What is the difference between a checker and a saber? Saber: history of appearance and diversity of species. Russian saber from the times of Kievan Rus

Looking through the well-illustrated book “Treasures of the Tula Weapon Museum,” compiled by G. Chudnov and O. Savenko in the section “Reliable blade, without defect,” I read: “The eastern saber was more promising than the sword, because it often surpassed the latter in the quality of the material, and this ", in turn, made it possible to make it lighter and more maneuverable in battle. The curved shape of the saber gave a larger area of ​​destruction compared to the sword." According to this passage, it turns out that the warriors of Western Europe were so stupid that, despite repeated skirmishes with the Turks, Arabs, Eastern Europeans, for the most part armed with sabers, could not appreciate the advantage of this weapon and were in no hurry to arm themselves with it. The quality of the material is debatable. Good swords from the cities of Toledo, Solingen and Milan crammed the best damask blades from Damascus, India and Turkey, although they did not have their sharpness. Let's talk about tactical properties in more detail. Saber (Hungarian Szblya, from szabni - to cut) is an offensive, cutting-cutting or cutting-cutting-piercing melee weapon, consists of a curved blade with a blade on the curved side, a tip at the end and a hilt. With equal blade cross-section and sharpening angle straight sword and the latter gives the saber greater power of penetration of a chopping blow. This is explained as follows: the smaller the base in relation to the height of the formed section of the triangle blade, the natural and more significant is the force of its penetration. This can be clearly seen in Scheme 1.

That is, when the blade falls perpendicularly onto the body, it acts like a triangular wedge. The greater the bend of the blade, the sharper the triangle becomes. The base (butt) remains unchanged, but the side walls increase. This means that the greater the curvature, the deeper the wound with the same impact force. That is why the highly curved Mameluke sabers, when inflicting a wound, are 3-5 times sharper than straight blades with the same cross-section.

In addition, the sword delivers a chopping blow, and the saber delivers a sliding chopping-cutting-secting blow, that is, covering a large area and making the angle of the cut sharper. A strong cutting blow with a sword is created due to the weight of the weapon, and with a saber - due to speed, the blow of which is usually circular in nature, and the force increases with increasing length of the draw.

The improvement of the saber followed the path of reducing the effort to inflict a wound and reducing the weight of the weapon. Sword - along the way to make fencing easier. For this reason, the center of gravity was brought closer to the hilt, which was achieved by thinning the tip and the last third of the blade, as well as increasing the pommel and making the guard more complex, and therefore heavier. The heavy hilt during the lunge promotes depth of penetration. The sword eventually degenerated into the sword, rapier and broadsword. Sabers usually had a simpler and lighter hilt, and the blade was made in such a way that the center of gravity, and therefore the center of impact, was located closer to the tip than that of the sword. Therefore, it is more convenient to fencing and stabbing with a weapon with a straight blade, and to chop with a saber.

In a fight with a lightly armed enemy, the saber is superior to the sword. Armor was common in Western Europe; from the 15th century, solid armor was often used, completely covering both the warrior and his horse, against which the saber was almost useless. After all, metal armor cannot be cut, but piercing it through the joints is quite possible. It is difficult to do this with a saber, because the curved blade interferes with the accuracy of the hit, which is necessary in a battle with knights and other men-at-arms. In addition, the center of gravity of many sabers does not lie on the line of the handle - the tip, but is moved forward. As a result, the force transfer during the injection is incorrect, it penetrates at an angle and creates a wider and less deep wound.

The saber has a flattened tip, which is good for cutting blows, but difficult to penetrate through armor joints. Sometimes there were sabers, for example in Circassia and Persia in the 15th-17th centuries, which, like swords, had faceted bayonet-shaped points. Such saber points were intended for piercing chain mail, often used by eastern warriors, and not knightly solid armor, where you need to be a virtuoso of the thrust.

This is why boys in noble families in Western Europe were forced to work the following exercises. The servant, standing against the wall, let go leather glove, and the boy, at the moment the glove fell, had to pin it to the wall with his sword. Over time, the exercise became more difficult. The distance increased, so that it was only possible to pin the glove with a deep lunge, and the student was placed in an awkward position. These actions developed the speed and accuracy necessary for sword fighting. For a saber slashing-cutting blow, accuracy is not necessary. A wide wound will cause the opponent to bleed wherever it is inflicted. But saber strikes are not effective against a heavily armed warrior.

In Western Europe, men-at-arms did not use sabers also because a cutting blow required greater freedom of the body and hand.

In Poland, the hussars of the second half of the 17th century - early XVIII centuries, who wore dolman and mentik instead of embroidered cords metal armor, nevertheless, the saber was considered the main weapon, since they fought with an unarmored enemy much more often. When meeting with men-at-arms, they used a konchar - a heavy, narrow piercing sword, which was usually suspended from the hussar's saddle. The saber, as a more often used weapon, was located on the belt.

The advantage of armor is, of course, enormous. In the 13th century, Batu, having quickly captured Rus', was unable to cope with the Western European knights. And in the 17th century, the French traveler Boplan noted that twenty Polish hussars, clad in armor, could easily disperse two hundred Ukrainian Cossacks (Cossacks).

A regiment of heavy cavalry will defeat a regiment of unarmed horsemen. Cuirassiers, clad in armor and armed with broadswords, were intended for a powerful frontal attack, like modern tanks.

They were supported by medium cavalry - dragoons, lined up in the second rank, who often dismounted and opened fire on the enemy with carbines.

Light cavalry - hussars, protected instead of armor by cloth dalamans and mentiaks and armed with sabers, on their fast horses overtook dragoons and cuirassiers and attacked the enemy from the rear and flanks.

Of course, there were masters who defeated any opponent. For example, here is a story from Napoleonic wars.

“The German hussar and the French cuirassier, emerging from the crowd after the fight, met on the battlefield in sight of our lines. The hussar lost his shako, and blood streamed from his head wound. However, this did not stop him from rushing at his enemy, clad in iron, and he soon proved that skill in horsemanship and the ability to wield a saber were more important than safety weapons. The superiority of the hussar could be noticed as soon as he crossed his arms. After several attacks, a strong blow made the Frenchman sway in the saddle, and all his efforts to resist the rapid "The enemy's attacks remained in vain. Finally, a second blow knocked him to the ground. The Third Hussars, who eagerly followed this desperate duel, noisily applauded the winner, who belonged to this regiment."

Of course, such a result was possible only with the clear superiority of the hussar. If the opponents had equal skill, the cuirassier would win. Firstly, as a rule, taller and stronger people were taken into cuirassiers. Secondly, the cuirassiers had to think less about defense and devote more energy to attacks, because the chest and back were covered with metal. Thirdly, the broadsword was longer and heavier than the saber, that is, it was more difficult to parry and it was easier for them to reach the enemy. Fourthly, the cavalry of the heavy cavalry was higher in mobility and more powerful than the horses of the light cavalry.

The main melee weapon of the light cavalry was the saber. During the era of the Napoleonic Wars, Europeans spoiled sabers by making the hilt heavier, like broadswords. These arches, with their weight, move the center of gravity closer to the hilt, which is undesirable for a saber. In addition, when chopping, when a quick blow is delivered with a relaxed hand, these arms tilt the weapon somewhat to the right, which reduces the depth of penetration into the body. For predominantly piercing weapon this does not play a significant role. Often, European sabers, unlike eastern ones, had a thickened butt and pronounced fullers (sometimes incorrectly called blood flows), which with their protrusions inhibit the penetration of the blade when cutting. On the contrary, during an injection, these protrusions contribute to the separation of tissues. That is, they play positive role for predominantly piercing weapons.

The main melee weapon of the heavy cavalry - the cuirassier - was the broadsword. In the Military Encyclopedic Dictionary, the broadsword is named slashing weapon, that is, mainly chopping. Many reference books repeat this definition.

Indeed, the broadsword of the 16th-17th centuries had a wide blade, practically not tapering towards the tip, and a light saber hilt, that is, it was primarily a chopping weapon. But by the era of the Napoleonic wars, the broadsword acquired a narrow blade, gradually tapering even more towards the tip, with deep valleys and a stiffening rib between them, as well as a heavy hilt with one central bow and two or three side ones. As Captain V. Fedorov, a well-known expert on the “white” (cold) weapons of Tsarist Russia, wrote to the Guard in 1905, “the broadsword, although it has some qualities for chopping, has more pronounced piercing properties.” By the second half of the 19th century, firearms with a rifled barrel completely destroyed armor, and with it weapons with straight blades. Cuirassiers as a branch of the military in Russia were abolished in 1860. Around these years, in other countries, cuirassiers and broadswords remained only in the Guards cuirassier regiments as accessories to the ceremonial (not combat) uniform. For close combat in battles, the saber, or its version - the saber, began to be used.

In Japan, the most effective weapons for unarmored or lightly protected warriors were used - katanas and tachi. According to tradition, they are called swords, but curved blades, light handles, small tsuba guards and a predominantly chopping function allow these weapons to be classified as sabers. The handles are designed so that Japanese sabers can be wielded with one or two hands.

Modern types of weapons have also abolished sabers.
A tragicomic incident at the beginning of World War II clearly confirmed this, when Polish lancers and hussars galloped into a saber attack on German tanks.

The saber and its combat characteristics compared to other types of similar weapons

The Cossack saber and the Japanese katana sword, these two blades have much in common in the strategy and tactics of their use. But which one is better, faster and more dangerous in real combat?

Two legendary blade in the history of war: checker and Japanese katana sword. Almost everyone modern man at least once in my life I saw this weapon, if not in real life, like in the movies or on TV. And although two types of this are long- bladed weapons have some similarities, they have different creation histories, which influenced their fighting qualities.

The Japanese katana, thanks to the spread of martial arts and cinema, has become very popular and almost everything is known about it. But the secrets of owning a saber and the history of the creation of this weapon largely remain a mystery.

Look, here's a saber - a unique blade that continued to be used in combat, even when firearms replaced sabers and swords from the army.

Externally, the checker looks like a saber. However, did you know that the closest relative of the checker is the machete knife. While the saber, which in the process of evolution has lost one of cutting edges and received a bent blade.

It is curious that a strike with a saber is several times more effective and faster than an attack with a saber. The reason for this is that the saber is positioned in the scabbard like this.

In order to attack with this weapon you need to swing it and hit it. With a checker it's the other way around. The checker is placed in the sheath like this.

And therefore, a saber strike can be used without a preliminary swing, that is, several times faster. Experts believe that this is what allowed the saber to remain in service in the army longer than other types of bladed weapons.

Shashka is translated from the Adyghe or Circassian language as big or. As a type of combat long-bladed chopping and piercing edged weapon, the saber was in service with the Russian and then the Red Army until the mid-twentieth century, becoming the last edged weapon in history to have widespread combat use. The saber was borrowed by the Cossacks from the highlanders during the Russian-Caucasian wars and almost immediately replaced the saber as the most advanced weapon for a sudden powerful blow, which immediately decided the outcome of the fight.

The effectiveness of a saber strike is checked or, as they say, placed on a vine or on twigs. And one more important detail, effective application checkers could be taught to soldiers for a very a short time. It was enough just , and the warrior could get into formation. We studied the left overhand and overhand right. A horizontal backhand strike and several thrusts. That's it, the soldier was a combat unit. Lately you can often see how a saber is performed rotational movements. Of course, they were not used in battle. Such movements serve to improve coordination in the use of these weapons. The saber is a first strike weapon. Checkers combat is fleeting. And the most interesting thing is that in military history there is another type of bladed weapon that is used in the same tactics.

Samurai sword katana

Japanese samurai placed particular importance on the speed of wielding a sword. In the art of wielding a katana, there was even a separate discipline that was aimed at developing the skills of delivering the first strike. And despite the fact that Japanese technology striking with a sword is quite varied, some attacks with a saber can compete with the art of wielding a samurai sword in speed and combat effectiveness.

If you conduct an experiment and find out which of the blows is more likely to reach the target: an attack with a saber or a traditional blow samurai sword, then it is clear that the checker is several seconds ahead of the katana sword. Because, just like striking with a saber, a swing is required. We can only be proud that the saber still remains, albeit a ceremonial one, a weapon Russian army.

Saber, saber, differences and advantages Currently, there are many myths about Cossack weapons, especially regarding the saber and saber. Historically, it turned out that the Cossacks were forced to adopt the saber, but in the 20th century it was allowed to go into service with the “grandfather’s” weapon, with sabers, which began to be called “fangs”. An authoritative specialist, Felix Ruslanovich Nakov, claims that the checker is more perfect than the saber and is fundamentally different from it. Some modern Cossacks, including Pavel Polyakov, claim that the so-called. The “Cossack” saber has incomparably better fighting qualities than the saber. And here once again we have to decide on terms and classification. Sometimes a checker is called a saber, and vice versa happens. So, what is a saber and what is a checker. A saber is a long-bladed, usually cavalry weapon with a single-edge or one-and-a-half sharpening and a curved blade. As a rule, it has hand protection from a simple roof to a developed cup. Suspended from the belt with both the blade down and up. The length of the blade is from 50-60 cm (exotic type of West African or some European samples) to 1 meter, sometimes more (Circassian saber of the 18th century). A checker is a long-bladed weapon with a single-edge (rarely one-and-a-half) sharpening, without a guard or even a simple guard. Suspended from the belt with the blade facing up. The length of the blade is from 65 to 85 cm, it could be longer (more on this below). The blade can be curved, slightly curved, or straight. Historically, a saber was indeed at first a knife, according to Panchenko - a podsaadash, “knifed” knife. Such a knife was common among Russians in the 16th century, and it had a number of features that made it similar to a saber. But in the 18th-21st centuries. the saber is the “main belt” bladed weapon, and this puts forward different requirements for it than for a knife. In the 18th-20th centuries. the checker performed the same functions as the saber, which required a change in the technique of possession. A longer blade, even without hand protection, suggests the possibility of using a number of saber protections. A saber, as follows from its definition, is a very diverse weapon. Checkers are more similar to each other. The main thing is that the saber is ALWAYS without a guard, never (or almost never) has an elmani feather on the blade and is ALWAYS suspended vertically, with the blade up. It seems that for the convenience of keeping records in the Russian Imperial Army, checkers were called so-called. “dragoon saber” (the essence of a saber, although the top is suspended by the blade), as well as the Asian saber of Turkmen horsemen. Similarly, the Poles, namely Zablodsky, classify the saber as a type of saber. Who is right? To answer this and a number of other questions, you need to carefully consider the structure of the checker and saber and their use. Both the checker and the saber have similar, and often identical, blades. Many checkers were made directly on imported European saber blades; sometimes the old handle and guard were removed from an old saber and a Caucasian checker blade was installed. Sometimes they made their own blades. Thus, the chopping properties of a checker and a saber are similar. Felix Nakov draws attention to the shape and design of the checker handle, which fits very well in the hand. Indeed, the hilt, made in Caucasian traditions, is very comfortable, but I personally did not compare it with real Polish, Turkish, Asian or French sabers. The length and weight of one-handed bladed weapons are limited to approximately one and a half kilograms, and the saber is, as a rule, noticeably lighter than most sabers. But weight and balance, although they are of great importance, are not the defining characteristics in the school of fencing with a particular weapon. In addition, there are a number of mutually exclusive factors. If the design of the checker is more uniform, then the Polish saber, for example, could have a different guard and blade with or without a yelman. Accordingly, the weight and balance of different sabers varied markedly and could be approximately similar to the checkers parameters, or they could differ. Due to the guard, the balance moved closer to the handle, due to the elmani - vice versa. Moreover, the guard could be quite heavy, or it could have almost no effect on the weight distribution. But the protective properties were of great importance, determining fencing techniques. Let's return to the difference between a checker and a saber; we need to clarify the situation with the so-called. "Cossack" saber. And here there is so much myth-making that a situation similar to the famous stables is created. Consider the “flanking” schools, the essence of dances with weapons, taken from the arsenal not of the Cossack troops, but of the Kuban “Cossack” Choir. In addition, there are also stunt techniques that are not applicable in a fight. Many clever people have gone further: not only do they make checkers with handles that never existed for their ostentatious “performances,” but they also pass off these crafts as real, genuine ones. Although they were clearly copied from the elven swords from the film “The Lord of the Rings”. More moderate ones speaking about the “Cossack” saber mean the “steppe” saber of the 1881 model. This saber really differs from the traditional Caucasian saber in the design of the handle and the sharpening of the blade. They tried to make the sword more convenient for injections and equally suitable for chopping. But the main thing is that the design of the handle has been deteriorated, which has become both less durable and less repairable. Felix Nakov rightly compares a saber to a large knife when he talks about sharpening and handle. The handle of the Caucasian saber is made by placing cheeks made of wood or horn on the shank of the blade. The “step” handle is a composite handle, consisting of three parts, mounted on a shank and fastened with a nut. The “step” handle quickly becomes loose, and while the cheek of the Caucasian handle can be made from almost any wood by planing with a knife and making holes for the rivets, then this will not work for the “step” handle. In addition, experiments were carried out with the handle of the step block; it was placed at an angle to the blade for ease of injection. Those. its design was never brought to fruition, and most importantly, it was not necessary, because The Caucasian saber is quite good. It is quite suitable for slashing and even stabbing. However, to say that a checker is “better” than a saber is completely wrong. The checker, as Nakov rightly says, is quickly removed from the sheath, moreover, directly from the sheath you can deliver a full-fledged blow that disintegrates the enemy. But for war, such a property is not mandatory and main. For war and most battles, the damaging properties and protection of the hand holding the weapon are important, at least from accidental and aimless blows to the hand, which is protected at best by a glove. And here we need to go to physical fundamentals fencing and chopping. Felix Nakov, as well as many apologists for checkers, believe that “they cut with a checker, but did not fence.” In fact, any fight with a long-bladed weapon can be considered a fencing match. And even fighting with carbines with a bayonet or pikes. Another thing is that the European school (more precisely, schools, for there are many of them) built on constant contact with enemy weapons is very limited in its applicability in checkers fencing. In order to understand this, you need to understand what fencing is and what it consists of. So, checker and saber. If you compare a checker and a saber with the same blades about 80-85 cm long, then you should analyze the individual properties and characteristics. These will be cutting properties, speed of the first strike, applicability in a fight in which there is no opportunity to retreat, and both opponents were unable to achieve serious results with their first attacks (i.e., a relatively long battle). Cutting properties. With identical blades - equal. First hit. The clear advantage of checkers. And this is quite important if the cavalry was, for example, skirmishing, and then the need for cutting urgently arose (an unexpected attack by the enemy; or they themselves went on the attack, shooting from rifles or machine guns (this happened during the Second World War), or even from grenade launchers, and after approaching there is no time to change an empty magazine). Actually, it seems that the auxiliary knife was also used by horse archers. And here the checker, which does not have a cross, is removed quickly, reliably, and even allows you to strike directly from the sheath. It is also convenient for self-defense (the classic case with Pachabgozhev). However, a correctly hung saber and well-fitted equipment can reduce the advantage of a checker in this matter to a minimum. A long fight, or before the fight the opponents had time to prepare. It depends on the fighter, but the saber allows you to use a richer arsenal of techniques. Those. all other things being equal, here the saber already has an advantage, although a fighter with a saber can compensate for this with active movements and deceptive techniques. But here the relevance of the fencing school plays a huge role. For the saber, it seems that the Polish crusade school should be recognized as the best. It was also used by the Zaporozhye Cossacks, possibly the Don people, as well as Russian nobles (who had the opportunity and desire to learn, because some emphasized the ability to shoot, and some - on the use of pole arms, or even sword). Many of its aspects are also applicable to checkers, especially since the demonstrated I. Sinyavsky’s technique of performing strikes is also relevant for chopping targets (Sinyavsky, when striking with a saber or finger, also makes a turn with the body and pelvis). At the same time, a fighter with a saber requires greater mobility than a saber fencer, who can afford to “knock” with the enemy without risking being left without fingers. Well, the question is why the Black Sea Cossacks abandoned the saber and switched to the saber. The reasons for this were social; there was the loss of independence by Poland and the liquidation of the Zaporozhye army - public education, which also supported a certain system of military training, which included the art of wielding long-bladed weapons (saber). This does not mean that the Cossacks had their OWN school, but there was a certain synthesis from Polish and other traditions. But first, the defeat of the Sich, and then the resettlement to Kuban, firstly, destroyed this tradition, and secondly, they made shooting from a gun, wielding a pike and a dagger more relevant, and the saber, so convenient for horse fights, lost its relevance for some time , there was no enemy. In the 1820s, when the Black Sea people began to engage in mounted battles with the highlanders, it turned out that European-style light cavalry sabers did not perform well against lightly armed non-combatant cavalry, and besides, the Cossacks themselves did not fight in formation. It was necessary to find a countermeasure, and since... The highlanders mastered the sword masterfully, while the Cossacks adopted the weapon and, in part, the technique of using it from the enemy - it’s easier. The material was sent by a Cossack of the Volga Military Cossack society, there is no link to the source; if you have any questions from the copyright holder, please contact the site administration. Photo, from the archives of the Moscow Cossacks website

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

A checker is 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 the Caucasian style, with the blade facing backwards
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 checker? Why are they crooked, but swords and broadswords are straight? Why do some carry the blade up and others carry it down? Why do some sheaths have metal tips at the bottom? Why do some checkers have a hilt and others do not? How to chop correctly? Well, the sacramental question - which checker is the best in the world? We tried to answer these children's questions in these materials, which turned out to be not children's questions at all.

Despite the fact that humanity has been hacking at each other for centuries, there has, oddly enough, been virtually no serious research into what an ideal edged weapon should look like. Most works on bladed weapons were nothing more than historical reference books. This probably explains the fact that almost all museum weapons are trash from a military point of view. Perhaps with one exception: the edged weapons of the East still remain best weapon rider This paradox was first noticed by our compatriot and great gunsmith 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.

The more tangential the blow is, the smaller the cross-sectional angle of the blade
Less than a percent

In fact, the era of edged weapons ended much earlier - already in Crimean War 1853-1856, wounds with edged weapons accounted for only 1.5% -3% of the total. A little later, during the Russian-Turkish campaign, or more precisely, by 1877, when the battle of Plevna took place, this figure had already dropped to 0.99%. And so all over the world, with the exception of expeditionary colonial corps waging war on the native population: British losses from edged weapons in India reached 20%, and in Egypt - up to 15%. Nevertheless, this percentage was not discounted when 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. Saber and saber are curved edged weapons designed primarily for cutting. The broadsword is a straight thrusting weapon. The question of what is more effective for cavalry action - chopping or piercing weapons - is one of the main ones that occupied military theorists in the 19th century.

Let us present the main arguments of supporters of piercing weapons - swords and broadswords. The impact energy is proportional to the mass and the square of the speed (mv 2 /2), so the rider simply 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 an enemy with a blow - a slashing blow delivered a little earlier or later has neither the required accuracy nor strength. In addition, a strike requires two separate movements - a swing and a strike, and a thrust - one. When struck, the rider opens himself, and holding the broadsword for the injection, on the contrary, closes it. The arguments, we note, are very convincing, which is why the European cavalry (especially the heavy ones: cuirassiers and cavalry guards) was mainly armed with broadswords. Dragoons and others were armed with them types of lung cavalry, not to mention artillery servants. Since 1711, broadswords have completely replaced sabers in Russia. A special cult of piercing blades existed in France, where they were used as dueling weapons and every self-respecting person was simply obliged 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 crooked sabers. Moreover, captured Asian sabers were worth their weight in gold, and not at all for their appearance, but precisely for their fighting qualities. Not a single eastern warrior was seen with either a two-handed sword or a captured broadsword. “In the entire East, I don’t know a single people who would have anything similar to broadswords,” wrote the famous Russian military theorist of the 19th century, General Mikhail Ivanovich Dragomirov, “where the enemy did not refuse a dump, but looked for it for use on horseback - chopping weapons have always been preferred to piercing ones.” But the East is the birthplace of cavalry, and over the centuries, eastern sabers have turned into an ideal weapon, where every detail is thought out and tested in practice. Note that the Caucasian highlanders and Russian Cossacks, these born grunts, also always used chopping weapons. Why?

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

Crooked sabers

Fedorov considered his main task not to explain why the East chose the saber, but why it had such characteristics. And first of all, why is it crooked? You can't do without elementary geometry here.

Blade manufacturers are faced with a problem: the narrower the blade and the smaller the sharpening angle, the easier it penetrates the fabric; but blades that are too sharp have high fragility; their blade is easily damaged by a strong blow. However, Fedorov noticed that when striking, it is not so much the sharpening angle of the real blade that is important, but the cross-sectional angle, and the less right angle the blade falls to the body, the smaller the “effective” cross-sectional angle (Fig. 1).

From this it is clear that in order to strike more effectively with a straight blade, it is necessary to strike at an angle. In order to impart such a trajectory to the blade, you should, while lowering your hand, simultaneously pull it towards you - the so-called “pull” blow. The pull provides additional action to the blade - moving across the fabric, it consistently cuts the fibers, like a saw or kitchen knife, which further facilitates the penetration of the blade into the body. But such an action, Fedorov notes, wastes part of the force, which is why the blows cannot be so effective. But the highly curved Mameluke sabers, in which the blade angle reaches 45°, when inflicting a wound are 3-5 times sharper than straight blades with a similar cross-section. Along the way, they cut the fibers and cause longer incised 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 use a carpenter's ax as an example. If the ax is simply mounted on a round stick, it will be extremely inconvenient to work with it - the center of gravity will be in front of the axis passing through the handle. Therefore, the axes are made curved, moving 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 the blow (Fig. 2). The main disadvantage of European sabers is the forward curved handle (this is supposedly more convenient for thrusts), which automatically excludes the possibility of correct 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 in wire, again supposedly for ease of holding the weapon. In good oriental blades, the opposite is true: their handles are absolutely smooth - made of horn, ivory, solid wood, often covered with suede for easy grip. This is understandable - experienced fighters practiced with a saber for several hours a day, and the handles with scars would quickly cut the palm into blood. Fedorov again gives the example carpenter's axes with their perfectly polished handles.

Wedge with wedge

Another aspect that was completely neglected by European masters is cross section blade. In most European samples it has the shape of a wedge, and in some the butt was even thickened, as, for example, in Russian light cavalry sabers of the early 19th century. As a result, the further the blade penetrates into the flesh, the greater the resistance. In eastern blades, the greatest 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 corners of the fullers are rounded, but on European ones, both the fullers 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 force of the blow, 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 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 the elbow area from below and then deliver a fatal blow to the disarmed enemy.

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

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 the blow, the part of the blade with which the blow is struck must be heavier than all other parts of the saber, therefore, the center of gravity must be shifted as much as possible towards the tip. The part of the blade adjacent to the handle serves solely to transmit the force of the blow - in an ax this role is played by the ax handle. Therefore, it is not at all necessary to make it the same width and thickness as the rest of the blade. Nevertheless, European blades are made almost the same width along the entire length, sometimes even widening towards the hilt. Eastern 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 weight and lighten the rest.

By the way, with a piercing weapon the balance should be completely different: the closer the center of gravity is to the hilt, the more effective the thrust. Good example- 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 saber of the 1881 model, the fullers end in this place. When the direction of impact passes through this point, the hand does not receive any shock.

We wanted the best

In 1881, under the leadership of Lieutenant General A.P. Gorlov, a weapons reform was carried out with the aim of establishing a uniform model of edged weapons for all branches of the military. A Caucasian blade was taken as a model for the blade, “which in the East, in Asia Minor, between the Caucasian peoples and our local Cossacks there 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 by uniform dragoon and Cossack sabers of the 1881 model. This was the first attempt to scientifically substantiate the choice of edged weapons. This checker had one problem - it was developed for two mutually exclusive purposes: for chopping and thrusting. Fedorov writes: “It must be admitted that our saber of the 1881 model both thrusts and cuts poorly.
Our checker cuts poorly:
- due to slight curvature, in which all the advantages of curved sabers are lost;
- due to improper fit of the handle. To give the saber piercing properties, the middle line of the handle is directed towards the tip - to do 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 cutting properties of the weapon.
Our checker pierces unsatisfactorily:
- to give it chopping 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.”

Weapons of the undersized dragoons

What should it be? perfect checker? Professional grunts - Cossacks and highlanders - have one answer to this question: of course, the famous Caucasian “top”. This is what Caucasian checkers were called in the 19th century because of the often found mark on them with the image of a wolf. However, this weapon is ideal specifically for professionals involved in dressage and practicing with a saber with early childhood several hours a day. What the Cossacks and highlanders did with their blades was beyond the power of a combat soldier to repeat. They required a simple and reliable weapon, a kind of “Kalashnikov saber machine gun,” with which the soldiers could cut and stab tolerably well. Fedorov divided this problem into four subtasks: choose the correct curvature of the blade and handle attachment, check the position of the center of gravity and the weight of the blade.

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

2. General Gorlov, in order to provide the saber of the 1881 model with better piercing properties, gave the handle a slope from the butt to the blade, directing the middle line of the handle to the tip. It became inconvenient to operate such a weapon. But the checkers of the Caucasian Cossack army of the 1904 model do not have such an inclination. It would be advisable to abandon the tilt in all checkers.

3. In our saber, the center of gravity is located 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 hands and compare them with our saber, then it will immediately become obvious how much more convenient it is to act first, how light and free they are in the hand. Gorlov adopted the location of the center of gravity the same as in the Caucasian tops, thereby increasing the force of the blow. But let’s not forget, writes Fedorov, that it is easy for the mountaineers to operate with such weapons, since they are accustomed to wielding them from childhood. For combat dragoons with short service periods, this is unattainable. The conclusion is this: the center of gravity needs to be raised closer to the hilt. Moreover, with this arrangement, the tilt of the handle is no longer so important.

4. The blade with the hilt of the Russian saber weighs 1.025 kg. Despite the fact that European models have a similar weight, Fedorov argues that it should be considered significant “for our undersized dragoons.” It is interesting that the saber originally designed by Gorlov had significantly less weight, but during mass production at the Zlatoust Arms Plant, the weight increased by almost 400 g, since the plant could not cope with the quality requirements for blades and sheaths. Therefore, it is necessary to return to the original weight characteristics.

In St. Petersburg Military-Historical artillery museum Three samples from that experimental batch of Fedorov are stored. True, which of them was “number six”, no one knows. The far right checker is a soldier's dragoon, an experimental model of the 1900s.

Fedorov's ideal checker

Almost simultaneously with the publication of the book “Edged Weapon” in 1905, Fedorov wrote a report to the artillery committee - “On changes to the 1881 sample checker.” In it, he put forward specific proposals for its improvement.

Based on these proposals, several versions of experimental checkers were made with different positions of the center of gravity and modified curvature of the handle. Soon prototypes These sabers 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 best example through practical testing on vines and stuffed animals of its cutting and stabbing qualities.

Blades with a changed center of gravity were presented (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, some with a corrected slope.

All cavalrymen unanimously approved sample No. 6, with a center of gravity 15 cm from the hilt and a modified handle. Based on this model, 250 blades were made; they were armed with a squadron of the Officer Cavalry School and a squadron of the 17th Nizhyn Regiment. “In view of the declaration of world war, these units set out on a campaign with these weapons. The tests were not completed,” Fedorov wrote later.
When preparing the article, photographs from the book by A.N. were used. Kulinsky “Russian edged weapons”, provided by the Atlant publishing house.

January 2007

Officers, soldiers, Asian...

1826 Soldier's cuirassier broadsword. Total length 1150 mm, blade length 980 mm, blade width 35 mm. In broadswords of early releases, the lower nut on the scabbard was located quite low, and when the upper pass belt broke, the weapon turned over with the hilt down, falling out of the scabbard. Therefore, from the late 1830s, the lower nut on the scabbard was installed closer to the top

1895. Saber of the lower ranks of the Turkmen cavalry division. Total length 940 mm, blade length 810 mm, blade width 34 mm. The hilt consists of a handle with a head and a cross with a crosshair. The handle is formed by two bone cheeks riveted to the shank of the blade. The upper ends of the crosshairs are recessed into the cheeks of the handle, the lower ends fit into the corresponding recesses on the sheath when the weapon is inserted into them. Wooden scabbard covered with leather

1856 Sailors' boarding broadswords. Total length 880 mm, blade length 740 mm, blade width 36 mm. In 1856, the broadsword replaced engineer and naval artillery cutlasses among the lower ranks of the Naval Department. In 1858, assigned to midshipmen and cadets of the Naval Cadet Corps and technical schools of the Naval Department. In 1900, it was removed from service with sailors and left only to naval midshipmen, cadets and students of the Naval Engineering School, whose uniform was part of the uniform until 1917.

1827 Soldier's cavalry saber. Total length 1020 mm, blade length 880 mm, blade width 36 mm. “The saber in an iron scabbard adopted by us for light cavalry does not satisfy its purpose: it is brittle, heavy, the blade is easily dulled in the metal sheath, hanging low. It pulls back the rider's waist, hits the horse's legs at fast gaits, and makes noise that drowns out the command; in addition, the noise from the saber does not allow hidden movements, so it will always prematurely announce to the enemy the approach of cavalry (to avoid which sabers are often wrapped in straw).” (Military collection. 1868 No. 9)

1827 Cossack Guards Officer's Saber. In 1909, all Cossacks were allowed to serve with “grandfather’s weapons,” that is, with edged weapons inherited from their ancestors. This decision especially affected the armament of the Guards Cossack regiments.

1904 Cossack saber of the lower ranks. Checker of the lower ranks: length 920 mm, blade length 740 mm, blade width 35 mm. In 1904, the question arose about introducing a single sample of checkers for lower ranks and officers of the Cossack troops. It was decided “to leave the good blades of checkers and daggers currently available to the officers of the Caucasian Cossack army without changes; again, the blades acquired by officers must be of the same type as will be approved for the lower ranks of these troops and in the decoration of scabbards and handles... officers should not be embarrassed” (V.G. Fedorov, “Edged Weapons”). The Asian-style saber was also worn by officers of the army dragoon regiments.

1834 Asian-style military checkers. Total length 1000 mm, blade length 880 mm, blade width 34 mm. Asian officer's sword, model 1834. differed from the soldier's in that it had arbitrary decorations on the handles and sheaths. “Officers... began to trim their checkers in silver in the Caucasian manner, the regiment commander Bezobrazov allowed them to be worn not on a uniform braided sword belt, but on a black Kabardian belt with a silver set... Bezobrazov... ordered a model checker, which he intended to send to the sovereign...” (Potto V. History of the 44th Dragoon Nizhny Novgorod... Regiment, 1984)

http://www.popmech.ru/article/1132-idealnaya-shashka/

What is the difference between a checker and a saber

In our countries, perhaps, only art connoisseurs, fencing athletes and collectors of antiquities are familiar with the topic of edged weapons. The average person can hardly show off deep knowledge in this area, for example, tell right away 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 is a type of bladed weapon for piercing and chopping purposes, invented in the 7th century. Checker appeared in the 12th century and is also a bladed weapon, whose purpose is no longer so much piercing as chopping. Why is that?
The saber blade is curved, and the checker blade is almost straight. The saber has a clear edge, but the checker does not. 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; checkers do not have a guard.

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

Thus, TheDifference.ru notes the following differences between a checker and a saber:

1. The checker 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 one;
5. Checkers have always been cheaper and easier to use;
6. The saber is longer than the checker;
7. The centers of gravity of the checker and saber do not coincide. More details: http://thedifference.ru/otlichie-shashki-ot-sabli/

Saber

Bladed edged weapons 80-110 cm long with a single-edge sharpening (one-and-a-half sharpening is less common). The blade has a strong bend towards the butt. To achieve the required balancing, elman (expansion of the tip to make it heavier) was used.

Initially, sabers were a cavalry accessory. They were adopted in Eastern Europe and Asia. In the 14th century, these varieties began to spread throughout Western Europe, displacing straight swords.

Checker

Bladed edged weapons no more than 1 meter long. The most common modifications are 81-88 cm. It has a single-edge sharpening. One and a half is extremely rare. The edge of the product is double sharpened. The bend of the blade is noticeably less than that of a saber, or may be completely absent.

Checkers began to be used as cavalry weapons in the Caucasus - you can buy or order a souvenir Caucasian checker (dagger). During the conquest of this region, it was adopted by the Circassian and Kuban Cossacks. By the end of the 20th century, it replaced the saber in the Russian army and was in service with the Red Army of the USSR until the 50s.

Differences in the handle

The most significant difference between a saber and a saber is the structure of the handle. The hilt, guard and other protective elements were mandatory attributes of this weapon. They protected the fingers and allowed the use of techniques from popular European fencing schools, which are characterized by constant contact of blades in battle.

The handle of the checker is devoid of a guard or hilt. It ends with a forked head, which serves to remove the product from its sheath and conveniently hold it in battle. The absence of a guard is due to the technique of using this means of attack and defense. In most cases it served to deliver an unexpected decisive blow.

Technique of use

Sabers were aimed at fencing. They provided the opportunity to wage a protracted battle. Checkers were easier to use. This contributed to the popularization of this option among the regular troops. For example, in the Red Army, beginners were taught 7 strikes. This made it possible to quickly train relatively combat-ready units of recruits. For Russian troops was characterized by the presence of the so-called “ dragoon checker" It had a guard or hilt, but was worn like an ordinary one (Cossack or Adyghe).

Thanks to the balance (weighted base or tip), it was more convenient to deliver piercing blows with the saber, which often ended fights. The saber had a heavier point. This made it possible to deliver strong slashing blows, which are the main ones when conducting combat with the help of this weapon.

Wearing method

A characteristic difference was the way they carried sabers and checkers. He quite clearly characterized the features of using these types of weapons in battle.

The saber was worn on a belt belt (less often a shoulder belt) with a ring or rings for attaching the sheath on the concave side. Sometimes the scabbard was not used at all.

The saber was placed with an upward curve and secured to the shoulder belt. Often the handle was positioned almost at chest level. The presence of a sheath was mandatory. Rings for fastening were located on the outer bend. This made it possible to draw the blade with either hand and deliver a surprise blow in one smooth movement, after which the metal blade was sent into the sheath. This is reminiscent of the technique of using Chinese swords - katanas.