M 1840 Cavalry Saber

The army sword 1840 Cavalry Saber was based on the French hussar's sabre model 1822. Unlike its successor, the Light Cavalry Saber of 1860, the M1840 has a spine around the quill, a wire-wrapped leather grip (rather than grooves cut into the wooden grip), and a flat, curved neck. It is 44 inches long with a 35-inch blade and weighs about 2.5 pounds

The M1840 was designed for slashing and was nicknamed the "old wrist breaker" because of its heavy flat rear blade. It was introduced because the military was not satisfied with its predecessor, the Model 1833 Dragoon Sabre, the first cavalry saber used by the US Army.

The iron-hilt ed M1833 was based on a Napoleonic-era British sword used by heavy cavalry that was said to "wrap around a man's head like rubber, and is only fit for cutting butter." General Philip used an ornate gilded version of this earlier sword. Sheridan during the Civil War; Sheridan's scabbard was engraved with battles in which he participated. It was obvious that a replacement was needed, so in 1838 the US Department of Ordnance purchased British, French and Prussian swords and field tested them. Soldiers mostly preferred the French sword, and a copy of it began to be produced in 1844. A total of 2,000 were ordered and by 1846 there were 600 at the front.

The 1840 saber was used by the American cavalry during the Mexican-American War. Ames de Cabot Ville, Horstmann and Tiffany were the main contractors, but as the sword required was large, SandK made them in Germany and at least 1,000 were imported. Alternatively, some soldiers used Prussian sabers, which unlike the M1840 had straight blades.

When production ceased in 1858, more than 23,700 examples had been made. It continued to be issued to the Union Cavalry during the American Civil War because it was more readily available than the M1860 in the early years. George B. McClellan carried one in front, holding the sword of his pursuing officer in full dress. The Confederacy also employed many, including General Nathan Bedford Forrest, who sharpened both edges of the sword to increase combat effectiveness.