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The blade is steel, curved, single-edged. In
their curvature, fuller character and ornaments the blades were
arbitrary.
The hilt comprises a grip with a pommel and a
cross-guard with a cross-bar construction.
The grip's back is surmounted by a metal
back-piece, embossed with a floral pattern. The grip's pommel is
metal, rounded, decorated with a floral pattern, curved towards
the blade's edge. The cross-bar (cartouche) is also patterned
with an ornament. The cross-bar
(quillon) tips are figured.
The grip's pommel is embossed with a chased cypher of the
emperor, whose reign made the weapon-owner's first commissioned
rank possible. Certain particular sabres bore this kind of a
cypher upon the cartouche anchor.
The scabbard is wood, covered in burgundy
(coloured) leather or velvet. The metal slit mount could come in
three variations: a) featuring a mouth-piece and a chape with a
shoe. The locket was pierced
out with one long
slit and three round holes,
the chape featuring one long
slit and four round holes pierced out;
b) solid (one-piece) with two
long slits and seven round holes pierced out, fitted with two
loose-rings to take the belt suspensions straps and a shoe; c) solid
(one-piece), pierced out with two long slits, the suspension
fitment featured two bands: the locket fitted with an inside
rectangular bracket and the lower one bearing a loose ring to
take the belt suspension's straps. Overall length is about 960
mm, the blade's length - about 82
0 mm, the blade's width and
curvature were arbitrary, the mass - downwards of 2,000 gr.
The "clytch"
(shamshir) was carried outside
formation only by the Life Guard's Cossack regiment officers,
probably, since 1909 till the
end of the period considered.
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