The cutlass sword, also known as the saber, was a popular weapon among sailors due to its size, weight, and simplicity. Pirates also favored it for its effectiveness in close combat. The saber was also used by the Ottoman cavalry and remained in use by some navies until World War II.
A cutlass sword is a slightly curved and broad short sword. They are best known from the classic 19th century style used on ships. They often feature cupped grips and decorative wrapped handles. They feature both a light stabbing point and a sharp cutting edge, and are substantial, heavy weapons.
The name itself, saber, derives from the Latin cultellus, form of culter, which was a ploughshare. From Latin it arrived via French and into Italian as coltellaccio, a form of the word for knife. The saber sword is also known as the curtal, curtelaxe or curtelax axe. All of these terms refer to the exact same weapon and were simply different historical words used to describe the saber sword.
In the world of naval warfare especially, the cutlass sword has often been seen historically. The saber sword in this context is often referred to simply as the naval sidearm, and was the weapon most often seen on a mariner in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The cutlass is an ideal sidearm on a ship for a variety of reasons, relating to its size, weight, and simplicity.
First, its thickness and sharp edge made it an ideal tool outside of combat, for cutting through sheets of canvas, thick rope, and even wood. Secondly, its short length made it perfect for fighting in the often cramped spaces of a ship or in the rigging. And finally, unlike the rapier, the cutlass required relatively little training to use well, making it perfect for sailors whose lives weren’t dedicated to fighting.
When most people think of cutlass, they really think of pirates. As early as the mid-17th century, pirates used cutlasses as their weapon of choice, and they soon became iconically linked to the pirate lifestyle. The very simplicity of a cutlass made them perfectly suited to the way of fighting of pirates, as well as their general behavior. Simple weapons, meant to get the job done, whether it was cutting the rope or cutting down enemies, the cutlass suited the pirate mystique.
Eventually the cutlass became less and less popular as a weapon among sailors, as swords themselves gave way to firearms. However, their use endured much longer than swords on land, probably due to constant concern about wet dust and the need for a backup weapon. As late as 1935 the British Royal Navy still used the cutlass in landing parties, and in the United States Navy soldiers still carried the 1917 pattern cutlass during World War II.
On land, the saber is perhaps best associated with the Ottoman Empire. The saber was used extensively by the Ottoman cavalry, especially the Mamluks, who were often not permitted to bear arms. Because of their use as an agricultural tool and a general tool, sabers were often allowed to be transported to the Ottoman Empire, even during times of peace when the weapons would normally have been retained by Ottoman slave soldiers.
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