Subject: szlachcic noble cavalryman
Culture: Polish
Setting: Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, eastern Europe 1604-1696
Object: szable sabers
Batorówka
* Zablocki online
"The Polish military sabre with cross-like quillons and almond-like pommel, known also as the Hungarian type, is divided into 2 basic types.
1. Sabre No. IIIa, with blade of circular (sometimes variable) curvature, with cross-like quillons and Polish-style almond-shaped pommel. These sabres are good only for swinging cuts from horseback. The[y] are often richly ornamented.
2. Sabre No. IIIb, with narrow blade and long, pronounced yelmen. The quillons are cross-like, often connected with the pommel by a chain. The pommel is bent forward at an angle of 45o.
"These sabre[s] are good for powerful swinging cuts and circular cuts when fencing on foot. Both types originated from Hungarian sabres but have several specific Polish details (thumb ring, pommel)."
Husarska
* Ostrowski 1999 p217
"The hussar saber (so called on account of its general use in regiments of the national heavy cavalry) originated in about the middle of the seventeenth century. This is a specifically Polish weapon, rightly acknowledged as the finest achievement in the field of edged weapons in Poland. It is distinguished by its perfect functionality and beautiful form. It combines in an original and harmonious manner the features of oriental and western European weapons. The hilt is provided with quillons forming the cross bar and a thumb guard for a stronger grip. The quillons are linked with the almond-shaped pommel by means of a slightly deflected knuckle-bow, which, however, is not connected with the pommel structurally. Such a solution enhanced the springiness of the knuckle-bow that guarded the hand."
* Zablocki online
"The Polish military sabre with a "closed hilt", known also as the "hussar's sabre", is divided into 5 basic types.
1. Sabre No. Ia, with a rounded knuckle-guard, bent at an angle of about 100o used from the end of the 16th century to the first half of the 18th century.
2. Sabre No lb, with a knuckle-guard bent vertically and nor joined to the pommel, used in the 17th century and in the first half of the 18 th century.
3. Sabre No. Ic, with a rounded knuckle-guard and horizontal bars, use in the second half of the 18th century.
4. Sabre No. Id, with a knuckle-guard bent vertically and a shield-like guard, used in the second half of the 18th century.
5. Sabre No. Ie, with a knuckle-guard and side bars.
"The blades of sabres No. I are of circular curvature and possess double-edged yelmen of the same width as the rest of the blade.
"A knuckle guard protects the fingers during static parries. The adjusted broad thumb-ring enables quick direct cuts when dueling on foot. At the same time the center of percussion permits strong swinging cuts to be delivered from horseback. Its constructional and functional merits makes sabre No. I surely one of the best and most versatile sabres of the world.
"Ornaments are added to strengthen the points exposed to enemy blows. Besides sabres produced for battle, examples used for decoration only and made mainly in the 19th century are often met with.
"Additional bars and shield-like guards for better protection of the forearm were added to the hilts in sabres No lb and Ic. Sabres No. Ie, used at the end of the 18th century are good only for fighting on horseback and mark the end of fencing with the combat sabre."
Karabela
* Coe/Connolly/Harding/Harris/Larocca/Richardson/North/Spring/Wilkinson 1993 p76-77 (Anthony North, "Seventeenth-century Europe" p72-83)
"A type of sword known as a karabela, widely used in Poland and Hungary during the seventeenth century, had a grip formed of plaques held by rivets to the tang and engraved with a vertical chevron pattern. The grip extended at a sharp angle at the pommel and the guard was a cross with short langets. So great was the influence of Turkish designs that it is often difficult to distinguish between Turkish and European work. The blades of Eastern European swords often bear inscriptions engraved or inlaid in gold. These range from Latin invocations such as 'Arma ferunt Pacem' and 'Pro Gloria et Patria' to commemorative titles such as 'Sigismundus II Rex Poloniae'."
* Ostrowski 1999 p219
"Despite its eastern origin a karabela is considered the kind of saber most characteristic of the culture of the Polish gentry in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It is distinguished by an open hilt with a pommel resembling a bird's head in profile. In addition to simple fighting karabelas, parade varieties were also made, the latter, very costly, lavishly decorated with silver, gold, and precious and semiprecious stones and carried with a ceremonial Polish costume."
* Zablocki online
"The Polish military sabre with an "anatomic" grip in the form of an eagle head, known also as a combat karabela, is divided into 3 basic types.
1. Sabre No. IIa with a blade of variable curvature and double-edged pronounced yelmen. The knob is wide, thus giving effective support of the palm while making circular cuts. These sabres were used in the 17th and the first half of t[he 1]8th century.
2. Sabre No. IIb with a blade of circular curvature, without a pronounced yelmen. The knob is narrow. The sabre is still good for circular cuts because of its well distributed weight (center of gravity)[.]
3. Sabre No. IIc with a short and broad blade, a wide knob and bent down quillions.
"Sabre No. IIa and IIb are excellent for circular cuts while fighting on foot and for swinging cuts from horseback. Most probably high on-guard positions and flying parries were used. Effective palm support made possible cross rotation, given by quick wrist movements from a stiff elbow. Similar sabres were used in Turkey, the Balkan countries, in Russia, Moldavia and Armenia. The principal difference between these and Polish sabres IIa consists of the grip[']s design. Only the Polish sabres perform well in circular cuts. Others were presumably used for horseback fighting only.
"Sabres No. IIc are convenient for swinging cuts from the elbow (the splitting blow) and were used only for fighting on foot. Many type-II sabres were produced solely for decoration."
Ordynka
* Zablocki online
"Polish military sabre with small cross-like quillons and pistol-shaped grip, also called the Tartar sabre, is an extremely efficient weapon for swinging cuts when fighting on horse-back. Points-thrusts [SIC] can also be performed very efficiently. Most probably these sabres were produced for Tartar warriors fighting alongside the Polish nobility. Blade[']s arc of circular shape, quillons short and delicate, the knob is bent forward at an angle of 45o."
