SWORDS of AUSTRIA - M1869 Cavalry Sabre (1000 Sub Special)

In this episode, I talk about the Austrian / Austro-Hungarian M1869 cavalry sabre with a good look at the trooper's variant. I also speak to the main design differences between the trooper's and officer's sabre.
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Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
0:58 Trooper's sabre: Guard
4:26 Trooper's sabre: Blade
6:46 Officer's sabre: Differences
9:55 Officer's sabre: Guard
11:13 Scabbard: Trooper's standard design
13:04 Historical background
16:09 Conclusion
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[@lostanklav503]

My sincere congratulations on the new stage of the channel's development! And I am very pleased that this particular saber participates in the anniversary video, because I am the owner of the same one! If it is interesting, I have an original lanyard in it and I could send a photo if necessary.

[@historyandsabre]

Thanks a lot for the kind words! Ah yeah, I remember you saying a while back that you had the same sword. Sure, I'd love a look at yours :)

[@user-wt5jc6nb9b]

i love the officers sword i'd love to have one

[@brandonbowerstx]

That floral pattern is also present on the M1899 Swiss Officer's saber. Not Austrian, but it was a very popular pattern.

[@667rotwang]

Congratulation to the 1000+ subscribers. You definitely deserve it! Best regards from Aachen, Marcus.

[@historyandsabre]

Thanks Marcus, I appreciate it! Best wishes from Graz, Peter.

[@hermespino9985]

Congrats brother!

[@historyandsabre]

Thanks a lot!

[@alexhannah4216]

Very intresting.

[@historyandsabre]

A few words on the officer's sabre before I give the stats. They varied immensely in terms of size, blade width and sometimes even blade type. Many were trooper specced and many were lighter. This one here is a blunt dress version which I will talk about in a different video. Trooper's stats: - Cutler: St. Striberny, Vienna - Blade length: 82.5 cm (possibly shortened from 84 cm) - Blade @ ricasso: 38 mm (error at 6:13) - Grip length: 12.5 cm - Curvature: 18 mm - PoB: 16 cm - Weight: 980g Officer's stats: - Blade maker: Weyersberg & Stamm, Solingen - Blade length: 76.5 cm - Blade @ ricasso: 20 mm - Grip length: 12 cm - Curvature: 2 cm - PoB: 13 cm - Weight: 570g

[@doricakos3313]

Hello Mr. Peter. My name is Matic and I come from Slovenia. I really like your channel and I would like to thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences with all of us. I hope you don`t mind, if I ask you a question regarding Austrian cavalry sabers? Please tell me, how many different models of Austrian cavalry sabers has the same blade like the one we can see on the M1869, wich is very wide and has a fuller only on the one side? How many different Austrian sabers exist with the same aforementioned blade? Thank your for your answer in advance!

[@historyandsabre]

Hi Matic, thanks for the kind words! Sure, so that iconic broad blade with the one-sided fuller was first introduced on the M1861 cavalry trooper's sabre. The officer's sabre also often followed that same blade profile, although often using narrower and lighter blades. The M1869 cavalry trooper's sabre used the same blade type aswell. This pattern remained in use for decades until it was supplanted by the M1904 cavalry sabre in 1908. The M1869 officer's variant used the same blade in principle but was mots often lighter again and since officers often opted for different blade types altogether, you'll find some wild variation there. There is also a pretty rare sub-pattern of the M1869, the M1875 for Hungarian honvéd cavalry troopers, which only differs from the standard M1869 trooper's sabre in not having the round holes in the guard. Interestingly, a one-sided fuller was also used on the M1847 Pioniersäbel and the quite famous M1853/89. Hope that helps! Cheers :)

[@July__Frost]

I congratulate you with a 1k subs, and I belive it is just a star and everything's still ahead :) Thank you for making a highest quality content for us! And few questions about sabres: 1) What's the purpose of these holes in their gurads, are they for decreasing weight? 2) Was officer's version a ceremonial only weapon? Damn, 570 gramms is very light sword..

[@historyandsabre]

Thanks a lot Konstantin! 1) Yeah, the hole perforations were usually there for weight reduction. The literature often claims they were for rain water to escape but I find that pretty ridiculous. That mostly comes from people who have never handled or worn a sword. It's the same kind of nonsense as the "blood groove" thing in my view. The elongated slots are for the sword knot, by the way. 2) Oh no, as I wrote in my pinned comment, these officer's sabres often had the same or a slightly slimmer version of the trooper's blade. They varied a lot as they were private purchase. Some have the flat side and some have a more traditional cross-section with a fuller on either side. It really depends on the example. The one I showed here is from my personal collection and is a blunt fencing version with a rounded tip. My guess (could be wrong) is that a cavalry officer who was also a fencer wanted a training sword for fencing on foot that looked like his regulation sword. The design features are totally legit for the M1869 officer's sabre but the dimensions are that of a fencing sabre. Hope that answers your questions.

[@OliverJanseps]

The 1869 was the first saber I have bougth happily for quite nothing. After breaking my battered blade on a tatami :-/, I decided to get two blades made for fencing, one "original" and one lighter. And I just love them.

[@anthonyhaynes7083]

Hi Peter, great video, I have a Hungarian trooper sabre which is almost identical to the one you presented. I’m trying to date it but it has a double sided fuller on the blade is this common? Cheers

[@janvrbka1331]

Hi! Thanks a lot for such an interesting video! I have an officer model 1869, but with some differences - it has a fuller on both sides of the blade and there are no traces of nickel-plating on the blade, handguard or the handle whatsoever. It is signed Eisenahuer, which, as far as I know, means a proof that the blade had been tested by cutting some iron rods, and the manufacturer is St. Striberny, Wien. I tried to find some information on this sword maker and there is not much I would be able to find, you seem to know a bit more of him - would you be, please, willing to tell us more? Also looking forward to your planned video on the officer sabre! Thanks a lot, best regards Jan, Nicolsburg (Mikulov nowadays)

[@historyandsabre]

Hi Jan, Thanks for the great comment and your nice words! Yep, the blades on officer variants varied quite a bit. Your example with a fuller on each side is one of the more common deviations from the standard pattern. Stanislaus Striberny was a good quality sword cutler at the famous "Graben" area in central Vienna. Around 1900, Moriz and Otto Striberny became purveyors to the Imperial-Royal court. They are listed as "Waffen-Fabrikanten und Militär-Effekten-Händler" in the 1899 list of warrant holders. They were basically a military outfitter who also sold uniforms, etc. That's all I know at the moment I'm afraid.

[@edi9892]

Welds would surprise me. From what I can tell, it's only recently that they changed the construction methods and we did so in a drastic fashion. They used to hammer things into shape and forge weld only things that were otherwise too complicated to create, whereas, in modern times, we do as little as possible in hammering and rather cut out a blade from a plate and then grind it down until it has the distal taper, fuller, and blade cross-section, wasting huge amounts of metal and grinding material in the process... Moreover, any kind of protrusions today is spot welded on. Such a reinforced edge was traditionally done by rolling the edge or hammering the edge back in. The latter would also be done on a saber with a T-crosssection.

[@historyandsabre]

Great comment, thanks! I'm not a craftsman, so I apprecate the input!

[@edi9892]

@@historyandsabre I'm no craftsman either, so take my word with a pinch of salt... I just watched a few smithing videos.

[@doricakos3313]

(I posted this comment under your reply, but it is not public visible, don't know why?) Thank you very much for your comprehensive response. Yes, I am witnessing a huge variety of different officers “wild variation” (as you said) and they are all different from each other, therefore I always have a problem to distinguish them. And it is almost impossible to find those variations, but if you already find any of them, the price is always way overrated unfortunately. Peter, let me ask you one more thing...can you please name(point out) just a few the most iconic sabers(regardless of origin) with broad/wide blades from Napoleonic era and further. One of them is for sure the legendary Blucher saber M1811, can you also point out any other which comes to your mind? I don`t know why, but I like sabers with broad blades, maybe because I`m more used to medieval swords. Thank you once again for your possible answers. Regards, Matic

[@pardubiceswordplayassociat2120]

Some M1869 were unofficially used in Czechoslovakian army after 1918 too (officially it was M1904 as model "04"). We can find Czechoslovakian marks on many old A-U models. (M1877...) Great video!

[@historyandsabre]

Thank you! Cool, I didn't know that some 69s remained in use in Czechoslovakia aswell post 1918 but of course it makes complete sense. Thanks for sharing!

[@pardubiceswordplayassociat2120]

@@historyandsabre This one was recently in one auction.:photos.app.goo.gl/r2QG8AL8oAb1Ciaj9 And my friend has M1869 with the blade M1904, with Czechoslovakian marking. You will be "Austrian Matt Easton" soon :)

[@historyandsabre]

@@pardubiceswordplayassociat2120 That is a nice example! And your friend has an M1869 hilt with an M1904 pipeback blade? That's pretty cool I have to say! Haha thanks, there's a lot more work to be done for that kind of comparison, though!

[@pardubiceswordplayassociat2120]

@@historyandsabre I was looking for a photo of my friend's saber. The pipeback blade from 1904 is on the hilt of M1858, not 1869.photos.app.goo.gl/tG5zfE3Ryc5RCzKS9

[@jellekastelein7316]

Isn't the raised area on the guard also there in part to create a seal with the scabbard to better protect the blade whilst it's tucked away?

[@historyandsabre]

Yeah, that's right :)

[@CapitanCarter]

do you know why the blade geometry is the way it is? it's very interesting and I wonder if there are any documents on it

[@historyandsabre]

I actually don't know, so I'd rather not theorise! :)

[@doricakos3313]

And one more question to ask....where is the best place/store inside of Europe where you can find/buy antique sabers? Greetings from your neighbor. Matic

[@historyandsabre]

Hi Matic, basiclly there are 3 main ways to buy antique sabres: - Auction houses (good deals to be had if you know what you're doing but fees can make it noth worth it a lot of the time) - Commercial sellers (moreexpensive as it's a business for the owner but often with guarantee of authenticity and good stock) - Private sellers on national small ad websites (generally the lowest prices but no guarantee of condition/authenticity and you have to know what you're looking for) I hope that helps. Cheers!

[@Nicole-bp6zz]

I have a sword from my grandfather, he died during ww2 in Austria, his wife received it after he died. I looked online and on videos if I see the same one but I haven't found one that looks like his sword

[@Nicole-bp6zz]

He was from Vienna

[@historyandsabre]

You could drop me some pictures on Instagram (@historyandsabre) and I'll look at it, if you like.

[@todnewkom7537]

I have a non officersfivers model but it has a fuller.

[@doricakos3313]

How much is the price for the trooper`s version with the scabbard in a good condition like your is? Approximately(from - to)?

[@CampeadorHUN]

6:13 Hot damn! 82,5 cm blade length with 82,5 cm width...!

[@historyandsabre]

Ah oops, thanks for pointing that out.

[@CampeadorHUN]

@@historyandsabre Why, I'd like a sword like that. 🤷‍♂️😁

[@edi9892]

Are you becoming the Austrian Matt Easton? That guy knows all about British and French swords, but unfortunately next to nothing on Eastern and Southern military swords. In this context, do you know anything about the Austrian Pallasch? I mean a sword with a simple D-guard and a straight, double-edged blade with no profile tapering until the tip. My family used to have some paintings depicting them, but unfortunately, we lost them all. They seem to have been issued to Gendarmerie.

[@historyandsabre]

Haha, there's a long way to go dor that but I appreciate the comparison :) What model or pattern are you referring to? There were a good number of different Austrian Pallasches. What time period are you talking about roughly?

[@edi9892]

@@historyandsabre Dawn of WWI. The paintings were made from 1900-1912. I could only save one of them and that's one where a peasant talks to presumably a cop and you can see that he is BSitting him and the cop doesn't buy it... I don't know why, but it feels just so very Austrian...

[@broadminded7774]

Drink a sip of water !

[@barefoofDr]

What in the GD Hell is a CM?

[@historyandsabre]

What do you mean?