British 1912 Pattern Cavalry Officer’s Sword

IT WAS INEVITABLE THAT the success of the 1908 Pattern Cavalry Trooper’s Sword would prompt an officer’s version and this duly appeared in 1912. Virtually identical to the 1908 Pattern in specifications, it incorporated decorative styling to the bowl guard and an etched blade. The bowl guard has a “honeysuckle” design based on the open, pierced hilt of the 1896 Pattern Cavalry Officer’s Sword.

The new hilt design was noticeably different and incorporated a naturally flowing style, heavily influenced by the contemporary Art Nouveau movement. The rapier-type blade is almost identical to the trooper’s sword except for the etched decoration, although there are plain-bladed officers’ versions and some even mounted with trooper’s blades and scabbards. This might have been a consequence of wartime (WW1) economies.   Scabbards are plated steel for Dress or wood with leather covering for field service use.

Original sword grips are covered in fishskin and silver wire and most are maker marked. The majority were manufactured by Wilkinson Sword, who had gained a virtual monopoly of British officers’ sword manufacture by the First World War.

© 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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