THE BRITISH ARMY’S REQUIREMENT for training their soldiers included the important need for competence in the use of the sword. In the 18th and early 19th Century, this comprised a series of cut, thrust and parry exercises that were normally conducted against dummies. These exercises were also produced in manuals and diagrams available for purchase.
It is thought that the Crimean War (1853-1856) and the Indian Mutiny (1857) highlighted the serious shortcomings in both quality of swords and training. The military authorities therefore decided that a formal emphasis on sword training was required and with this in mind, they introduced a specific pattern of sword, the 1864 Pattern Gymnasia Sword. Previous to this, the cavalry regiments had adopted a number of official practice swords (based on the alteration of existing patterns for training purposes), including the 1856, 1886 and 1891 patterns.
The 1864 Pattern was the first pattern sword for use in military Gymnasia and comprised a sheet metal bowl guard and ribbed leather grip. A prominent tang button or nut held the guard on the pommel and could be unscrewed to replace a broken blade. The blade was single-fullered, slightly curved and with a rounded point for safety.
In 1895, a new pattern of radically different design was adopted, the 1895 Pattern Gymnasia Sword, that included a large bowl guard and fencing-type blade. It was replaced in 1899 with a virtually identical pattern that only differed in having a series of perforated holes within the guard. Practice swords tend not to have been provided with a scabbard.
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