British 1821/1896 Pattern Heavy Cavalry Officer’s Sword

THE INTRODUCTION OF THE 1821 Heavy Cavalry Officer’s Sword coincided with the development of a new kind of service blade known as the pipe back. It is unclear when exactly this type of blade was adopted as they are commonly seen in pre-1821 swords, including stirrup-hilted 1796 Pattern light and heavy cavalry swords.  It is during the 1820’s that these blades became more widespread within the British Army, in both infantry and cavalry officers’ swords. The use of a “pipe” or tube down the back of the blade was viewed as providing both strength and an improvement to the overall balance of the sword.

The 1822 Dress Regulations specified the requirements for this new pattern:

“Steel basket hilt, pommel and shell; black fishskin grip with silver twisted wire; plain steel blade, to cut and thrust, thirty six inches long, one and a quarter inches wide at the shoulder”.

Although not mentioned in the Regulations, the sword scabbard was required to be of plain steel.

The 1821 Heavy Cavalry Officer’s Sword is probably best defined by its incorporation of the famous “honeysuckle” pierced hilt. This style of hilt had already been used by heavy cavalry officers carrying the 1796 Pattern Heavy Cavalry Officer’s Undress Sword. This was known as the “ladder hilt” but still displayed burgeoning traces of a honeysuckle pattern to some of the hilts.

A final standardisation took place in 1896, when this pattern became universal for both light and heavy cavalry officers. The sword is sometimes referred to as the 1896 Pattern, although it was not strictly a formal introduction of a new pattern and the only changes involved the adoption of a universal type of grip that was slightly straighter and longer than earlier versions. 

The two hilt types are a little different though, with the earlier 1821 Pattern revealing a more open, loose and flowing style (typical of late Georgian styling), combined with an elegant and pronounced stepped pommel. The later Victorian hilts are “tighter”, with smaller gaps between piercings and a thicker gauge of metal used.  Official Dress Regulations after 1864 ordered that blades for this sword should change from pipe back to single- fullered, although full implementation of this regulation was often erratic. 

© Harvey Withers Military Publishing, 2024

Taken from The British Sword – From 1600 to the Present Day – An Illustrated History by Harvey J S Withers – 12,000 full colour photographs – 884 pages

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