THE BRITISH INFANTRY OFFICER’S SWORD of the early-mid-18th Century followed a number of defined styles that culminated in the later adoption of a prescribed series of patterns to be carried by a British infantry officer. Before 1786, British infantry officers were required to carry a spontoon (staff weapon) of half-pike form that was quite distinctive and valued more as a badge of rank rather than an effective fighting weapon. Infantry officers were also ordered to carry a sword (Clothing Warrant of 1768) and in 1786, the spontoon was officially withdrawn from service and a regulation sword was introduced.
One of the most common sword types was the short sabre and later, the spadroon. The short sabre normally had a curved blade, single-edged for most of its length and then double-edged near the point. It incorporated a number of hilt styles that included examples with a slotted guard, forward or “loop” guard and pommels of ovoid, rounded and lionshead design. The lionshead hilt with slotted guard was particularly popular with British infantry officers and this pommel type became standard for the next hundred years, both in the Army and Navy.
Sword grips also came in a wide variety of materials including wood with brass or steel twistwire, leather, ebony, bone and ivory. Scabbards were usually made from leather with simple brass or gilt brass mounts. Tooling and decoration to scabbards became more prevalent as the century progressed.
The spadroon sword of the late-18th Century was an attempt to design a simple, straight-bladed, double-edged cut and thrust sword. Pre-regulation examples featured simple crossguards (brass or steel) and grips (usually ebony, ivory or bone). Hilts tended to have a straight knucklebow guard and cushion or urn-shaped pommel. The use of “beaded” or “five-ball” knucklebows was also common and is discussed later when we view the first regulation pattern infantry officer’s sword (1786 Pattern) that superceded these earlier spadroon forms.
The grip design of a spadroon sword allowed the officer to hold the sword securely and facilitate both cutting and thrusting movements. It was popular with officers due to its simple practicality, good balance and elegant appearance and also sat well against a uniform.
© Harvey Withers Military Publishing, 2024