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Help needed identifying a cavalry officer's sabre

Article about: This blade has a tiny bit of a story with it: Somewhere around 1910-1915 a russian soldier of now forever forgotten characteristics and rank was travelling in a military train through Finlan

  1. #1
    retry
    ?

    Default Help needed identifying a cavalry officer's sabre

    This blade has a tiny bit of a story with it: Somewhere around 1910-1915 a russian soldier of now forever forgotten characteristics and rank was travelling in a military train through Finland (which was at that time part of the Russian empire).

    My great-grandfather who was a conductor serving under the tsar in the empiric railways of Finland was known to be an easy-going and funny chap but also inquisitive.
    He spoke fluent russian like all government officials, finnish or not, back then and got to a game or a gamble of some sort with some of the soldiers, though my father told that for a long time he was orthodox that he was just given a gift of goodwill, either way the soldier had from somewhere produced a bundle which revealed the prize which was a quite nice piece of weaponry for the stakes of the game i believe.

    The rest of the blade's journey is even more boring without any great battles just hanging from a wall and another and another until it recently found its way to my posession. I hope someone could share more light on the origins of this sabre, I googled my way through numerous pictures of similar looking swords and i noticed that almost all of them seemed a more sturdy type of shape and fabrication almost like mine is some sort of ceremonial sword or a replica even? Well that sounds a bit weird ? a 100 year old replica?
    The reason for this speculation is that in Helsinki, where I live in, a supposed adept in measuring the authenticity and value of old things in general discarded the blade with mutterings about some cheap gift shop crap after a hasty examination, he told that the handle seemed to be of plastic! I couldnt believe this back then and now that i have tinkered with the handle a bit i found that he was wrong after all, the painted wood is just of a confusingly plastic texture.
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Help needed identifying a cavalry officer's sabre   Help needed identifying a cavalry officer's sabre  

    Help needed identifying a cavalry officer's sabre  
    Last edited by retry; 04-30-2012 at 05:54 AM.

  2. #2

    Default Re: Help needed identifying a cavalry officer's sabre

    The grips of some Czarist era officer’s sabers do appear to be a man made resin. But without pictures what is being discussed here - who knows? FP

  3. #3

    Default Re: Help needed identifying a cavalry officer's sabre

    PS: I was later on able to get the images to open, and it looks like a Model 1881 officer's saber. FP

  4. #4
    Dutchmannn
    ?

    Default Re: Help needed identifying a cavalry officer's sabre

    Quote by retry View Post
    I hope someone could share more light on the origins of this sabre, I googled my way through numerous pictures of similar looking swords and i noticed that almost all of them seemed a more sturdy type of shape and fabrication almost like mine is some sort of ceremonial sword or a replica even? Well that sounds a bit weird ? a 100 year old replica?
    The reason for this speculation is that in Helsinki, where I live in, a supposed adept in measuring the authenticity and value of old things in general discarded the blade with mutterings about some cheap gift shop crap after a hasty examination, he told that the handle seemed to be of plastic! I couldnt believe this back then and now that i have tinkered with the handle a bit i found that he was wrong after all, the painted wood is just of a confusingly plastic texture.
    h

    edit : advertise split
    I love these "experts". It's very fine example of Russian M1881 officer's dragoon shashka (not saber!) in very good condition and cool story. If you want to sell it, I'm immediately ready, got one, but with different blade, that one is perfect according to regulations. Grip on hilt is exactly as it should be. I can't see the etching on blade, picture is not sharp, if you can make a better picture, I can tell you more. This shashka was replaced in 1909 by a modified model called dragoon ifficer's shashka pattern 1881/1909 with same blade, but quite important changes on hilt (different grip, emperors cypher on pommel, different knuckle bow with decoration... etc). In use until 1917.

  5. #5

    Default Re: Help needed identifying a cavalry officer's sabre

    I have added the pics directly to the forum. Please don't use outside links.

    Cheers, Ade.
    Had good advice? Saved money? Why not become a Gold Club Member, just hit the green "Join WRF Club" tab at the top of the page and help support the forum!

  6. #6

    Default Re: Help needed identifying a cavalry officer's sabre

    I stand corrected on using the term Shashka (instead of the more generic saber). And according to A. N. Kulinskii (in my translation as I’m not a Russian speaker) if I got it correctly, Shashka seems to first indicate the earlier Cossack style with flared grips and no knucklebow, along with the leather scabbard with the attaching rings on the convex side. Which, other than the knucklebow, seems to also roughly describe the Dragoon saber Pattern 1841, and the later version for the mounted artillery which preceded the patterns of 1881. With the Germans also making some really well done examples of the Pattern 1909 for export while they still on good terms with the Russians. FP

  7. #7
    ?

    Default Re: Help needed identifying a cavalry officer's sabre

    Try Morion Antique in Hesperiankatu.

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