Victorian P'1853 Cavalry Sword

The Pattern 1853 was a change in direction for British swords in many respects. It was the last general pattern sword that used a three bar hilt. It was found that the wrought iron bars of the guard often broke and therefore all later cavalry swords had some form of bowl or pierced sheet guard. It was the first sword where the tang was an extension of the blade (which greatly increased its strength). It was the first sword designed for the use of all cavalry. Prior to this pattern sword were designated as Heavy or Light Cavalry Patterns. It was also the start of the British era of dual-purpose blades. The 1853 pattern was designed for both the cut and thrust (but as with most swords with dual purpose it was regarded as not particularly good at either).

The Pattern 1853 proved to be unpopular with regiments. The sword had two main failings. The grip and the dual purpose blade. The rounded leather grip caused the sword to twist in the hand. A design fault which apparently caused many injuries amongst troopers. The blade was also considered unsatisfactory. The strength of the blade was called into question causing the authorities to test production samples. These passed insoections and the problems reported were put down to unauthorised testing. The dual purpose of the blade produced a sword that was not ideal for either.