Marlow White's swords and sabers have ceremonial blades. As such, they are built to strict military regulations to be used in drills, ceremonies, and displays. These blades are of the highest quality but are not sharpened for use as a weapon.
Is it a "Sword" or a "Saber"?
Definition of Sword vs. Saber:
The dictionary defines a sword as “a weapon consisting typically of a long, often straight or slightly curved, pointed blade, having one or two cutting edges, that is designed for thrusting or cutting.”
The same dictionary defines a saber as “a heavy cavalry sword with a slightly curved blade, sharpened on one side, with a thick back edge and a hand guard.”
If you really want to make your hair hurt from thought, try to figure out the difference between a saber and a sabre!
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Army Officer: Saber or Sword?The was worn by the US Cavalry and has the slightly curved blade, so it is traditionally called a saber. Today's saber, however, is not strictly worn by cavalry officers, but can be worn by all officers except those who do not bear arms (e.g., chaplains). In fact, the current Field Manual 3-21.5, Drill and Ceremonies, states that “The nomenclature for the saber is saber for all , .” (Appendix F). On the other hand, the straight-blade pieces are swords – the , the , the , and the . |
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Marine Officer: Saber or Sword?For our traditional Army customer, the US Marine Corps reference to their swords can be confusing to the Army mind. The Marine Corps Uniform Regulations (MCO P1020.34F) prescribe both the and the . Both pieces are curved. The traditional Army mind set tempts a Soldier to call them both Marine Corps Sabers, but we guess that the Marine Corps does not have a lot of horseback in their rich history. Furthermore, in the case of the Marine Corps Officer Sword, the sword has no hand guard. |
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West Point: Saber or Sword?Why do cadets often refer to their swords as a ""? Obviously, the West Point sword is just that … a sword with an edge on each side of the blade (see definition above). The confusion arises because the Army's FM">saber and a sabre!
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