Checker and its combat characteristics in comparison with other types of similar weapons. How is a saber different from a checker

Some modern Cossacks argue that the "Cossack" checker has incomparably better fighting qualities than a saber, and even more so a broadsword. Although the Cossacks owe their glory to the saber.

During the reign of Ivan IV in the Prut campaign of 1711, the Persian campaign of 1722 - 1723, the Russian-Turkish wars, in the seven-year war (1756 - 1763) against the aggressive Prussian kingdom. Then the Cossacks first appeared in the center of Western Europe. The crowning victory of the Russian army in this war was the capture of the capital of Prussia - Berlin. Cossack regiments on the night of September 9-10, 1760 after the destruction of the twenty-thousandth near Potsdam german army were the first to enter Berlin.

In June 1812, the Cossacks were the first to meet the French invaders with gunfire and heroically fought against Napoleon's army until they were completely defeated. After the capture of Paris in 1814, one of the first to enter the city was the Life Guards Cossack Regiment, which was the escort of Emperor Alexander I. deadly weapon in the hands of the Cossacks was a lance and a saber.

The saber acted, like a pike, on the move; hit and left. An example can be found in the memoirs of General Marbo, when he described the battle near Polotsk: “Mr. Fontaine's legs got tangled in stirrups. He tried to free himself with the help of several rangers who came to his aid, when suddenly the damned Cossack officer, flying at a gallop past this group, deftly leaned in the saddle and struck Fontaine with a terrible blow with his saber, gouged out his eye, touched the other eye and cut his nose!

A.K. Denisov describes a clash between a Tatar warrior, a mullah, "as seen from the robe", armed with a pike (dart), and a Cossack officer F.P. Denisov, the narrator's uncle: “Not leaving Denisov in sight, the mullah galloped a little ahead and set off at him. Then Denisov, having parried the dart with his saber, raised it from below a little higher than himself and cut down the Tatar with one swing in death. That is, a virtuoso possession of a saber is described, when a parrying blow turns into a smashing one.

Broadsword, Saber, Saber.

Often, at first glance, it is difficult to distinguish a broadsword from a saber, a saber from a saber, and a saber from a broadsword.

SWORD

Broadsword (Hungarian - pallos; backsword, broadsword) - a piercing-chopping edged weapon with a complex hilt, with a handle and with a straight or slightly curved blade, wide at the end, one and a half sharpening (less often double-edged). Often combines the qualities of a sword and a saber. The hilt of the broadsword consists of a handle with a head and a guard (usually including a cup and protective arms). In Western European broadswords, the hilt is usually asymmetrical with a highly developed arm protection in the form of a cross or a bowl with a whole system of arches. The length of the blade is from 60 to 85 cm. The appearance of the broadsword as a military weapon dates back to the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th centuries, when regular cavalry units appeared in Western Europe. Since the 18th century armed with heavy cavalry. The blade of the broadsword is much wider and heavier than that of the sword.

In England it is a broadsword - a basket sword, in Italy it is a spada schiavona - a Slavic sword, and in the German countries in the period from the 16th to the 19th century, it had several names at once - reiterschwert - the rider's sword; kurassierdegen, dragonerdegen, kavalleriedegen - cuirassier sword, dragoon sword and just a cavalry sword.

In Western European broadswords, the hilt is usually asymmetrical with a highly developed arm protection in the form of a cross or a bowl with a whole system of arches. The length of the blade is from 60 to 85 cm. The appearance of the broadsword as a military weapon dates back to the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th centuries, when regular cavalry units appeared in Western Europe. Since the 18th century armed with heavy cavalry.

European cavalry (especially heavy: cuirassiers and cavalry guards) have always gravitated towards stabbing weapons and were mainly armed with broadswords.

The impact energy of two oncoming horse lavas is large enough, so the rider just needs to point the tip at the enemy to inflict a terrible wound on him. At the same time, it is much more difficult to hit the enemy with a blow - delivered a little earlier or later, a chopping blow has neither the necessary accuracy nor strength. In addition, a blow requires two separate movements - a swing and a strike, and a thrust - one. When struck, the rider opens himself, and holding the broadsword for an injection, on the contrary, closes himself.

The broadsword has been known in Russia since the 16th century. Since 1711, broadswords have completely replaced sabers in Russia (this is in the regular army, and Russian Cossacks, Caucasian highlanders, Tatars, Bashkirs and Kalmyks always used chopping weapons). These weapons were produced not only in Russia, but also imported from abroad, mainly from Germany. The opinion that cuirassiers - these "knights of the XIX century" had very heavy broadswords is not entirely accurate. The Russian broadsword of the 19th century, as a rule, was even lighter than the cavalry saber.

A special cult of stabbing blades existed in France, where they were used as a dueling weapon and every self-respecting person simply had to master the techniques of fencing with a sword.

SABER

A saber is a very diverse weapon, there is a truly gigantic number of types and types of sabers, since the saber, in its usual form, has existed for at least thirteen centuries and has undergone changes no less than a sword.

The first argument for the advantage of the saber over the broadsword was the area of ​​​​damage - for the broadsword this is the line described by the tip, for the saber it is the plane cut by the blade. The second argument is the advantage of the saber at a low speed of the rider, when the broadsword becomes practically useless, and the speed of the saber does not decrease much. The third argument is that the curved blade was lighter, but at the same time inflicted deeper wounds due to the curve of the blade.

Saber (Hungarian - czablya, from szabni - cut; sabre) - chopping, chopping-cutting or piercing-cutting-cutting (depending on the degree of curvature of the blade and the device of its end) melee weapons with a curved blade, which has a blade on the convex side , and the butt - on the concave. Hangs on the belt with the blade down.

Weight and balance different sabers differed markedly and could be approximately similar to the checkered parameters, or could differ. Varieties of sabers differ in size, the radius of curvature of the blade, the device of the hilt (hilt). A characteristic difference from other long-bladed weapons with a handle is that the center of gravity is located at a considerable distance from the hilt (more often at the level of the border of the first and second thirds from the tip of the blade), which causes an additional cutting effect during chopping blows. The combination of the curvature of the blade with a significant distance of the center of gravity from the hilt increases the force of impact and the area of ​​the affected space. The hilt has a handle with a lanyard and a cross with a crosshair (oriental sabers) or another guard (European sabers).

The saber appeared in the East and became widespread among the nomads of Eastern Europe and Central Asia in the 7th - 8th centuries. Mongolian and Arab horsemen successfully fought with their curved sabers both light cavalry and heavily armored knights. Moreover, captured Asian sabers were worth their weight in gold, and by no means for their appearance, but just for fighting qualities. Not a single eastern warrior was seen with either a two-handed sword or a captured broadsword. “In the whole East, I don’t know a single people who would have anything like broadswords,” wrote General Mikhail Ivanovich Dragomirov, a well-known Russian military theorist of the 19th century, “where the enemy did not refuse the dump, but looked for it for use on horseback - chopping weapons were always preferred to stabbing ones.

In the XIV century. elman appears on the saber (a thickening of the saber blade in the upper part of the blade, could be honed). The saber acquired the properties of a predominantly chopping weapon. The most characteristic sabers of this type were Turkish and Persian.

In the European armies of the XVIII - XIX centuries. sabers had blades of medium curvature (4.5 - 6.5 cm), hilts with bulky guards in the form of 1 - 3 bows or bowl-shaped, scabbards from the 19th century. usually metal. The total length reached 1.1 m, the length of the blade was 90 cm, the weight without a scabbard was up to 1.1 kg, the weight with a metal scabbard was up to 2.3 kg. AT late XIX in. the curvature decreases to 3.5 - 4 cm and the saber again acquires piercing-chopping properties.

Due to the guard, the balance moved closer to the hilt, due to the yelmani - vice versa.

In Russia, the saber has been known since the 9th century, in the Novgorod land the saber came into use later - approximately from the 13th century, and from the 14th century. became the dominant type of weapon (in Western Europe - from the end of the 16th century). In the XV - XVII centuries. the soldiers of the Russian local cavalry, archers, Cossacks were armed with sabers. Since the 18th century in the European and Russian armies, the saber was in service with light cavalry personnel and officers in other branches of the military. In 1881, in the Russian army, the saber was replaced by a saber and was preserved only in the guard, as a parade weapon, as well as for some categories of officers to wear out of order.

But in fact, the era of edged weapons ended much earlier - already in the Crimean War of 1853-1856, wounds with cold weapons accounted for only 1.5% -3% of total number. A little later, during the Russian-Turkish campaign, or rather, by 1877, when the battle of Plevna took place, this figure fell to 0.99%. And so it is all over the world, with the exception of the expeditionary colonial corps waging war on the native population: the loss of the British from edged weapons in India reached 20%, and in Egypt - up to 15%. Nevertheless, this percentage was not discounted, planning the rearmament of the cavalry by the beginning of the First World War.

CHECKER

Checkers are more similar to each other. A checker is, in fact, a hybrid of a knife and a saber, the result of the desire to achieve the maximum benefit from the blade in close combat. Checker (Kabardino-Circassian. - sa "shho - (lit.) long knife) - chopping and stabbing melee weapons with a handle. With a single-blade (rarely - one and a half) sharpening. The blade may be curved, slightly curved, or may be straight. The total length is 95-110 cm, the length of the blades is 77-87 cm. Its feature is the absence of a copper bow that protects the hand. Initially, the Russian irregular cavalry was armed with a checker of the Caucasian type, which had a blade of slight curvature and a hilt, consisting of a single handle with a bifurcated head, without any protective devices. Such a typically Caucasian hilt in general can be considered one of the main distinguishing features of a checker as a type of edged weapon.

Checkers appeared in the regular Russian army in 1834 (in the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment)

Russian army samples of checkers (for example: dragoon model 1881) differed from the checkers of the Caucasian type in the device of the hilt and scabbard. The blades of the first army checkers had an average curvature, and in shape approached the saber. In 1881, a weapons reform was carried out, the purpose of which was to establish a single model of edged weapons for all branches of the military. The Caucasian blade, known as the "top", was taken as a model for the blade. The hilt was initially supposed to be of a single design, with protection by the front bow, but then it was decided to leave the traditional hilts, consisting of one handle, for Cossack sabers. As a result, dragoon (officer and soldier) and Cossack (officer and soldier) checkers were adopted by the Russian army. Artillerymen received a shortened version of the dragoon saber. A characteristic difference checkers from a saber always had a wooden scabbard covered with leather, with a ring (less often with two rings) for the pass belts of the harness on the convex side (that is, it was suspended in a Caucasian way with the blade back), while the saber always has rings on the concave side scabbard, in the XIX - early. XX century., As a rule, steel. In addition, the checker was worn more often on the shoulder harness, and the saber on the waist.

Historically, a saber was indeed a knife at first - in the 16th century, such a podsaadashny, “knocked up” knife was common among Russians, which had a number of features that make it similar to a saber. It is noteworthy that initially the checker was used as an auxiliary weapon (it always came after the saber), before the disappearance of armor and the need for such weapons, checkers only complement swords and sabers. But even cuirasses disappear, and in the 19th century, the saber is the “main belt” bladed weapon, and this puts forward other requirements for it than for a knife. With the spread of firearms and the disuse of armor, the saber replaced the saber, first in the Caucasus, and then in Russia, while the saber itself underwent significant changes: it became longer and more massive, and received a bend.

MAIN DIFFERENCES

So, if we take as a basis some average samples of a broadsword, saber and checkers, the conclusions follow:

The broadsword is an ideal weapon for stabbing with the possibility of chopping. This is a weapon with a long straight (or slightly curved) blade. The center of gravity is maximally shifted to the hilt, for virtuoso fencing and accurate injection. The maximum protection of the hand, the hilt of the broadsword consists of a handle with a head and a guard.

The saber is a piercing-cutting-cutting weapon. The center of gravity is located at a considerable distance from the hilt. Mandatory protection of the hand, the hilt has a handle with a lanyard and a cross with a crosshair (oriental sabers) or another guard (European sabers).

Often, in European sabers, to enhance the piercing properties, the middle line of the handle is directed to the point - the handle is somewhat bent in the direction from the butt to the blade.

Shashka - The weapon is ideal for chopping blows with the possibility of stabbing. The center of gravity is maximally shifted to the tip. Hence the difference in techniques: with a saber they do not so much “feint” from the hand, but deliver powerful, strong blows “from the body”, which are extremely problematic to parry. With the help of a checker, it was possible to strike a good blow, reinforced by the inertia of the rider's movement, which could "break up" the adversary "to the saddle." Moreover, it is extremely difficult to dodge or close from such a blow. Therefore, in the 19th century there was a saying: "They cut with sabers, but they cut with checkers."

It is extremely inconvenient to apply precise stabbing blows with a checker due to the peculiarities of balancing, the lack of an emphasis for the brush and a weak point, which was often not sharpened at all.

The checker, as a rule, is noticeably lighter and slightly shorter than most sabers. Differs from a saber in a somewhat straighter blade. The hilt consists of one handle with a bifurcated head (there were quite a few versions of the appearance of this bifurcated head, up to the use of checkers as a stand for a gun when shooting from the knee), without any protective devices.

The main difference from the saber is that the saber has a less curved blade (or even a straight one), does not have a yelmani pen on the blade and is always suspended vertically, with the blade up. Always without a guard (with rare exceptions, for example - "dragoon checker", which is essentially a saber suspended from the top by a blade).

The ability to deliver the first blow is one of the main advantages of checkers. The checker was worn with the blade up, thanks to which this weapon could be instantly removed from the scabbard and in one movement, directly from the scabbard, deliver a full-fledged, breaking blow to the enemy. The checker, which does not have a cross, is quickly and reliably removed. Often the handle was positioned almost at chest level. The checker was advanced with a straightened palm, then a confident grip of the handle with a full brush was used. When extracting, the checker itself lies in the palm, while the saber is removed with an overlap of the hand. Moreover, a checker hanging on one side can be removed with both the left and right hand and immediately struck, which gives the effect of surprise. Useful for unexpected attacks and self-defense.

Before us is a fairly typical example of a checker action (according to ethnographic records of the 19th century):

“... After some time, Pachabgozhev returned. The young man followed his wife and, hiding behind one half of the gate, as soon as Pachabgozhev appeared in them, rushed at him, but, having missed, instead of Pachabgozhev he hit the other half of the gate and cut it in two, like fresh, freshly squeezed cheese. Pachabgozhev, quickly turning around with his saber already drawn, cut the young man in half from the shoulder. Then, calmly wiping his saber and putting it in its sheath, he put the horse in the stable ... "

Checker - traditional weapon light irregular cavalry, was designed for a fleeting battle, practically for the first and only preemptive strike. The very form of the weapon suggested a combat scheme for its owner - a raid, a blow and a rebound in the event of a rebuff. The skill of the attack, the accuracy and speed of the strike are unusually highly developed, but if it is still not crowned with success, this is where the attacker ends. It is unlikely that it will be possible to effectively defend yourself with the help of checkers, to carry out complex fencing feints, volts and floss. Sometimes in the military manuals of Russia and the USSR, up to 1941, a description of the combat technique was given, coming from saber fencing; but in relation to the checker, these possibilities are very limited.

The cavalry attack in those decades was scattered, fleeting. One hit. On a grand scale, with a pull, at full gallop. And then - at full speed. And fencing with the enemy, even if this blow did not reach the goal (in those conditions, to miss with a saber or broadsword is by no means more difficult than with a saber) is still not necessary: ​​he is already far away, the course of the battle has already separated you ...

Built on constant contact with enemy weapons, the European school (more precisely, schools, because there are many of them) is very limited in fencing on checkers (due to the center of gravity shifted to the tip), although a fighter who has a checker can compensate for this with active movements and deceptive techniques . For war and most fights, the striking properties and protection of the hand holding the weapon from at least accidental and non-targeted blows to the protected, at best, glove hand, are important. In terms of fencing, a saber fighter needs more mobility than a saber fighter, who can afford to "tap" with the enemy without risking being left without fingers.

Some modern Cossacks argue that the "Cossack" checker has incomparably better fighting qualities than a saber, and even more so a broadsword. But a checker and a saber often had similar, and often the same blades. Many checkers were directly made on imported European saber blades, sometimes the old hilt and guard were removed from the old saber and the Caucasian checker was placed. Sometimes they made their own blades. Due to the absence of a guard, the balance moved closer to the tip.

In 1881, under the leadership of Lieutenant General A.P. Gorlov, an armaments reform was carried out in order to establish a single model of edged weapons for all military branches. The Caucasian blade was taken as a model for the blade, “having in the East, in Asia Minor, between Caucasian peoples and by our local Cossacks, high fame as a weapon that provides extraordinary advantages when cutting. Cavalry, dragoon and infantry sabers, as well as cuirassier broadswords, were then replaced with single dragoon and Cossack sabers of the 1881 model. This was the first attempt to scientifically substantiate the choice of edged weapons. The problem with this checker was one - it was developed for two mutually exclusive purposes: for cutting and injections.

The new weapon almost immediately came under a flurry of criticism. As a result of the reform in 1881, the Russian army received a strange hybrid of a broadsword and a saber. In fact, it was an attempt to create a weapon that would allow the use of both a thrust and a chopping blow in battle. However, according to contemporaries, nothing good came of it. Our compatriot and great gunsmith of the last century, Vladimir Grigorievich Fedorov writes: “It must be admitted that our saber of the 1881 model both pricks and cuts badly.

Our checker cuts badly:

Due to the slight curvature, in which all the advantages of curved sabers are lost;

Due to improper fit of the handle. To give the checker piercing properties, the middle line of the handle is directed to the point - for this, the handle had to be slightly bent in the direction from the butt to the blade. Which led to the loss of some good chopping properties of the weapon.

Our checker pricks unsatisfactorily:

To give it cutting properties, it is made curved, which delays its penetration;

Due to the significant weight and the distance of the center of gravity from the hilt.

Almost simultaneously with the publication in 1905 of the book "Cold Weapons" Fedorov wrote a report to the artillery committee - "On the change of checkers of the 1881 model." In it, he put forward specific proposals for its improvement.

Based on these proposals, several variants of experimental drafts were made with various provisions center of gravity and modified curvature of the handle. Soon prototypes these checkers were transferred for testing to military units, in particular, to the Officer Cavalry School.

Knowing nothing about Fedorov's theoretical considerations, the cavalrymen had to choose the best sample by practical testing on a vine and stuffed animals of its cutting and piercing qualities.

Blades with a modified center of gravity were introduced (20 cm, 17 cm and 15 cm instead of the existing 21.5 cm). At the same time, the blades were lightened by 200 g and shortened from 86 cm to 81 cm. Some of the blades were made with standard handles, and some with a corrected slope.

All cavalrymen unanimously approved sample number 6, with a center of gravity of 15 cm from the hilt and a modified handle.

Another advantage of the checkers was its relative cheapness, unlike the saber, which made it possible to make this weapon massive. This was facilitated by the ease of use of checkers in battle. The usual saber technique consisted of a good knowledge of a couple of simple but effective strokes, which was very convenient for quickly training recruits.

AT combat charter The cavalry of the Red Army from 248 pages is given only four techniques for cutting and thrusting, half as many as for saluting with a saber. Budyonnovists were supposed to have only three blows (to the right, down to the right and down to the left) and four injections (half to the right, half to the left, down to the right and down to the left).

The drill charter of the Soviet army in 1951 prescribed only a few blows. From left to right: chopping down to the right, chopping to the right and a half-turn saber thrust to the right

To deliver blows, injections and rebounds (defense), the rider had to stand on the stirrups and shift the emphasis to his knees. It was possible to chop an equestrian enemy with only one trick on the command “To the right - CUT!”. 8-10 steps before the enemy, the right hand with the saber was retracted to the left shoulder, after which, with a quick movement of the hand while turning the body in the direction of the blow, it was necessary to strike at shoulder height from left to right. To introduce army order, so that the strike was carried out uniformly, all left-handers were retrained for right hand, and not only in the Russian and Red armies.

The other two blows (down to the right and down to the left) were intended to defeat the enemy on foot. To do this, it was necessary to move the body to the right (left) forward 8-10 steps before the infantryman and simultaneously move the hand with the saber up above the head, and then deliver a strong blow, describing a circle with the saber.

To inflict an injection, it was necessary to stretch the right hand with the saber in the direction of the enemy, turning the hand in the hand slightly to the left; the blade of the blade should be facing upwards to the right, and the point should be at the point of injection. After inflicting an injection with a downward movement of the hand, it was required to release the blade.

All of the above is relevant only to conscripts, who for several years of service in the army could only be taught to stay in the saddle and tolerably perform a couple of statutory blows. Checkers made of cheap steel, designed for several successful strikes, were intended for them, with hilts that allowed them to protect the hand, but did not allow not only to transfer the blade from hand to hand, but also to perform elementary fencing techniques. Not these cavalrymen were afraid of the whole of Europe like fire.

Signature blows of the Cossacks and Caucasians were applied from the bottom up, for example, to the elbow of an attacking enemy. This was facilitated by the special arrangement of the harness of the Cossack horses: for example, stirrups were tied with a belt under the body of the horse, allowing the rider to hang sideways almost to the ground. When horse lava approached, the infantryman was instructed to raise a rifle above his head with both hands, defending himself from a statutory blow from above. The Cossack feigned the beginning of such a blow, then abruptly hung from the horse and, with a strong blow from below, literally broke the soldier into two parts. This technique alone is enough to fear the Cossacks like the plague.

There is in the novel Quiet Don"one remarkable place, which describes the usual possession of a sword by the Cossacks with both hands:" He led the horse to the chosen enemy, as usual, coming from the left to chop with the right; the one who was supposed to run into Grigory strove in the same way. And so, when some ten sazhens remained before the enemy, and he was already hanging to one side, carrying a saber, Grigory with a sharp but gentle turn came in from the right, threw the saber into left hand. A discouraged opponent changes position, it is inconvenient for him to cut from right to left, over the horse’s head, he loses confidence, death breathes in his face ... Grigory destroys a terrible blow with a pull. By the way, real prototype Grigory Melekhova, the Cossack of the village of Veshenskaya Kharlampiy Ermakov, was a desperate grunt who wielded a saber to perfection with both hands. The horse controlled one leg, crashing into the ranks of enemies with two checkers in each hand, wielding them on the right and left.

Unknown Russia

People often confuse sabers and checkers. However, it is obvious that these are completely different types of weapons, differing both in their design and various features combat use. To date, both types of weapons have managed to move into the category of ceremonial models, but some issues related to them remain relevant. First of all, there are ongoing discussions about the potential of two types of blades. Sometimes the disputants are trying to figure out which type of weapon is better, although everything has long been determined.

It should be remembered that a variety of edged weapons can be hidden under the names of sabers and checkers. Both types of blades have come a long way over many centuries, resulting in a large number of weapons with certain differences and a number of common features. It is probably for this reason that not specific samples are often compared, but only their main features. However, such a comparison has both advantages and disadvantages.

Melee weapons in the museum. Along the edges - sabers different types. Photo Vitalykuzmin.net

Historical Blades

It is believed that the first sabers were created by Turkic armorers around the 7th century AD. This weapon was actually a modified broadsword, which received a slight bend in the blade. The single-edged blade of a curved shape, having sufficient dimensions, was quite light, and due to this it showed certain advantages over the swords of that time. Such weapons were primarily intended for cavalry and in practice proved to be a good tool for fighting foot soldiers.

At the turn of the two millenniums, sabers became widespread and were used in the armies of different regions. One of the first to master them was the warriors of Ancient Russia, and then such weapons fell into Eastern Europe and to the Middle East. As they spread, sabers changed. New operators intended to use such weapons in different branches of the armed forces and for different purposes, which led to certain modifications of the appearance, including significant ones.

The development of sabers, aimed at optimizing their characteristics for different tasks, continued until the 19th century. Gunsmiths tried different configurations of blades, created new versions of the hilt, and also experimented with the dimensions and weight of weapons. As a result, a great many varieties of sabers appeared, having their own appearance. At the same time, some subclasses are similar to each other, while others differ so much that they cannot immediately be recognized as related.

Russian saber of the middle of the 18th century. Photo by Wikimedia Commons

So, the European sabers of the New Age had a blade about 850-900 mm long and a bend of at least 30-40 and no more than 50-60 mm. Such weapons were used by infantry and cavalry. The Navy, in turn, used the so-called. boarding sabers - weapons with a blade no longer than 500-600 mm and a powerful hilt that provides maximum protection for the hand. In general, a large number of historical varieties of sabers are known, which had certain differences due to the specifics of the application.

It is simply useless to list all the countries that were armed with one or another version of the saber. Such weapons were available in almost all armies that followed modern trends in weapons. Accordingly, sabers were regularly used on the battlefield and contributed to the course of many armed conflicts, almost on all continents.

The first mention of checkers refers to XII century, and again a promising weapon was created by Turkic blacksmiths. As in the case of sabers, in the future checkers developed and changed. The final appearance of modern drafts was established already in the New Age. In the distant past, such weapons were used by some Caucasian peoples. Later, from them, the saber came to the Terek and Kuban Cossacks. By the middle of the 19th century, such weapons officially entered service with some Russian structures. A few decades later, the saber appeared in the army, seriously pushing the saber. The role of the latter was significantly reduced, and in some cases it was now only a parade weapon.

It should be noted that the replacement of sabers with checkers occurred only in Russia. Other countries continued to use existing sabers, in some cases modifying and modifying them. Whether this was a consequence of the progressive views of the Russian command is a topic for a separate discussion.

American cutting saber M1860. Photo Missouri History Museum / mohistory.org

Checkers managed to take part in all the major wars of the 19th century, and also found application in the battles of the last century. The last conflict with a notable use of checkers - as well as edged weapons in general - was the Second World War. By this time, the development of other types of weapons made blades, at least, not the most convenient and useful weapon. In the future, edged weapons finally passed into the category of ceremonial or award weapons without any chance of returning to their former status.

Technical questions

During their existence, sabers and checkers have changed many times, which led to the emergence of a mass of subclasses and types of edged weapons. In this regard, a direct comparison of different samples can often be difficult. To simplify the search for an answer to the traditional question “which is better?” often, comparisons can be made not of specific samples, but of the general features of the concept. For all its problems, such a comparison allows you to see the main differences between weapons, as well as understand why one of them gave way to another.

By the time sabers were adopted in our country, European-style sabers were used - equipped with a relatively long blade with a significant bend. Such weapons could have a total length of more than 1 m with a curvature of up to 50-60 mm. The mass of such a saber could exceed 1 kg. Most often, the saber was balanced in the middle of the blade, which made it possible to increase its chopping effect. Such weapons were intended for use by cavalrymen and foot soldiers. different kinds troops.

Russian saber 1829. Photo by Livrustkammaren / emuseumplus.lsh.se

The main feature of the saber, which distinguished it from weapons of older classes, was originally the curve of the blade. Due to this, the saber is capable of exerting both chopping and cutting action on the target. During a cut, the curve causes the blade to literally slide over the target, resulting in cutting. An increase in curvature leads to an increase in cutting action, but at the same time reduces cutting power. In sabers of different countries and eras, a similar balance of characteristics was used in its own way, which led to the appearance of weapons of different shapes.

Checkers of the 19th century were noticeably different from sabers, although they were to a certain extent similar to them. With the same dimensions and similar curvature - and therefore similar cutting and chopping action - they did not have a guard, and also differed in the configuration of the blades. On checkers, a pronounced point was usually not used, but at the same time there was one and a half sharpening. In addition, the center of gravity of the checker was shifted to the tip. Based on the speed and ease of use, the saber was often carried in a sheath with the blade up, which simplified the process of removing it and then applying a chopping blow.

One of the main differences between a checker and a saber lies in the method of its use in combat. The saber was intended for both striking and defending against an enemy blade. This gave certain advantages, but to a certain extent made it difficult to train a fighter. In the case of a saber, the use of weapons was reduced to a stabbing or chopping blow, while protection with a blade was not provided.

Checker handle 1846. Photo by Livrustkammaren / emuseumplus.lsh.se

It was the ease of use, and therefore the ease of training a soldier, that became one of the reasons for the gradual abandonment of sabers in favor of checkers. So, the Red Army cavalryman had to master only four injections and three blows in different directions, after which he could effectively use his sword in battle. A full-fledged training in saber fencing would have taken much more time.

Logical replacement

As early as the end of the first third of the 19th century, in some army formations of the Russian Empire, the existing sabers were replaced by sabers. Further rearmament, however, was carried out rather slowly and took several decades. Only in 1881 was it decided to re-equip the bulk of the troops with sabers with the replacement of sabers. Re-equipment was carried out by cavalry formations, officer corps and artillery. The number of sabers was sharply reduced, and these weapons, in the main, retained their ceremonial role.

For different branches of the military, different blades were intended, the configuration of which corresponded to the tasks set. First of all, the weapon differed in the length and curvature of the blade, as well as in the number and location of valleys. Also used different forms and handle materials, although their shape, in general, was common to all samples. Later, several new replacements of edged weapons were carried out several times, but the saber remained the main weapon of the cavalry.

The reasons for the gradual abandonment of sabers in favor of checkers are well known. Already in the middle of the 19th century, it became obvious that the main weapon modern armies is a firearm, and the cold now gets a secondary role. Even when they got close, infantrymen had to use rifles and bayonets, and therefore the need for weapons with a long blade was reduced. At the same time, the cavalry still needed such means, and the specifics of its combat work made it possible to do without fencing skills. As a result, the cavalry, and after it the other branches of the military, decided to equip a simple-to-produce and master saber that fully meets the existing requirements.

Checkers at the Victory Parade 1945. Photo by Wikimedia Commons

What's better?

When studying different types of weapons, the expected question necessarily arises: which one is better? In some situations it does not make sense, while in others it is more correct to formulate the question, taking into account the conditions for the use of weapons. This is exactly the case when comparing saber and checkers. And if you take into account the requirements, application features and other factors, it turns out that both classes of weapons are good in their own way.

The saber appeared many centuries ago, when the main weapon of a soldier was a long blade. With the help of a saber, it was possible to inflict various blows, and in addition, it helped to block or repel an enemy attack. The saber in its various manifestations was used in the infantry, in the cavalry and in the navy. By changing the configuration of the weapon, it was possible to obtain the maximum effectiveness of the battle under the given conditions.

However, for the effective use of his weapon, the fighter had to spend a lot of time on training. Training a swordsman capable of attacking and defending was a complex and lengthy process. This situation persisted for several centuries, until the appearance and wide distribution of fundamentally new weapons and related tactics.

Now long-bladed edged weapons of the army can only be seen at parades. Photo by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

By the beginning of the 19th century, the battlefield was firmly entrenched firearms, and by the end of the same century it became the main armament of all developed armies. Melee weapons, including sabers, faded into the background. In such a situation, a soldier's lengthy training in handling blades simply did not make sense: he should have been taught how to handle a rifle, which led to obvious consequences. Melee weapons retained their potential only in the cavalry, combat work which had its own characteristics. In addition, it could be used in some other structures that are not directly related to an open clash with the enemy army.

In the context of a sharp reduction in the number of fights with melee weapons, the cavalry and other branches of the armed forces were able to choose weapons that were easier to manufacture and use. They were checkers of several varieties, which entered service at the end of the 19th century.

It is not at all difficult to notice that sabers and checkers were used at different times and in different conditions. This allows us to assert that both of these classes of edged weapons have sufficient characteristics and are optimal for their conditions. While blades dominated the battlefield, the slashing-cutting saber remained in service, and the difficulty of mastering was offset by the results of its use. In the future, the command considered it advantageous to switch to checker.

The evolution of edged weapons lasted for many hundreds of years and led to the emergence of a variety of models for various purposes, differing in characteristics and capabilities. In the course of these processes, gunsmiths from different eras and countries created a great many varieties of sabers that remained in service until the recent past. However, in the case of the Russian army, sabers eventually gave way to checkers. Conditions have changed, and the soldiers needed other weapons.

According to the websites:
http://zonwar.ru/
https://swordmaster.org/
https://militaryarms.ru/
http://popmech.ru/
http://forum.guns.ru/

Perhaps only connoisseurs of art, fencers and collectors of antiquities are familiar with the topic of edged weapons in our countries. The average person can hardly show off deep knowledge in this area, for example, tell on the go how a checker differs from a saber. But curiosity and interest are important here, and knowledge on this issue can be obtained without difficulty.

Saber- This is a type of edged weapon for piercing and chopping purposes, invented in the 7th century. checker appeared in the XII century and is also a melee weapon, whose purpose is not so much piercing as it is chopping. Why is that?
The saber blade is curved, and the checkered blade is almost straight. The saber has a clear point, but the checker does not have one. That is why the saber also cuts, but it is also more difficult to learn how to use it. In addition, the length of the checker does not exceed a meter, and the saber can be longer. Checkers do not make such an elegant impression, they were invented precisely in order to deliver short, accurate and powerful blows in battle. The production of a checker was cheaper than the production of a saber. The saber is always equipped with a guard on the handle, the checkers do not have a guard.

In general, learning to wield a checker is easier than wielding a saber. This is also due to the fact that the checker and saber have different centers of gravity, although their weight is almost the same, which is especially interesting.

checker
Saber

Findings site

1. The saber appeared 5 centuries later than the saber;
2. The checker cuts and stabs, and the saber cuts and stabs;
3. The checker does not have a curved blade, unlike the saber;
4. The checker does not have a handle with a guard, but the saber has just such;
5. Checkers have always been cheaper and easier to use;
6. The saber is longer than the sword;
7. The centers of gravity of checkers and sabers do not match.

Among various kinds edged weapons, the saber occupies one of the leading positions. All types of sabers are distinguished by a characteristic curve of the blade. Saber fencing, sword dancing and simply collecting different types of sabers are very popular these days. Sabers are a unique type of melee weapons, it was they who were able to hold out the longest as a weapon of some military formations.

What is a saber and how to distinguish it from a sword

Even if you only saw the sword dance, this weapon should be familiar to you from childhood games of Cossack robbers or from films about the First World War. Indeed, the saber blade is hard to confuse with any other weapon.

The saber is a cutting and slashing weapon, and many varieties of sabers allow for stabbing. The saber handle is adapted for a one-handed grip, and the saber blade is on the convex side. Due to this shape of the blade, the best types of sabers not only cut, but also, as it were, cut through an obstacle that occurs in the path of the blade.

There are many types of sabers, which differ from each other in the following parameters:

• Blade length;
• The shape of the blade bend;
• Various handle shapes.

Any kind of saber differs from the sword in the location of the center of gravity. For sabers, it is located at a considerable distance from the handle and is located between the first and second thirds of the blade (if the tip of the blade is taken as the first part). This feature of the balance of the blade makes a good saber an ideal weapon for cutting blows with a cutting effect. Naturally, applying this type of blow requires many hours of training on a dummy.

A curved saber significantly increases not only the force of the blow, but also the area of ​​\u200b\u200bdamage. Since the blades of sabers must have elasticity and viscosity, the manufacture of light sabers became possible only with the development of metallurgy technologies.

The main differences between a saber and a sword are:

• The total weight of the weapon (mostly sabers are lighter, as they were, as a rule, the weapon of riders);
• The presence of curvature of the blade (although there are sabers with a straight blade, for example, a straight broadsword saber);
• Sabers differ from swords in different fencing techniques;
• Saber handles are designed for one-handed grip (although the famous Japanese katana, although called a sword, is in fact a kind of saber);
• Saber blades are sharpened only on one side, while sword blades are usually double-edged.

The first sabers appeared in the east among nomadic peoples around the 6th-7th century, although the first edged weapons resembling a saber (rather a broadsword with a straight blade) were already encountered in the 5th century. The combat saber is a direct descendant of the long cavalry sword, which, as a result of evolution, first acquired a one-sided sharpening (broadsword), and then a characteristic curve of the blade (a typical oriental curved saber).

The first types of sabers had a slight curvature, which made it possible to inflict stabbing and cutting blows. Since the 14th century, elman appeared on sabers (a thickening at the end of the blade, which allows inflicting stronger and more concentrated blows). A striking representative of the sabers of this period is the classic Turkish saber. Oriental sabers of that era were distinguished by the incredible quality of the blade and the beauty of the outer finish. All the legends that were brought back by the English and French knights after crusades, are related to this Eastern weapons(Turkish saber). The curved saber of the eastern types had a curved hilt, which ended in a characteristic pommel (although the types of hilts could differ significantly from each other). A curved saber with such a blade was not intended for stabbing.

The difference between the saber, which was used in Europe in the 17th-19th centuries, was the smaller curvature of the blade. The hilts of the sabers of that era were massive enough to reliably protect the hand from damage during fencing. The last sabers that remained in service with European troops in the 19th century were distinguished by an even smaller curvature of the blade, which perfectly demonstrates the best blade of this period - a checker.

Variety of types of sabers

The evolution of sabers with a curved blade began from the time when nomadic tribes began to improve the Roman spatu sword. Several centuries passed before the saber took on a familiar look. Although even at the time ancient egypt existed special types edged weapons that resembled sabers.

Models of sabers from antiquity to the beginning of the 20th century:

1. The first weapon, the curved part of the blade of which vaguely resembled combat sabers, was the Egyptian kopesh. Most scholars classify these ancient blades as scimitars (Janissary's saber), although the kopesh could just as well be classified as a combat sickle. The curved blade of this weapon was available only to the elite warriors of the Egyptian army, which is explained by the complexity of manufacturing. Kopesh, as a rule, was made of copper or bronze, so several well-preserved copies of this weapon have come down to us;
2. One of the first prototypes of sabers is the Turkish scimitar. Although scimitars gained popularity only in the 16th century, at first glance one can guess in them an improved model of the Greek falcata sword. The saber handle was made of bone, devoid of any guard. This Turkish weapon has a significant weight, and a specific sharpening (concave, in the form of a "falcon wing") made it possible to easily cut off the heads and limbs of the enemy;
3. The best weapon of the heavy cavalry of the 18th century is considered to be a broadsword, which is a kind of hybrid of a saber and a sword. The scope of combat use of this weapon is extremely wide. They can inflict both piercing and chopping blows. In addition, the broadsword has a massive hilt, which perfectly protects the warrior's hand;
4. Cutlasses were also extremely popular in the 16th and 18th centuries. They were simplified models of European military sabers. The naval saber was rather short, and the developed guard protected the hand well;
5. Speaking of sabers, one cannot fail to mention the saber. Checkers are the last long-bladed weapons that were in service with the army until the middle of the 20th century.

Russian saber of the times of Kievan Rus

On the lands Kievan Rus sabers were used along with swords. If swords were dominant in the northern regions, then sabers were actively used by Russian soldiers in the southern regions, which were often attacked by steppe nomads. Of course, a sword or an ax is an excellent (and traditional) weapon of Russian knights, but in battles with light steppe cavalry armed with sabers and dressed in light leather armor, this Russian weapons was ineffective.

Already in the 9th century, the princes began to arm their squads with sabers in order to give the Russian cavalry the opportunity to fight on equal terms with the dexterous steppes. Due to the fact that this weapon was very expensive, only princes, governors and their squads were armed with sabers. Seeing the effectiveness of this weapon in skirmishes with the steppes, the princes of the northern lands also armed their combatants with sabers.

Sabers in Russia of the 9th-12th centuries were quite massive and had a curved handle. Often a lanyard was attached to it, for which a hole was provided in the handle.

Cossack sabers 15-18 centuries

The first mention of the Cossack army dates back to the 15th century. The culture of the Cossacks is closely connected with weapons, especially sabers. The Cossack saber of the 16th century was either a copy of the saber of Kievan Rus, or a Turkish saber of the "tusk" type, which were captured in military campaigns or bought from the Turks or nomadic peoples.

The Persian saber shamshir, which was often made of Damascus or damask steel, was considered the best. Only rich Cossacks could afford such a saber, and even those most often took them in battle. The so-called Adamashka was also considered a very valuable saber. All curved oriental sabers made of Damascus steel were called this word.

The saber was considered the main attribute of a free Cossack, so it was carefully kept and passed down from generation to generation. Cossack saber fighting technique was perfected in constant skirmishes with nomads, and later polished in battles with the Polish army.

Except for the shamshir, most of the Cossack sabers of that time were intended for inflicting both chopping and stabbing blows. Most saber hilts were decorated with images of animals or birds, which served as a kind of amulet for a warrior.

Polish sabers 15th-18th centuries

Polish sabers began to gain popularity starting in the 15th century. Prior to this, Poland was a strong supporter of the use of heavy swords. Since the main enemy of the Poles - Warband- was defeated, and firearms gained immense popularity, the use of heavy armor and swords became irrelevant.

The first to use sabers were representatives of the Polish gentry and soldiers of the hussar regiments. The Polish saber (which was an almost complete copy of the Hungarian one) came in handy for the hussar cavalry.

The Hungarian saber in the hands of the Polish gentry turned into an object of "arrogance". Initially, these weapons were imported from Hungary, but soon they began to be manufactured in the Polish state, glorifying the Polish weapons school over time.

The hussar saber appeared in the 16th century, and became widespread in the 17th, being the heaviest Polish saber. Its feature is a massive guard, which perfectly protects the hand. The hussar saber was a multifunctional weapon indispensable for a professional warrior.

Overview of French sabers from the Napoleonic Wars

Epoch Napoleonic Wars was marked by cardinal reforms in military affairs. Naturally, she also touched the edged weapons of the French cavalry. Those sabers that were in service with the cavalry before the reform were too curved, which made it difficult to deliver stabbing blows, which were indispensable in close combat.

In 1806, the light cavalry sabers were replaced with new designs. The guard of the new sabers began to be equipped with two more protective bows on the side, which made it possible to make the protection of the hand more perfect.

As a result of the innovations, the French saber received a new, less curved blade, which was perfectly suited for both thrusting and cutting blows. The tip was shifted from the line of the butt to increase the piercing qualities. The blade itself was additionally sharpened near the tip from the side of the butt.

Cutlass

The cutting saber appeared in the 16th century, when cruel naval battles have become commonplace. Before their appearance, pirates and sailors used ordinary bladed weapons, but the specifics of the sea battle required a short and strong weapon. At first, the sailors used heavy cleavers, from which the boarding saber evolved.

Since most of the pirates and sailors were ordinary people, the art of swordsmanship was very far from them. The boarding saber, according to the principle of action, was like a simple cleaver, which was familiar to former peasants and townspeople. In order to learn how to use a cutlass, it was enough to take a few lessons, since the whole combat technique consisted in delivering powerful blows with a wide range of motion.

The cutlass is a short but wide and heavy blade. Since in a naval battle arose different situations, a massive boarding saber could not only howl with weapons, but also be used to cut through doors. In addition, the massive guard perfectly protected the owner's hand and could be used as brass knuckles.

A cutlass could even be blunt, a broad stroke combined with the weight and width of the blade would still inflict mortal wounds. Naturally, good swordsmen did not use cutlasses, since they were practically not suitable for fencing.

How is a saber different from a checker

In 1881, all the sabers that were in service with the Russian army were replaced by checkers. Since firearms made armor useless, there was no need for heavy saber blades, and with a light checker an unarmored warrior could be cut in half (which was done by some mountaineers). Sabers in the army remained only as an element of dress uniform.

One of the main differences between a checker and a saber is the complete absence of a guard on the checkers that protects the hand, since the sword was not fenced, but chopped. If two opponents met in battle, then there could not even be any talk of parrying blows with a checker. In battles, the Cossacks deviated and dodged enemy blows, choosing the moment to deliver a quick and clear chopping blow.

The saber (which translates as a long knife) came to the Cossacks from the highlanders, who masterfully owned them and managed to hack the Cossack with one blow while he pulled out a heavy saber.

Officer's parade saber

Officers' ceremonial sabers gained popularity after the First World War. Many ceremonial elements appeared in many countries, the officer's ceremonial saber belongs to them. Officer's ceremonial saber was very popular with the highest ranks of the Wehrmacht. AT Soviet army instead of a saber there was an officer's checker.

Since the officer's saber is an element of the ceremonial costume, it has a more decorative role. In terms of combat qualities, the parade saber is as effective as the blunt training saber. But great importance is attached to the external decoration of the handle and scabbard.

Thanks to military traditions, ceremonial sabers and checkers can be seen at military parades in many countries of the world.

World Saber Championship

For the first time, the World Championship (WCH) in saber (although it began to be called the world championship only since 1937) after it was held in 1921 in France. The World Saber Championship was declared a European tournament, as the participants were prize-winners from various European countries.

After 1937, when the World Saber Championship received official world status, it began to be held every year, with the exception of the year in which the Olympic Games fell.

Article author:

I am fond of martial arts with weapons, historical fencing. I write about weapons and military equipment because it is interesting and familiar to me. I often learn a lot of new things and want to share these facts with people who are not indifferent to military topics.

Ironically, the cavalry received the perfect weapon when it was no longer needed.

Alexander Grek

Checker - a weapon with a blade of slight curvature and a hilt with a simple guard or without it at all. A distinctive feature is a pendant for wearing in a Caucasian way, with the blade back

Figure 1. The more tangentially the impact occurs, the smaller the angle of the cross-section of the blade

Figure 2. On the Eastern saber (a), the center of gravity is behind the axis passing through the hilt. On European blades (b), the handle is bent towards the point, which is better for thrusting, but worsens the balance of the weapon.

In the St. Petersburg Military Historical artillery museum three samples from that experimental batch of Fedorov are stored. True, which of them was the very "number six", no one knows. The last checker on the right is a soldier's dragoon, an experimental sample of the 1900s.

As children, we all played cavalrymen, and you, probably, like me, were tormented by various questions. What is the difference between a saber and a sword? Why are they crooked, but swords and broadswords are straight? Why do some wear the blade up and others down? Why do some scabbards have metal tips at the bottom? Why do some checkers have a hilt, while others do not? How to cut? Well, the sacramental question - what checker is the best in the world? We tried to answer these children's questions in these materials, which turned out to be not at all childish.

Despite the fact that mankind has been hacking each other for centuries, there has been practically no serious research on how an ideal edged weapon should look, oddly enough, in the world. Most of the works on edged weapons were nothing more than historical reference books. This probably explains the fact that almost all museum samples of weapons with military point visions are rubbish. Perhaps with a single exception: the edged weapons of the East still remain best weapon rider. This paradox was first noticed by our compatriot and the great gunsmith of the last century, Vladimir Grigorievich Fedorov. And he answered most of the questions in his book "Cold Weapons", published in St. Petersburg in 1905 - just at the end of the era of this legendary type of weapon.

Less than a percent

In fact, the era of edged weapons ended much earlier - already in the Crimean War of 1853-1856, wounds with cold weapons accounted for only 1.5% -3% of the total. A little later, during the Russian-Turkish campaign, or rather, by 1877, when the battle of Plevna took place, this figure fell to 0.99%. And so it is all over the world, with the exception of the expeditionary colonial corps waging war on the native population: the loss of the British from edged weapons in India reached 20%, and in Egypt - up to 15%. Nevertheless, this percentage was not discounted, planning the rearmament of the cavalry by the beginning of the First World War.

Chop or stab

Here we come to the answer to one of the questions. The saber and saber are curved melee weapons designed primarily for cutting. The broadsword is a direct thrusting weapon. The question of what is more effective for the action of the cavalry - chopping or stabbing weapons - is one of the main ones that occupied military theorists in the 19th century.

Here are the main arguments of supporters of stabbing weapons - swords and broadswords. The impact energy is proportional to the mass and the square of the speed (mv2 / 2), so the rider just needs to point the tip at the enemy to inflict a terrible wound on him. At the same time, it is much more difficult to hit the enemy with a blow - delivered a little earlier or later, a chopping blow has neither the necessary accuracy nor strength. In addition, a blow requires two separate movements - a swing and a strike, and a thrust - one. When struck, the rider opens himself, and holding the broadsword for an injection, on the contrary, closes himself. The arguments, we note, are very convincing, therefore the European cavalry (especially heavy: cuirassiers and cavalry guards) was mainly armed with broadswords. They armed dragoons and other types of light cavalry, not to mention artillery servants. Since 1711, broadswords have completely replaced sabers in Russia. A special cult of stabbing blades existed in France, where they were used as a dueling weapon and every self-respecting person simply had to master the techniques of fencing with a sword. From there, fashion spread throughout Europe.

East is a delicate matter

There is only one discrepancy in these harmonious arguments - the cavalry of the East. Mongol-Tatar and Arab horsemen easily dealt with both light cavalry and heavily armored knights with their curved sabers. Moreover, captured Asian sabers were worth their weight in gold, and by no means for their appearance, but just for their fighting qualities. Not a single eastern warrior was seen with either a two-handed sword or a captured broadsword. “In the whole East, I don’t know a single people who would have anything like broadswords,” wrote General Mikhail Ivanovich Dragomirov, a well-known Russian military theorist of the 19th century, “where the enemy did not refuse the dump, but looked for it for use on horseback - chopping weapons were always preferred to stabbing ones. But the East is the birthplace of cavalry, and over the centuries, oriental sabers have become an ideal weapon, where every detail is thought out and tested in practice. Note that the Caucasian highlanders and Russian Cossacks, these born slashers, also always used chopping weapons. Why?

The first argument was the area of ​​​​damage - for a broadsword this is a line described by a point, for a saber it is a plane cut by a blade. The second argument is the advantage of the saber at a low speed of the rider, when the broadsword becomes practically useless, and the speed of the saber does not decrease much.

Curved sabers

Fedorov considered his main task not to explain why the East settled on a saber, but why it has such characteristics. And in the first place - why is it a curve? Here, elementary geometry is indispensable.

Blade manufacturers face a problem: the narrower the blade and the smaller the sharpening angle, the easier it penetrates the fabric; but too sharp blades are highly brittle, their blade is easily damaged when strong blow. However, Fedorov noticed that during impact, it is not so much the angle of sharpening of the real blade as the angle of the cross section that is important, and the less the blade falls at a right angle to the body, the smaller the “effective” angle of the cross section (Fig. 1).

From this it is clear that in order to deliver a more effective blow with a straight blade, it is necessary to strike at an angle. In order to inform the blade of such a trajectory, one should, lowering the hand, simultaneously pull it towards oneself - the so-called "pull" strike. The pull provides additional action of the blade - moving across the fabric, it sequentially cuts the fibers, like a saw or a kitchen knife, which further contributes to the penetration of the blade into the body. But for such an action, Fedorov notes, part of the force is spent, which is why the blows cannot be so effective. But the strongly curved Mameluke sabers, in which the blade slope reaches 45 °, are 3-5 times sharper than straight blades with a similar section when inflicting a wound. Along the way, they cut the fibers and inflict longer cut wounds.

Center of gravity

The next secret of Eastern blades is the location of the center of gravity behind the butt. To explain it, let's take a carpenter's ax as an example. If the ax is simply mounted on a round stick, it will be extremely inconvenient for them to work - the center of gravity will be in front of the axis passing through the handle. Therefore, the ax handles are made curved, bringing the center of gravity back (Fig. 3). The same with blades - if the center of gravity is behind the axis passing through the handle, the plane of the blade ideally coincides with the direction of impact (Fig. 2). The main drawback of European sabers is the forward-curved handle (this is supposedly more convenient for injections), which automatically excludes the possibility of proper cutting, writes Fedorov. Note that Caucasian and Cossack checkers have straight handles.

handles

Another drawback of European sabers is that their handles, as a rule, are covered with various grooves, and even wrapped with wire, again supposedly for the convenience of holding weapons. In good oriental blades, the opposite is true: their handles are absolutely smooth - made of horn, ivory, solid wood, often covered with suede for ease of holding. This is understandable - experienced fighters practiced with a saber for several hours a day, and ribbed handles would quickly cut their palms into blood. Fedorov again cites carpentry axes with their perfectly polished handles as an example.

wedge wedge

Another aspect that was completely neglected by European masters is the cross section of the blade. Most European designs it has the shape of a wedge, and in some cases a thickening was even made at the butt, as, for example, in Russian light cavalry sabers of the early 19th century. As a result, the further the blade penetrates the flesh, the stronger the resistance. In eastern blades, the largest thickening of the blade is located closer to the blade, and the entire part of the blade behind this thickening no longer encounters resistance (Fig. 4).

The valleys on the blade do not play the mythical role of blood flow, but increase resistance to bending and reduce the weight of the weapon. On eastern blades, all the corners of the valleys are rounded, and on European ones, both the valleys themselves and the butt have sharply defined corners, which, upon impact, somewhat delay the penetration of the blade into the body.

Lightweight arguments

Another stumbling block is the weight of the weapon. Traditionally in Europe, it was believed that the heavier the blade, the more effective it is in battle - just remember the legendary two-handed swords. Europeans disparagingly called eastern sabers lightweight. Nevertheless, even here the eastern gunsmiths turned out to be right - after all, the impact force, as we have already written, is proportional to the mass and the square of the speed. Therefore, it is much more effective to increase the speed of impact, which is higher for lighter eastern blades. In addition to increasing speed, lighter blades made it possible to perform such fencing tricks that combat units with heavy sabers could not even dream of. In particular, participants in the Russian-Caucasian wars noted that while the Russian rider was swinging a heavy saber, the Caucasian warrior managed to strike at the elbow area from below and then deliver a mortal blow to the disarmed enemy.

Center of gravity

Well, the last thing Fedorov pays attention to is the center of gravity. Obviously, he writes, that in order to increase the force of impact, that part of the blade, which is struck, must be heavier than all other parts of the saber, therefore, the center of gravity must be shifted as much as possible to the point. The part of the blade adjacent to the handle serves solely to transmit the force of impact - in the ax this role is played by the handle. Therefore, it is not necessary to make it the same width and thickness with the rest of the blade. Nevertheless, European blades are made almost the same width along the entire length, sometimes even expanding towards the hilt. Oriental curved sabers, on the contrary, widen towards the end, tapering towards the hilt. All this for one purpose - to give the working part of the blade maximum mass and lighten the rest.

By the way, for piercing weapons, the balance should be completely different: the closer the center of gravity to the hilt, the more effective the injection. A good example is French swords.

The center of gravity should not be confused with the center of impact, often indicated on Eastern blades by a special notch on the butt; in the Russian checker of the 1881 model, the valleys end in this place. When the direction of the blow passes through this point, the hand does not receive any shock.

Wanted the best

In 1881, under the leadership of Lieutenant General A.P. Gorlov, a weapons reform was carried out in order to establish a single model of edged weapons for all branches of the armed forces. The Caucasian blade was taken as a model for the blade, "which in the East, in Asia Minor, among the Caucasian peoples and our local Cossacks, is highly famous as a weapon that has extraordinary advantages when cutting." Cavalry, dragoon and infantry sabers, as well as cuirassier broadswords, were then replaced with single dragoon and Cossack sabers of the 1881 model. This was the first attempt to scientifically substantiate the choice of edged weapons. The problem with this checker was one - it was developed for two mutually exclusive purposes: for cutting and injections. Fedorov writes: “It must be admitted that our saber of the 1881 model both pricks and cuts badly.

Our checker cuts badly:

- due to slight curvature, in which all the advantages of curved sabers are lost;

- due to improper fit of the handle. To give the checker piercing properties, the middle line of the handle is directed to the point - for this, the handle had to be slightly bent in the direction from the butt to the blade. Which led to the loss of some good chopping properties of the weapon.

Our checker pricks unsatisfactorily:

- to give it chopping properties, it is made curved, which delays its penetration;

- due to significant weight and distance of the center of gravity from the hilt.

Small Dragoon Weapons

What should be the ideal checker? Professional grunts - Cossacks and mountaineers - have only one answer to this question: of course, the famous Caucasian "top". So in the 19th century Caucasian checkers were called because of the stigma with the image of a wolf that was often found on them. However, this weapon is ideal for dressage professionals and practicing with a saber with early childhood several hours a day. What the Cossacks and Highlanders did with their blades, it was impossible for a combat soldier to repeat. They needed a simple and reliable weapon, a kind of "Kalashnikov saber machine gun", with which soldiers could tolerably chop and stab. Fedorov divided this task into four subtasks: to choose the right curvature of the blade and the additive of the handle, to align the position of the center of gravity and the weight of the blade.

1. The curvature of our blade, wrote Fedorov, exactly repeats the curvature of the famous Caucasian tops - ideally suited for both cutting and stabbing. The verdict was this - leave the curvature unchanged.

2. General Gorlov, in order to provide the checker of the 1881 model with the best piercing properties, gave the handle a slope from the butt to the blade, directing middle line handles at the tip. It became inconvenient to operate such a weapon. But the drafts of the Caucasian Cossack troops of the 1904 model are deprived of such an inclination. It would be wise to abandon the tilt in all checkers.

3. In our checker, the center of gravity is 21 cm from the lower end of the bow, while in all samples of foreign edged weapons it is located at a distance of 9-13 cm from the hilt. If we take such blades in our hand and compare them with our saber, it will immediately become obvious how much more convenient it is to act first, how light and free they are in the hand. Gorlov took the location of the center of gravity the same as in the Caucasian tops, which increased the force of impact. But let's not forget, writes Fedorov, that it is easy for mountaineers to use such weapons, since they are accustomed to use them from childhood. For combatant dragoons with short service lives, this is unattainable. The conclusion is this: the center of gravity must be raised closer to the hilt. Moreover, with this arrangement, the slope of the handle is no longer so important.

4. The blade with the hilt of the Russian checker weighs 1.025 kg. Despite the fact that European examples have a similar weight, Fedorov argues that it should be recognized as significant "for our small dragoons." It is interesting that the saber originally designed by Gorlov had a much lower weight, however, during mass production at the Zlatoust Arms Plant, the weight increased by almost 400 g, since the plant could not cope with the set requirements for the quality of blades and scabbards. Therefore, it is necessary to return to the original weight characteristics.

Ideal checker Fedorov

Almost simultaneously with the publication in 1905 of the book "Cold Weapons" Fedorov wrote a report to the artillery committee - "On the change of checkers of the 1881 model." In it, he put forward specific proposals for its improvement.

On the basis of these proposals, several variants of experimental drafts were made with different positions of the center of gravity and a modified curvature of the handle. Soon, prototypes of these checkers were transferred for testing to military units, in particular, to the Officer Cavalry School.

Knowing nothing about Fedorov's theoretical considerations, the cavalrymen had to choose the best sample by practical testing on a vine and stuffed animals of its cutting and piercing qualities.

Blades with a modified center of gravity were introduced (20 cm, 17 cm and 15 cm instead of the existing 21.5 cm). At the same time, the blades were lightened by 200 g and shortened from 86 cm to 81 cm. Some of the blades were made with standard handles, and some with a corrected slope.

All cavalrymen unanimously approved sample number 6, with a center of gravity of 15 cm from the hilt and a modified handle. According to this model, 250 blades were made, they armed the squadron of the Officer Cavalry School and the squadron of the 17th Nezhinsky Regiment. “In view of the declaration of world war, the designated units set out on a campaign with these weapons. The tests were not completed, ”Fyodorov wrote later.

When preparing the article, photographs from the book by A.N. Kulinsky "Russian edged weapons", provided by the publishing house "Atlant".