Russian Arms

Officers' blades were ornate, as a rule. The hilt comprises a grip, ending in a pommel and a guard. The grip is wood, covered in leather, featuring transverse grooves, wherein it is bound with twisted wire. The grip's back is surmounted by a metal back piece evolving into a bulging pommel. The guard is formed by a cross-guard piece and three bows - a knuckle bow and two side bars, branching off the knuckle bow and arching till they form the cross-guard. The knuckle bow smoothly bends into the cross-guard with the quillon tip rounded and slightly curled down.

All the hilt's metal parts are steel, the officers' sabres' possibly gilt brass since the end of 1870's.

The scabbard was steel, fitted with two bands, loose- ringed to take the baldric's frog straps and a shoe.

Overall length was about 1,010 mm, the blade's length - about 870 mm, the blade's width - 28 mm (25 mm - the "yelman"'s i.e. the widened part's width nearest the spear point), the blade's curvature averaged 73/425 mm, the mass - below 1,500 gr

In 1817 and 1819 the sword replaced the light cavalry pattern 1809 sabres and broadswords (carried by dragoons). On 1817-1822 it was also adopted as regulation in the Furstadt (train) and mounted pioneer units formed in those years. In 1827 it came in for a replacement wherever it had

been laid down as regulation - by a cavalry Pattern 1827 sabre.