last were sharpened when on active service . The blade ends in a sharp spear point . The blade would usually be decoratively etched on both sides . The guard is a three - quarter basket of pressed , plated steel . It is decorated with a pierced scroll - work pattern and ( usually , see variation , below ) had the royal cypher of the reigning monarch set over the lower knuckle bow . The grip , between 5 and 5 ¾ inches ( 127 - 146mm ) long to suit the hand of the owner , was generally covered in ray or sharkskin and wrapped with German - silver wire . The grip is straight , with no offset to the blade . The sword shows a number of features that indicate its intent as a thrusting weapon . The spear point and double edge towards the point aids penetration and withdrawal by incising the wound edges . The blade , whilst quite narrow , is thick and its dumbbell section gives it good weak - axis buckling strength whilst maintaining robustness in bending for the parry . The blade tapers in both width and thickness and , with the substantial guard , has a hilt - biased balance , aiding agility at the expense of concussive force in a cut . The guard would give comprehensive protection to the hand , but does not restrict wrist movement . The length of the double edge , at , is quite significant , suggesting that some cutting capability was maintained . Variations . In common with earlier patterns , the 1897 Pattern was sometime produced in “ picquet ” weight , i . e . , a lighter weapon with a narrower blade and correspondingly scaled - down guard for use in levées and other formal occasions when not on active service . Some regiments carried variations on the standard pattern , generally consisting of variations of the royal cypher on the guard . An unetched blade variant is available for warrant officers . Weyersberg , Kirschbaum & Co .