ELF122 - Early Indian Army cavalry sabre. Immediately after the Indian Mutiny of 1857-58, the East India Company cavalry forces were merged with the British Army and started to be equipped with European-made sabres, to replace their native tulwars. In fact this rearming probably started in the early 1850s, as there was some discussion about it in Parliament, in which Nolan of the later Charge of the Light Brigade was quoted. In any case, what we have here seems to be a really nice early example of one of these European-made Indian Army cavalry sabres, I presume dating to c.1855-1865. These were generally privately purchased for the Indian regiment by the British Colonel. After that date they seem to become more regulated and similar looking, and I have never seen one exactly like this before. It has been well service sharpened, as most Indian Army swords were, with a curved 'Paget' style blade inspired by the 1796 light cavalry pattern, though with a more slender and tapered 33 inch blade than normal. It also features a prominent 'Indian ricasso'. The 3 bar hilt is the regulation of 1821 light cavalry, as is the backstrap. The grip is bare hardwood, and seems to have been made that way originally. Everything is tight and this is a wonderfully quick and light sabre in the hand. No scabbard (this would have been wood and donkey leather most probably).
