1840 Cavalry Saber

1840 cavalry saber, M1840 saber, Old Wristbreaker saber. History, use, regulations and manufacturers of 1840 cavalry saber. 1840 Saber for sale.

M1840 Cavalry Saber

1840 Saber History
1840 Saber was based on the French hussar sabre (model 1822) because the 1833 Dragoon saber, the previous (first cavalry saber of US forces) was not accepted well.

1840 Saber specifications
1840 Saber was made for slashing. The saber has a heavy flat-backed blade (reason to call it Old Wristbreaker).
Saber length: 44 inches, blade length: 35 inches, sabre weight: 2.5 lbs.

1840 Saber vs. 1860 Saber
The blade of the M1840 has a flat back, the M1860 has a rounded back. Probably the easiest difference is in the grip. Generally, the M1860 has a palm swell on the underside of the grip, which the M1840 lacks.
The 1840 (Heavy Cavalry) saber is heavier and has a flat back on the blade where the 1860 (Light Cavalry) saber has a rounded back. The Heavy Cavalry grip is also more cylindrical than the Light Cavalry which is swelled in the middle.

1840 saber manufacturers
The original manufacturers: Ames, Tiffany and Horstmann. Many sabers were imported from Germany (S&K-Schnitzler & Kirschbaum, Solingen).

1840 Saber for sale