Sabre

Sabre is a sword with a single-edged blade. The sword usually a slightly curved blade with a short back edge. The sabre is intended mainly for cutting action; however, it can be also very effective for thrusting. The English word sabre or saber is derived from the French word sabre which originally is derived from the Hungarian/Magyar word szablya (meaning to cut down) or Polish szabla. The sabre is a form of a backsword that features a single-edged blade that is usually curved but sometimes straight and large hand-guard that covers the knuckles and thumb of the hand. Sabres most often featured a slightly curved blade that was perfect for slashing but sometimes the straight version was used that was more suitable for thrusting. The straight version was most often used by heavy cavalry. The sabres came in various lengths and were usually carried in a scabbard hanging from waist and mounted on a sword belt or baldric. The sabre first appeared in 10th century in Europe and it was brought by Hungarian Magyars. At first the sabre was used as a strictly cavalry weapon but later it gradually replaced the straight swords on a battlefield. One of the famous forms of sabre was the Polish karabela. The word karabela originated from two Turkish words: Kara, meaning dark and bela, meaning curse. These types of sabre were worn by the noble class of Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine.