Pattern 1908 and 1912 Cavalry Swords - 1912 Pattern Cavalry Officer's Sword

1912 Pattern Cavalry Officer's Sword

Whereas swords for troopers and NCO's were issued by the Army, officer's swords were privately purchased by the officers themselves. Until 1912, officers continued to carry their pierced "honeysuckle" hilted or three-bar hilted cut-and-thrust swords. The three-bar hilt was officially discontinued for light cavalry officers in 1896, in which year it was required that they adopt the heavy cavalry form. However army regulations also stated that on the introduction of a new pattern an officer's sword need not be replaced until his existing one was no longer serviceable; use of the three-bar hilt thus continued well into the 20th century.

In 1912 however, an officer's pattern was introduced which mirrored that carried by the men. The 1912 Pattern cavalry officer's sword is of the same basic form as the 1908 trooper's version, but in a more decorative form. The blade, plain for troopers, was usually engraved or etched (although during World War I expediency sometimes led to plain blades being fitted to officer's swords). The grip is of the same form, but the chequered rubber or bakelite grip was replaced by grey ribbed shark skin, bound with German-silver wire. The pommel, plain on the trooper's version, was chequered and decorated.

On the front of the bowl guard, the 1912 sword had an engraved floral pattern, mimicking the honeysuckle pattern which had been common on officer's swords throughout the 19th Century.