Gents,

I picked up a very nice Austrian Model 1869 Cavalry Saber at a local military show early this year. This is a private purchase example of the issue sword for Enlisted Men and NCOs. It was made by Weyersberg & Stamm in Solingen and so marked on the reverse ricasso of the blade. The obverse ricasso is marked, "Eisenhauer" or Iron Cutter indicating the high quality steel. These swords are interesting in that the sword is massive with a wide nickeled blade. The blade has a pronounced ricasso and a wide fuller on the obverse side with a flat slab side on the reverse. The nickeled steel basket guard has a rolled reinforcement along the edges with seven round drain holes and two slots for the attachment of a sword knot. The plated steel backstrap is plain with two "ears" near the basket guard. The grip is sharkskin made without wire for Enlisted Men. The nickeled steel scabbard has a suspension bar on the back near the throat and a fixed ring below the bar.

I was happy to find this sword at the show.

Austrian Cav EM Saber.JPG (56.25 KB, 31 downloads)
Austrian Cav EM saber W&S.JPG (47.58 KB, 31 downloads)
Austrian Cav EM saber Eisenhauer.JPG (41.08 KB, 31 downloads)
Austrian Cav EM saber hilt 2.JPG (65.95 KB, 31 downloads)
Austrian Cav EM saber guard.JPG (72.85 KB, 31 downloads)

"You can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself." Ricky Nelson