Differences between cutlasses and sabers?

[David Conwill]

When is the last time a U.S. Navy ship actually had to repel boarders, anyway?

-Dave

 

[Pompidou]

I am only passing a long a little story someone told me I think in the 1970's.
I haven't researched it.
The "I heard: phrase means I am not sure it is the 100% absolute truth. Could be rumor, myth or total BS.

However, fight some guy in a narrow hallway with a straight razor would be a pretty harrowing tale!

In the age of piracy at least, crewmen would fight with just about anything they could get their hands on, from wooden poles to hooks and other sailing tools. It wouldn't surprise me if these improvised weapons included straight razors.

 

[John in Covina]

Just read something about how in WWI the Gov't started issuing DE safety razors and the conversion was complete by the end of the war. Just wondering if they had issued straight razors what happened to the surplus ones, might have freed them up for use as a weapon.

 

[Shangas]

From what I recall...DE razors were issued to the ARMY. Not the navy. Or maybe my research just didn't cover that. But I do seem to remember on a shaving forum that a member showed up asking for information about an heirloom. It was a straight-razor he'd inherited from over a hundred years ago that was apparently "standard issue" to the US. Army during the late 19th century. I'd gladly show you the post, if I could find it, but it's lost somewhere in the ocean of the Straight Razor Place.

So having surplus straight-razors that might be used as close-quarters weapons may not be so far-fetched after all...

EDIT:

Searched and couldn't find that posting. But I did turn up this eBay listing:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...ain_0&rt=nc&si=beBbjzoML4aVQkJLgUxTGza1jLM%3D

EDIT:

Found the posting on Badger & Blade:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=175139

 

[DeaconKC]

Just as an aside on close quarters fighting, the Teller Drill is a training exercise used today to train police officers how dangerous edged weapons are. The attacker starts at seven yards away with a knife in his hand and charges the officer. Fewer than ten percent of officers can draw and fire a handgun before the attacker reaches them. So a straight razor would have been a very legitimate weapon at the ranges we are discussing here.

 

[John in Covina]

Just as an aside on close quarters fighting, the Teller Drill is a training exercise used today to train police officers how dangerous edged weapons are. The attacker starts at seven yards away with a knife in his hand and charges the officer. Fewer than ten percent of officers can draw and fire a handgun before the attacker reaches them. So a straight razor would have been a very legitimate weapon at the ranges we are discussing here.

As an aside to your aside, I have seen a version of the knife thrower versus the quick draw handgun demonstrated at the Soldier of Fortune convention years ago. Similar to the Magnificent 7 / James Coburn scene the first one not man on man. As I recall the thrower won all except one were he started to slip while demonstrating some throws where he started with his back to the target.

 

[Bootsie]

Naphtali In short a sabre is a curved cavalry sword for light and heavy
cavalry. On the other hand a cutlass is a Naval weapon with a shorter blade
and often an enclosed protective cover for the hand of the user.
Victorian British models often had their hilts tarred to protect from salt water rust,
with the grips being chequered leather

 

[JPH]

When is the last time a U.S. Navy ship actually had to repel boarders, anyway?

-Dave

I think there was an incident or two in the Persian Gulf when US Warships had to fire upon small Zodiac type rafts that were intent on doing damage to the ships as in the bombing attack on the USS Cole.

Obversely, I believe that the last time the order "boarding party, away" was given in wartime against an enemy vessel was during WWII when the U-505 was successfully captured.

Joseph

 

[Guttersnipe]

The distinction between saber and cutlass has been well covered, however, I'd like to add an amendment. The term "saber" is moniker usually applied to the edged weapon of solider who "MOS" was to fight no horseback but doesn't, per se, have anything specifically to do with said weapon's characteristics or way in which it's intended to be used.

Curved blades are intended for slashing blows whereas straight-bladed weapons are intended for thrusting attacks. However, some edged weapons are intended for both (cutlasses are one of these hybrid weapons). Cutlasses are also much more intuitively easy to wield and thus were commonly issued to combatants often had minimal training in their use (e.g. in the age of sail sailors main training was in nautical areas and artillery drill).

Pattern 1860 US Army Cavalry Saber (for enlisted men & NCOs). The official "saber exercise" taught to troopers armed with these emphasized slashing attacks:

Pattern 1850 US Army staff & field officer's sword:

Pattern 1850 US Army infantry officer's sword:

It's interesting to note that, while the duties of Staff & Field officers almost always required them to be mounted in action the sword intended for them was several inches shorter than the infantry officer's sword, which was explicitly intended for company level officers (who, in fact, were explicitly forbidden from being mounted while under arms).

While not called one, the Sabre briquet de l'AN XI issued to NCO's in Napoleon's army was most definitely a cutlass:

The pattern 1803 "officers sword" (clearly a blade, like most sabers, only intended for slashing attacks) was popular with light infantry officers in Wellington's army:

Whereas Wellington's line infantry officers favored the older 1796 pattern:

 

[Treetopflyer]

They’re baaack

The U.S. Navy has just re-authorized Chief Petty Officers to wear the cutlass for ceremonies. The USN designed cutlass comes from the Barbary pirate wars. They “adopted” the cutlass that the pirates were using. All of you are correct in that they were designed for ship board hand to hand fighting. Officers have swords, which have longer and a straight blade. I guess they were not expected to fight below decks.[huh]

In the Steve McQueen Movie “The Sand Pebbles”, there is a battle seen at the end, where the Chief Boatswains Mate is fighting with his cutlass. Very cool indeed.