Spadroon
Encyclopedia
The Spadroon is a light sword
with a straight blade of the cut
and thrust type. The style became popular among military and naval officers in the 1790s, spreading from England
to the United States
and to France
, where it was known as the épée Anglaise. Hilts were often of the beaded or "five-ball" type with a stirrup guard. A spadroon blade usually had a broad, central fuller
and a single edge, often with a false edge near the tip. Spadroons can also be double-edged as well.
an and American
military forces began to utilize a specific style of sword hilt
termed the "Five ball" hilt. It incorporated as a decorative feature spheres molded into the knuckleguard and counterguard, usually grouped as strings of 3,4 or 5 spheres, with one string on the knuckleguard and one on the counterguard. The term is often used a generic reference to swords which have the characteristics ball patterns in their hilts regardless of the exact number of balls. It was used by both Army and Navy officers, and in Great Britain, France and the United States, a classic example being the British Officers Five-Ball Spadroon. It incorporated a number of pommel
styles from "pillow" or "cushion" pommel, to Eaglehead pommel, to an urn pommel. The popularity lasted from 1790 to until about 1820 when it was no longer produced.
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
with a straight blade of the cut
Cut
Cut may refer to:* The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely directed force-Mathematics:* Cut * Branch cut, a concept in complex analysis* Dedekind cut, a partition of rational numbers* Cut-elimination theorem...
and thrust type. The style became popular among military and naval officers in the 1790s, spreading from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where it was known as the épée Anglaise. Hilts were often of the beaded or "five-ball" type with a stirrup guard. A spadroon blade usually had a broad, central fuller
Fuller (weapon)
A fuller is a rounded or beveled groove or slot in the flat side of a blade . A fuller is often used to lighten the blade, much in the way that an I-beam shape allows a given amount of strength to be achieved with less material...
and a single edge, often with a false edge near the tip. Spadroons can also be double-edged as well.
Five ball hilt
Around the time of the Napoleonic War, EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an and American
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
military forces began to utilize a specific style of sword hilt
Hilt
The hilt of a sword is its handle, consisting of a guard,grip and pommel. The guard may contain a crossguard or quillons. A ricasso may also be present, but this is rarely the case...
termed the "Five ball" hilt. It incorporated as a decorative feature spheres molded into the knuckleguard and counterguard, usually grouped as strings of 3,4 or 5 spheres, with one string on the knuckleguard and one on the counterguard. The term is often used a generic reference to swords which have the characteristics ball patterns in their hilts regardless of the exact number of balls. It was used by both Army and Navy officers, and in Great Britain, France and the United States, a classic example being the British Officers Five-Ball Spadroon. It incorporated a number of pommel
Pommel
Pommel may refer to:* pommel, the raised area at the front of an equestrian saddle.* Pommel, the counterweight at the end of the hilt of a European sword* Pommel horse, an artistic gymnastics apparatus...
styles from "pillow" or "cushion" pommel, to Eaglehead pommel, to an urn pommel. The popularity lasted from 1790 to until about 1820 when it was no longer produced.