A sabretache (derived from german: Säbeltasche) is a flat bag or pouch, which was worn suspended from the belt of a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry in ...

soldier together with the

sabre A sabre (French: �sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as t ...

Origins

The sabretache is derived from a traditional Hungarian horseman's flat leather bag called a ''tarsoly''. Early examples have been found in the tombs of Magyar warriors from the 10th century Conquest of Pannonia. They were often strengthened and decorated with silver plates and would have contained fire-making tools and other essentials.

Military use

In the early 18th century,

hussar A hussar ( , ; hu, huszár, pl, husarz, sh, husar / ) was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely ...

cavalry became popular amongst the European powers, and a ''tarsoly'' was often a part of the accoutrements. The German name ''sabretache'' was adopted, ''tache'' meaning "pocket". It fulfilled the function of a pocket, which were absent from the tight fitting uniform of the hussar style. Part of the wartime function of the

light cavalry Light cavalry comprised lightly armed and armored cavalry troops mounted on fast horses, as opposed to heavy cavalry, where the mounted riders (and sometimes the warhorses) were heavily armored. The purpose of light cavalry was primarily ...

was to deliver orders and dispatches; the sabertache was well suited to hold these. The large front flap was usually heavily embroidered with a royal cypher or regimental crest, and could be used as a firm surface for writing. By the 19th century, other types of cavalry, such as

cuirassiers Cuirassiers (; ) were cavalry equipped with a cuirass, sword, and pistols. Cuirassiers first appeared in mid-to-late 16th century Europe as a result of armoured cavalry, such as men-at-arms and demi-lancers, discarding their lances and adopti ...

and

lancers A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by Persia, India, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the ...

, also wore them. In the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

, sabretaches were first adopted at the end of the 18th century by light

dragoon Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat w ...

regiments, four of which acquired "hussar" status in 1805. They were still being worn in combat by British cavalry during the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the ...

; "undress" versions in plain black patent leather were used on active duty. The

Prussian Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...

Guard Hussars wore theirs in the Franco-Prussian War. In most European armies, sabretaches were gradually abandoned for field use by the late 19th century, but were retained by some regiments for ceremonial occasions. Sabretaches are now much sought after by collectors of

militaria Militaria, also known as military memorabilia, are military equipment which are collected for their historical significance. Such items include firearms, swords, sabres, knives, bayonets, helmets and other equipment such as uniforms, military ...

.James Alexander Mackay, An Encyclopedia of Small Antiques, Ward Lock, 1975 (p.164)
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Gallery

WP Magdeburger Husaren-Kdo.jpg, A Prussian hussar in 1763: his sabretache carries the cypher of

Frederick the Great Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...

Grande Armée - 1st Regiment of Hussars.jpg, Troopers of the French 1st Hussars in 1812, showing how the sabretache was attached to the sword belt Sabretache desvaux.jpg, Sabretache worn by General Desvaux de Saint-Maurice, (died 1815) showing the crown and eagle of

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

Au service des Tsars - sabretache ЭPT-10742 011.jpg, A sabretache of the Russian Imperial Guard Hussar Regiment of the pattern worn from 1802 to 1825 11thblprobyn1867.jpg, The Commandant of the 11th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry (Lancers), part of the

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which cou ...

, with sabretache in 1867 Charles Dalton.jpg, An officer of the British

8th King's Royal Irish Hussars The 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1693. It saw service for three centuries including the First and Second World Wars. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in forces ...

in 1880, showing the patent leather sabretache which was used on active duty Lieutenant H.J.P. King outside the Officers Mess (5907716941).jpg, An officer of the British

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

with sabretache in 1901 Sabretache enlisted Margrethe II (THM-29814).jpg, A current Danish sabretache for enlisted, carrying the cypher of

Margrethe II Margrethe II (; Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid, born 16 April 1940) is Queen of Denmark. Having reigned as Denmark's monarch for over 50 years, she is Europe's longest-serving current head of state and the world's only incumbent femal ...

. Sabretache officer Frederick IX (THM-29823).jpg, A Danish sabretache for officers, carrying the cypher of Frederick IX.

References

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