The Military Sabre

The Military Sabre is a one handed cut and thrust curved backsword. While versions of sabre have existed all throughout history, the military sabre gained particular popularity for both infantry and cavalry during the Napoleonic Wars, especially among the British Army who developed many "Pattern" sabres. There are various manuals regarding the use of military sabre, often borrowed from earlier backsword systems, both mounted and on foot from the likes of famous fencers such as Henry Angelo, Alfred Hutton, George Silver, Charles Roworth and Donald McBane. Cavalry Sabres are typically heavier with it's point of balance close to the tip of the blade while Infantry Sabres typically are lighter with their points of balance closer to the hilt.

Military Sabre Manuals
"Infantry Sword Exercise"   
Henry  Charles Angelo
"Art of Defense on Foot with Broadsword and Sabre"
 Charles Roworth
"The Expert Sword-Man's Companion"  
Donald McBane
The Longsword


The Longsword, commonly known as the hand & half sword, bastard sword and incorrectly as broadsword, is two-edged cut and thrust sword with a two-handed grip used primarily between the start of the 13th century to the end of the 16th century. There are various traditions and many treatises studying the use of the longsword which is why it’s one of the predominantly studied weapons in HEMA. Longswords used in the Italian tradition tend to be shorter while Longswords in the German tradition tend to be longer.

Italian and English
Longsword Treatises 
Flower of Battle
Fiore de'i Liberi
Ledall English Longsword
Ledall Roll
 J. Ledall 
German Longsword Treatises
Pseudo Von Danzig
Sigmund Ringeck

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