The BEST SWORD ever? British 1788 pattern heavy cavalry sword 

That is a butcher´s tool Sharpe, not a sword for gentleman. I am not a gentleman.

Ambidextrous, long straight blade, strong for defense, built for thrusting as well as slashing, allows full extension? Yeah, retiring generals and stuffed-shirt cabinet ministers would HAVE to meddle with that.

i think it being heavy and difficult to wear but with those advantages for combat are along the lines of a quote from india "recoil is insignificent when ther is a tiger on the head of your elephant"

For anyone else who has been frustrated trying to figure out just exactly what the name of the company making the HEMA sword recreations he occasionally mentions, as in this video, it's "Kvetun".

Definitely one of my favorite hilt designs. It's like they took everything I don't really like about a baskethilt and fixed it.

The majority of Le Marchant’s criticism concerning both the 88 patterns was training, stories of troopers cutting off the ears of their mounts or splitting their own feet through ineptitude not the patterns themselves, although I think he also felt them too long for the melee. It’s no accident that the 96 LC came with a manual. Interestingly he may also have thought the 88 HC too labour intensive too given the 96LC was co designed by Osborn to be constructed simply and of few parts as possible for mass manufacture.

It's a thing of beauty, that is! Backedge for blocking, into twoedge for thrusting, length for slicing, optimized hilt for protection and movement, symmetrical and beautiful!? Somebody found the minmaxing motherlode!

Cavalry was all about the fashion... Like old joke, what is the purpose of the Cavalry? "To bring tone to what would otherwise be merely a an ugly brawl..."

The guard looks like a ribcage so now I just want a goth version witha skull-shaped pommel...

I’m a fan of basket-hilted back swords, and I just fell in love with that sword…now I have to find one!

katana fanboys are mad lol

18th century Spanish cavalry swords had a very antiquated looking almost cup-hilt (a little more stylized towards the knucklebow, halfway between a fully round cup and a bowl hilt, called "barquilla" or little boat in Spanish) with two long-ish quilons (not rapier long but still long). They used it up to and into the Napoleonic Wars. Out of fashion but rather protective.

Captain Jack Aubrey, from the Patrick Obrien novels uses a straight edged heavy cavalry sword during his many boarding actions. Is this the one the author was referring to?

This sword feels like it stands out as special. It also can fit nicely what we like about swords in the modern day, so in that sense it could be the perfect sword for some people. I'd say there are probably many "perfect swords" that hit sweet spots on all their trade offs in ways that go together to perform beautifully at their purpose, and this is one of them. I want to elaborate on that. The ideas are only partially developed, but I hope to inspire some thought. Maybe instead of the saying "the perfect sword" we should say "a perfect sword". Maybe instead of trying to find "the best sword" we should try to come up with a list of "perfect swords". Not types of swords like saber or long sword, but specific models, like the 1887 Austrian heavy calvary sword (or whatever this one was) or the Albion Principe (not to say that is a perfect sword, but just what came to mind as a modern example). There can be multiple sweet spots when making a particular trade off, which one is best depends on what goes best with the other trade offs chosen and the intended application. For example, a wider blade is beneficial for cutting but on the sword in the video it would be too heavy. Maybe a sword is good as its type, for example "a perfect rapier". Maybe a sword is good for particular uses/settings. A basket hilted broadsword is good at giving full hand protection at the cost of hand movement, but it's supposed to do that, that's just it's type and it worked well in that particular application. However the sword in the video had a basket hilt that sacrificed a little bit a protection to allow full hand movement, and that seems overall better somehow. I think what's special about this sword is our preferences in the modern day. We have access to just about all the types of swords in history and they're used for recreational purposes, not actual combat with the intent to harm. I most often see one on one unarmored combat, no shields, try to get a proper strike to your opponent. I think that's what a rapier is for, but I guess we see other swords in use and all the ways to cut and it looks more exciting and we want to do that too. There are things I've noticed in modern sword use and preference that match up with all the design details of the sword in the video, as if the sword was designed for our use in the modern day. I think it resonates with us in that way and that is why it feels special, and could for us be the perfect sword.

I think a lot of the love for the 1796 comes from the Sharpe series, I would prefer a sword shaped like the 1788 as well, it seems like a good balance of pros and cons

Any word on where to get the closest thing to a decent replica?

This may not be a popular opinion on this channel, but I think determining if a weapon is the best sword or not is going to depend heavily on context.

The '96 palash is a real mistery. Specially when considering it came to replace *this* sword shown here. The matter shows that higher-ups being dislodged from the reality of the front lines, well, is definitely not something exclusive to these days' military gear decisions. Great video!

As a person taller than 190cm, the 38 inch blade is a blessing

Matt! This is nothing less than a simplified Schiavona. The hilt may look different- but as you can imagine neither gets in the way. The sole drawback I've found with my Schiavona however, is the weight and conparatively short blade (the total length only being 102cm, usable blade 82-84cm). Though, there are later (19th century) Mexican examples with a narrower blade, more towards the one you've got here. And those, I'd imagine, are the neigh-on-perfect balance. Though you'd have to compare them personally if you'd want to make any definite statement for your personal preference.

I want one! Anyone selling replicas? Actually, I'd like that hilt on a Scottish broadsword, really.

I wasn't convinced until you dispensed with the sheath, damn that's an interesting (and cool) blade

According to the Royal Armouries Website "The Pattern 1796 Heavy Cavalry sword was adopted due to the failings of its predecessor, the 1788 pattern sword. This first sword was found by a Board of Cavalry General Officers “from long and repeated experience”, to be “unmanageable, owing to the length of the blade and the weight of the hilt”." Although they point out the 1796 had to be ground down to make it suitable for thrusting, as you said.

New favourite sword. Hopefully someone makes a replica of this.

No wonder Sharpe preferred to make his 1796 Heavy more like the 1988 one! The handguard on the 1788 would be very difficult to modify for infantry use, though, I think.

I bow to your expertise. Your postulation works for me.

This sword strikes me as quite similar to George Silver's short sword. Silver specified a 37-40in blade suitable for both cut & thrust with a basket hilt that allows holding it in something like a sabre grip. He recommend this thumb-up grip for his variable fight, especially when facing the long rapier. You can find a number of 16th-century British basket hilts with long, narrow blades that seem to match Silver's description. I'm pleased to see this basic weapon design continued into the 18th century.

Pretty sure this is John Carter's sword on Barsoom.

What a wonderful weapon Matt! There's just one terrible thing about this though, NOW I want one so badly. A original or replica would be wonderful. My only thought about the weight is that unless a sword is absurdly heavy knowing how centrifugal force works on a pendulum to generate a good amount of inertia as you demonstrated can more than make up for the weight. "Let the weight do the work."

Thank you for your detailed explanation.

What does it weigh? Was it usually worn on a belt or carried on the saddle?

That is a beautiful blade. And has a great deal of functionality in it without sacrificing mobility.

It’s AK 47 of the swords. ⚔️

I saw the guard, I thought, "Yep, that is a pretty damn well designed guard." I saw the blade come out... my jaw dropped. To be fair, it is bigger than what my personal tastes run to, but DAMN!!!

The video is titled the best sword ever yet I see no spadroon

I have a french cavalry saber from the first half of XIX century. This saber is very interesting!

You should do an in-depth analysis and showcase of a British Light Cavalry 1788 model, I was so close to buying one once...

Hand protection is a overvalued feature. On a battlefield let alone in a mounted charge engagement will be short and incredibly brutal. There is simply not space for rapid advance and retreat, and any delay is likely to be fatal. A simpler guard & grip long enough to use both hands is more useful. Especially since your more likely to be engaged against pike, bayonets, and axes than sword.

i LOVE to see how enthusiastic Matt is about this sword. Relatable.

I think it comes down to personal preference as too what sword is the best.

Beautiful sword and I’d b proud to carry one of I rode with heavy cavalry.

nice one schola G, that is a real big one

That ribcage shaped guard reminds me of the 1650s 'mortuary sword'.

It’s definitely a beautiful sword, and I don’t understand why they would want to change it

Yes, it definitely looks a ver. 2.0 of the Mortuary swords, and I always liked the lines of those, if not the typical balance and handling

Only thing I would change I would give it a forward leaning curved hilt as I’m just a fan

It's a lovely sword! I always think "how much more hand protection could you put on it if you replaced all the steel on the hilt with titanium?". This design might be the perfect specimen for that experiment. It's likely that all the gaps in the guard could be closed.

I know nothing about swords. But I immediately thought about Aubrey and Sharpe, and I'm happy people in the comments seem to agree.

Matt, could you please make one about forwardly recurved swords or weapons? They're fascinating and I wonder about their functions; pros and cons..

Military acquisition often has other considerations to make. Ease of production or basic cheapness being pretty high on that list. I am guessing the newer sword was cheaper to acquire for starters. Cheers for the upload Matt.

Love sabers. As a colonial (ha) and an Anglophile (one of British/Welsh/Norman descent) I feel an almost genetic connection to these swords. I have a cheap Scottish Basket hilt Broad Sword replica and a cheap Claymore replica as well. I want at the least a good replica of a 18th century British Saber as well. Love your reviews and your older sword drills of practice videos. the circles and wrist ones I just watched them and began practicing them with a cold steel cutlass machete. This is GORGEOUS! I love the blade and the hilt. I concur they were doing progress based on fashion rather than effectiveness. As a former US army MP who went through the changeover from the .45 caliber 1911 to the Berretta M9 9mm in 1990 we felt the same way about that changeover. Funny thing the Marines STILL used the 1911 throughout our own Afghan debacle. Guess they did not like fashion! Oh and I know about the British difficulties in Afghanistan because according to Sir Conan Doyle that is where Dr. Watson served and as a 12 year old I wanted to know about the backstory and learned of Maiwand and that campaign through my research.

Fascinating how going into the late 1800s-WWI, cavalry sword returned to more this style blade vs curved, but with a bit narrower blade.

Basically the style of cut n thrust I've been looking for for years. Well thanks! Now I know a better search term :)

Run these through Todd’s work shop. I like his presentation much more. You swing em about. he makes it much more watchable.

What a beautiful saber.

Honestly, it looks much like what I think George Patton was going for when he designed the US Model 1913 Cavalry Sabre, though the blade's a good bit longer. Thanks for sharing!

Weren't there stories of some horrible quality issues with the 1788 and of folks finding them to be too big? I'm vaguely recalling some stuff about that sort of thing. Of course Le Marchant might have been engaging in some "marketing" to make sure his choice was chosen.

beautiful sword wherever you look!

That looks like a Cavalry Sabre that I keep except that it has more holes in the basket and it has a weight in the back

Sharpe would approve this cleaver

Great info, as always, but the highlight of the video for me is Matt describing “a buttload of hand protection.”

Yeah, My napkin is all wet and I'm still drooling. What a fantastic sword. The only thing I would consider changing is the pommel. I would want mine to easily transition to a grip where the pommel fits into the hollow of my palm. Other than that, what a fantastic heavy calvary sword!

"put your thumb up the back." pretty sure you shouldn't try that unless you KNOW it's going to go over well.

If they wanted fashion, they should've just rounded the D-guard on that thing and called it a day.

You could work on a shopping channel. I'm sold

My guess is economics and ease of mass production.The 1788 blade is exquisite but more complex than the later one. It is the old story of two steps forwards one step back. Just as the German Pz I's and II's were inferior to the older late 1920's experimental Liechter and Gross tractors lacking those tanks 37mm actual anti tank guns these I and II models allowed German industrey to retool for later mass production of the later more effective III's and IV's. Or just as the Norweigen Vikings produced so many cheaper one edged swords!

Brilliant sword! The PM's nephew or cousin probably got the contract to "modernize" the pattern.

That is an amazing sword, the thing I could think is the manufacturing costs. Where the new swords cheaper?

Richard Sharpe carried an heavy cavalry sword. It was a gift from Sgt Harper... That looks a bit high end, though. Maybe, Sharpe's was French. Hmm...

Reminds me of he three tradeoff elements of most weapons systems: offensive capacity, defensive capacity, and speed/mobility/maneuverability. The idea is most often applied to complex military machines like ships, aircraft and tanks bu it applies to swords too. All are compromises, and it seems to me that that sword embodies your personal favorite set of compromises that apply to your favorite style of sword fighting. Not saying you are wrong mind you, just pointing out that the Powers-That-Were probably had a different set of compromises in mind, and admittedly such powers make huge blunders as often as having huge successes when changing their minds, and we only know which is which long after the fact.

The sword famously derided by John Le Marchant: "A wide, long, and heavy blade, mounted with a cumbrous fantastic handle... The blades were so brittle, that they often were broken by the slightest blow ... they were too heavy for even the strongest men to wield. It frequently turned in the hand, and inflicted a contusion rather than a wound." These were the swords which Le Marchant was informed by the army surgeons (Flanders Campaign 1793-'95) caused wounds to the men wielding them. They have completely round-section grips, which accounts for the lack of edge alignment referred to in the quote.

A random topic to bring up: How would zippers change armour designs?

Well, its fugly. That's got to count for something in the modern era of swords, which are really only for looking cool.

I’ll wager the 1788 was more expensive to make, which usually has implications for the choice of service weapons

Dude I love how much you love martial arts especially medevil times all are awesome if teaching self decipline

As an anatomy buff, I really like how much the guard reminds me of a (better) ribcage. It even has the same compromises built into it allowing for movement below the protected area while covering those areas when they are bent forward. The only difference is that this design can allow for the "sternum" to reach all the way down because there's no spinal cord to worry about, and the wrist is almost perpendicular to the "waist" which makes it so much more mobile at the cost of not supporting as much of the weight of the guard/ribcage.

This is the Sword that Bernard Cornwell's character Sharpe carries I think

I think this might also be the sword Richard Sharpe is equipped with in the various Sharpe novels..

I have a replica of Cromwells backsword that I really like from Hanwei.......like the looks of this one as well

Very clever design. However wouldn't a schiavona hilt also permit free range of movement?

That's pretty cool sword.

I don't think he said context once in this video... This isn't the Matt I know. I need context!!

I didn’t know I wanted this sword until now…

How much would economy play a role in sword design, especially cavalry trooper's swords, which the army would have to furnish for every enlisted trooper? The 1796 seems like a simpler design, both in blade and hilt, so the production cost may have been substantially lower.

I think the 1796 version is quite unattractive when compared to the 1788 version.

Well that's disrupted a lot of standard beliefs about British military sword design.

That might be the most beautiful sword I have ever seen

Absolutely, a blade designed for cavalry soldiers who were actually meant to use it as a main weapon from horseback, and not merely for parade maneuvers.

Outstanding review!

Interesting how the three bars went in an out and then back into fashion. I do wonder if any officers had their old 1788 blade remounted onto a 1796 hilt?

First of, thank you for your great content, I'm really enjoying it. As an Idea for a future Video: to which extend would Armor made from Wood (Hardwood, Ironwood,...) be viable, if steel armor would be not available or too expensive for some reason?

Cavalry swords were longer because they could be. On a horse the scabbard hung low enough to draw a long sword. My dad was a Captain in the 1/15th Royal NSW Lancers. I remember some of the short blokes having trouble clearing the scabbard on parades. I am talking about 1960's. BTW I got into a bit of trouble when I went berko on the garden plants with dads sword.

I'd be interested in your opinion of 'attack hilt' configurations.

Perfect to the eye of the beholder. Xanathar quite looking at me like that. It also dipands on your idea of perfect.

Love to see "Forged in Fire" guys have a go at this. Will it 'kiilll'?

Absolutely gorgeous. 💯

Wonderful vid, and I really like how similar it is to the “Hee-land” broadswords, and yet, makes for a more nimble fighting blade…. Are there any decent modern reproductions???

They should have kept the new sword just for going out to the Discotech and the 1788 for battle.

I'd love an 1845 infantry officer's blade and and 1895 hilt. But this is absolutely a nice hilt

Is there an article or diagram anywhere that shows the regulation British swords/sabers in chronological order? Would be interesting to see them all an the evolution. And if there isn't, thatnmah be something to put up on your site. I cant be the only person who is curious.