- published: 19 Feb 2016
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The sabre or saber (see spelling differences) is a kind of backsword that usually has a curved, single-edged blade and a rather large hand guard, covering the knuckles of the hand as well as the thumb and forefinger. Although sabres are typically thought of as curved-bladed slashing weapons, those used by the world's heavy cavalry often had straight and even double-edged blades more suitable for thrusting. The length of sabres varied, and most were carried in a scabbard hanging from a shoulder belt known as a baldric or from a waist-mounted sword belt. Exceptions not intended for personal carry include the Patton saber adopted by the United States Army in 1913 and always mounted to the cavalryman's saddle.
The English word sabre derives from the French sabre which is akin to the Hungarian szablya, Polish szabla, and Russian сабля (sablya). Owing to contamination with Hungarian verb szab, which means "to cut", the term is believed to originate from the Kipchak Turkic selebe.
Sabre-like curved backswords have been in use in Europe since the medieval period (falchion), or indeed since antiquity (makhaira), but the introduction of the sabre proper in Western Europe, along with the term sabre itself, dates to the 17th century, via influence of the Eastern European szabla type. The weapon gains widespread use in the early 19th century, inspired by the Mameluke sword, a type of Middle Eastern scimitar.