C.1800’s British Non-Regulation Naval Officers’ Swords

BEFORE THE STANDARDISATION of naval officers’ swords after 1805, the Royal Navy officer had great leeway as to what type of edged weapon he carried whilst on board ship.  During the mid and latter part of the 17th Century, the traditional gentleman’s rapier was abandoned by British naval officers in favour of short, hunting hangers and cutlass-type swords.  These cutlasses and hangers were similar to those issued to ordinary seaman but were decorated in a more elaborate way, with chiselled decoration to both pommels and guards with many manufactured with silver hilt and scabbard mounts.  These short swords were far more practical whilst fighting amongst the rigging and confined space of a ship’s crowded deck.  Many contemporary paintings show British naval officers carrying these swords.  

In keeping with fashions of the day, British naval officers sometimes carried a dress sword for more formal occasions and these were normally based on contemporary civilian and military smallswords that included a boat shell hilt with pas d’âne and a colichemarde (hollow-ground) blade.  In some rare examples, the smallswords might carry nautical motifs to the hilt. 

By the late-18th Century, the hunting-type hanger was dropped in favour of an infantry sword with slotted guard.  Many of these exhibit an anchor inset into the guard or engraved to the pommel.  Blades tended to be manufactured in countries such as Germany (where they were cheaper to buy) and exported into England, with the sword fittings e.g. guard, grip and scabbard produced in small workshops in the United Kingdom, where the sword would be finally assembled.

In 1786, the British Army formally adopted a regulation pattern sword for infantry officers. It was natural that British naval officers would copy this style.  The cut and thrust blade was straight with either a “beaded” or “five-ball” hilt and cushion pommel.  A gilt brass “cigar band” with engraved anchor was placed in the centre of a ribbed ivory or ebony grip.  Some examples also have a cut-out anchor placed in the centre of the side-ring.  Blades were also decorated with engraved motifs, including a royal crown, coat of arms, martial trophies, stands of arms and scrolling foliage.  Other sword types include those with a S-bar hilt (and anchor in cartouche) and the more common stirrup hilt that copied the British 1796 Pattern Light Cavalry Officer’s Sword. 

© 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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