Following on from my posts on sword grips, here is a size comparison between the heavy and light cav

Following on from my posts on sword grips, here is a size comparison between the heavy and light cavalry trooper swords of the French and British Napoleonic armies.

From top to bottom:

French Model An XIII Sabre of the line, - used by Dragoons and Cuirassiers

Originally this blade would have been issued with a hatchet point making it slightly longer. However, by 1814 field modifying them into spear points became common and in 1816 this became an official modification, getting retroactively applied to swords in service.

• Total Length: 1120mm
• Blade Length: 960mm
• Sword Weight: 1300 grams

British 1796 Pattern Heavy Cavalry Sword

Based on the Austrian model 1769 the British sword was originally issued with a hatchet tip. However, like their French opponents, field modification into a spear point became common practice to make the sword more effective in the thrust. 

• Total Length: 1020mm
• Blade Length: 890mm
• Sword Weight: 1020 grams

French model An XI, - used by ‘Hunters on horse’, Hussars, Lancers, and Mounted Artillery

Introduced in year eleven (1802) of the Revolutionary calendar the AN XI came about as a rationalisation of the different models of light cavalry sabres in service to meet the supply demands of near constant warfare the new French state found itself in.

• Total Length: 1010mm
  
• Blade Length: 870mm
  
• Sword Weight: 1190 grams

British 1796 Pattern Light Cavalry Sabre, - used by Light Dragoons and Mounted Artillery

Designed by John Gaspard le Merchant with cooperation from Henry Osborn in response to complaints of British cavalry troopers on the poor performance of their 1788 pattern sabres. Based loosely on Eastern European sabres the 1796 LC proved to be a hard hitting sword and immensely popular.

• Total Length: 945mm
  
• Blade Length: 820mm
  
• Sword Weight: 880 grams