Today I bring you a saber, the drummer command knife of the 1822 military band from the Second French Empire. In fact, in the eyes of ordinary people, the highlight of this saber is that it was selected as the material of Hermes scarves, and it must be outstanding if it can be favored by top luxury goods. Compared with the attention of Hermes, our knife friends are more interested in its excellent craftsmanship and the history behind it, and the French have recorded almost the entire nineteenth-century military industry, military inheritance, and other information on this saber, which has very important historical and academic significance.



Let's talk about silk scarves first, like brand positioning, Hermès scarves are definitely ceiling level in luxury scarves. Tens of thousands of color schemes and craftsmanship have created an unshakable status, and silk made from Brazilian butterfly silkworm cocoons has a heavenly touch. Hermes has been launching a series of French military-themed silk scarves. The one we are looking at today was launched in previous years, showing a total of thirteen sabers and four military hats. This saber in this article is the four sabers of the same style that make up the border, and it is also the only saber in the square scarf that shows the full picture.



This scarf, like other Hermès products, has long been out of print, but you don't have to be discouraged. In 2022, Hermès launched a saber series of silk scarves, and friends who like it can start to buy it. In fact, the reason why Hermes scarves are popular, I personally think there is another reason that this thing is the cheapest in the Hermes product line, suitable for most people to send girls.


Let's look at the knife specifically. The knife body is forged from single steel, using the scimitar knife type, but the blade body is relatively wide, the front part has a false blade, the back part is open with a wide groove, the whole body is the original surface polishing effect, and the preservation state is excellent.





The inscription "Manuf. re R.ale de Klingenthal, Mai 1853" on the base of the knife translates to the Klingenthal Military Factory May 1853. This military factory is one of the most important French saber manufacturers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and its products occupy an extremely important place in the French saber collection. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, Solingen, Germany, imposed strict restrictions on French imports of knife strips in the hope of curbing the development of the French army, so King Louis XV of France decided to establish a state-owned military factory. In 1733, with the help of 25 skilled workers from Solingen, Germany, France opened a military factory in Alsace because of the high-quality iron ore mines nearby. In 1768, the person in charge built a staff dormitory in Klingenthal, so the factory was specifically named the Klingenthal Military Factory. The management of the military factory was entrusted to a businessman who was responsible for daily operations, procurement production, etc. The director of the factory is a senior officer of the French army, responsible for quality supervision, factory testing, and other aspects, it seems that France also has a long military representative system. After 1808, all workers in military factories were granted French military status, which fundamentally solved the problem of workers' sense of honor and belonging. Although the model of this knife is 1822 type, according to the meaning of the inscription on the blade of this knife, the specific production time of this knife is 1853, indicating that this knife has been produced for a long time.





Let's look at the handle again. The fixture of the whole knife adopts copper gilt technology, and the maintenance is also quite intact. The quality is excellent. The handle is fitted with a large cross-shaped gauntlet, which is embossed to create intricate ornamentation, with a winged eagle with a crown on its head, a drapery underneath, a coat of arms at the bottom, and laurel branches flanked by the handguard.

The handguard is the coat of arms of the Second French Empire, which was proclaimed by Napoleon's nephew on December 2, 1852, in line with the production of the knife inscription. This saber was produced half a year after the founding of the People's Republic of China, indicating that this saber had an extremely important position in the French army. It also has a strong sense of representation and honor, so its sabers have to be replaced.






The handle is horny, and the outer layer is also wrapped with wire. Because of the long age, the handle has some moth marks. The head of the handle is a bronze gilt fixture, and the whole is in the shape of a French military cap, surrounded by rose flowers and laurel leaves. At the top of the handle is a three-dimensional lion head in relief, which has a long history of French worship of lions and were invincible beasts of the Colosseum and a symbol of dignity and power.


Finally, there is the scabbard which we generally see in the nineteenth century. Most of them are plain steel scabbards and rarely have the same decoration as the saber in this article, so it is more gorgeous.






The scabbard is made of brass gilt, and the scabbard is divided into areas using a bay leaf sheath hoop. The middle three areas are decorated with laurel branches.


The sheath is carved with extremely intricate decorations, consisting of a feathered military cap, drum, drum hammer, command cane, and horn, showing the main shapes and instruments of the French army military band. On both sides of the sheath, the shape of a lyra seat is shaped. Two protruding metal branches and forks for hanging are its most obvious features.







The sheath tail is carved with a lion's head, and the tip of the sheath is shaped into an intricate scepter consisting of roses, palm leaves, and laurels.




Although the other side of the scabbard is plain and faceless, it also has very important information. The inscription "Manceaux à Paris" on the mouth of the sheath means that the scabbard was designed by Manceaux in Paris. Manceaux was a famous French family of arms at the time, they came from Versailles court craftsmen and opened an arms shop in Paris in 1806. Manceaux patented many weapons at the time, including sabers, armor, firearms, and more. In 1822, Manceaux obtained the exclusive rights to produce the saber of the famous French military school of Saint-Cyr, which is enough to show his knife-making skills.

Finally, I would like to talk why France equipped the drummers of the marching band with such gorgeous knives. Mainly at that time, the French military band not only undertook the task of military music playing, they were also responsible for the communication and command tasks during the battle, such as the famous "line up to shoot" tactic is to carry out shooting, forward and other actions through the different drums of the drummers at both ends of the team. Therefore, the drummer occupies a very important position in the French army, and the role of our trumpeter is the same, so it is logical that they are equipped with the best sabers.