Original French Model 1816 Light Cavalry Saber with Scabbard Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. Adopted in 1816 with the Post-Emperor Napoleon Army Regulations this light cavalry saber has a very scarce “pipe-back” blade, a style that was discontinued in 1822.

Always a very rare and unusual model this particular piece has a very interesting history. Manufactured at the arsenal at Klingenthal and marked as such along with the date MARCH 1880 expressly as French military aid to Egypt that had gained great prominence since the opening of the Suez Canal. These early M-1816 Model Blades were used probably because, being such a short lived model (1816-1822) ,supplies of original unused blades were still available.

In 1869 Great Britain and France with massive loans having been made to Egypt were faced with a bankrupt Egyptian state, which still part of the very weak Ottoman Empire. The likelihood of Egyptian failure to settle it’s foreign loans forced these European powers to financially take over the Egyptian Government and economy. Both Great Britain and France tried to influence Egypt into to their particular political fold with more and more support. This led to considerable Egyptian unrest and a rebellion led by a Colonel Ahmed Arabi Bey broke out which led to Britain sending troops to restore order and they put the uprising down in 1884 at the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir.

France, having its own North African Colonial problems further west in Algeria ended it’s interest in Egypt leaving Great Britain basically in control until after WW2.

So, this saber was delivered to Egypt in the very early 1880s and bears a few Arabic characters on the three bar brass guard. The grip is leather covered and bound with plaited wire wrapping.

The blade is a pipe backed and retains some Egyptian markings in addition to the original French ones.

The blade is 36″ in length and the saber comes complete with its Napoleonic style all steel scabbard with two suspension rings. Rare as a French Model of 1816 this is doubly interesting having served in Egypt in the 1880s.