Baudrier porte-sabre et baïonnette buffle

[Toadflax]

I've just finished the first of a commission of half a dozen of these baudriers for a re-enactment group.

They are Napoleonic French Infantry cross belts, to hold the sabre and bayonet.

Quite a change from my normal line of leatherwork, and a very interesting type of leather to work with. The project has been very interesting, with lots of consultation of books in the Bodleian Library to try and determine the original design of these belts, including measurements from the 1812 French Army uniform regulations, which are available on Google books.

Unlike the sword frog that I used with my British Sam Browne, where the scabbard is secured with a button /slot arrangement, the two scabbards here are secured by a short strap that buckles onto the cross belt.


Thanks for looking


Geoff

 

[bopdude]

Liking that a lot, nice work.

 

[andybysea]

Excellent work,love to see this type of thing.

 

[British Red]

Fascinating Geoff.....oddly I find my self thinking

You can fire three rounds a minute....but can you stand?

 

[Dreadhead]

Great stuff Geoff, what leather did you use? looks like splits of suede?

 

[John Fenna]

Great work!
The crossbelts make a nice target for a land pattern musket

 

[Toadflax]

Great stuff Geoff, what leather did you use? looks like splits of suede?

I'm still trying to find out for sure, as the group supplied me with the half back. I think that it is an alum tanned 'buff' style, certainly the surfaces are rather like a suede, but the leather is around 4mm thick. It's very flexible, with a nice soft surface finish, but a nightmare to cut, as the inside feels as hard as rawhide. It would probably be quite good for leather armour, as it would resist a sword cut well!


Geoff

 

[Toadflax]

Great work!

The crossbelts make a nice target for a land pattern musket

As if you could hit an aimed target with one of them!


Geoff

 

[John Fenna]

At 2 foot range you would be fine!

 

[luckylee]

Looks great that our kid, hope you are well mate.

 

[craeg]

Interesting work there. Great job

 

[Toadflax]

Following user testing, this first belt came back for some small modifications (which will be incorporated into the patterns for the remaining belts), but here are a couple of photos of the modified original, with the weapons in place.



I've been loaned these while making up the first few belts. The two scabbards and the bayonet are reproductions, but the sabre itself is original and dates from around 1809. A real privilege to work with something that *could* have been at the Battle of Waterloo.

Here is how they sit when worn. It is interesting that two bladed weapons are mounted adjacent to each other...though the sabre was next to useless for an infantryman, when faced with something like the 1796 pattern heavy cavalry sword. It's main use was apparently for chopping wood.



The small leather button (just visible behind the handle of the sabre) is used to attach a strap from the giberne (mounted on the other crossbelt). The giberne is the ammunition and tool pouch for the musket. Buttoning it to the sabre belt means that it is held at the back of the body, so does not get in the way when marching. During battle, the strap is released, allowing the giberne to be moved to the right side of the body, where it is accessible to extract the cartridges.


Geoff

 

[Dreadhead]

Great stuff Geoff, looks like the mod is an extra line of stitching? and how on earth did you keep that leather so dazzlingly white?!?

 

[Toadflax]

Great stuff Geoff, looks like the mod is an extra line of stitching? and how on earth did you keep that leather so dazzlingly white?!?

That's correct - it's one of two mods (the other of which isn't very visible in these photos). The "Manuel de l'administration et de la verification des masses d'habillement, et de harnachement et ferrage" (Bardin regulations of 1812) specify in some detail dimensions of parts of the belt, which are subject to somewhat differing interpretations. They were evidently put in place as much to control the suppliers (e.g. trying to save on leather by supplying narrower belts), as to ensure uniformity within the ranks.

As it turned out in the first prototype (before I got my hands on the scabbards), the bayonet slot was a bit wide, so the scabbard flopped around too much. The two new rows of stitching have narrowed the slot, so stabilising the scabbard. The next belt will have a narrower slot in from the start.

Keeping the leather white? I keep washing my hands, and wipe down any tools that may have dirt or oil on them with IDA.


Geoff

 

[British Red]

...though the sabre was next to useless for an infantryman, when faced with something like the 1796 pattern heavy cavalry sword.
Geoff

IMO Geoff if you are facing a 1796 pattern, you are facing heavy cavalry - which means - as a man on foot - one of the "lobsters" or their ilk - in full breast plate, weighing over half a ton with their chuffing great cart horse, and quite likely closing faster than a man can run.

At that point the type of sword in infantry hands is...not the core of the problem. The core of the problem you are attached, by a monarch of the realm, to another object by an inclined plane, wrapped helically around an axis

 

[Dreadhead]

That's correct - it's one of two mods (the other of which isn't very visible in these photos). The "Manuel de l'administration et de la verification des masses d'habillement, et de harnachement et ferrage" (Bardin regulations of 1812) specify in some detail dimensions of parts of the belt, which are subject to somewhat differing interpretations. They were evidently put in place as much to control the suppliers (e.g. trying to save on leather by supplying narrower belts), as to ensure uniformity within the ranks.

As it turned out in the first prototype, the bayonet slot was a bit wide, so the scabbard flopped around too much. The two new rows of stitching have narrowed the slot, so stabilising the scabbard. The next belt will have a narrower slot in from the start.

Keeping the leather white? I keep washing my hands, and wipe down any tools that may have dirt or oil on them with IDA.


Geoff

ah very good im the same, washing my hands everytime before i touch the leather. still, i doubt i could keep white leather so clean like that

 

[Toadflax]

With a few minor tweaks to the original design, ici le baudrier numéro deux. A slightly narrower bayonet slot gives a much stabler fitting.



Encore, avec les armes.




Vive l'Empereur!


Geoff

 

[sargey]

mais c'est superbe!

si il te plais, montrer nous les photos de la sabre

A+ and.

 

[Toadflax]

mais c'est superbe!

si il te plais, montrer nous les photos de la sabre

A+ and.

Et, pour M. Sargey, ici les armes.



And before anyone comments on the rust and pitting, these are on loan! And the sabre dates from pre-Waterloo.


Geoff

 

[Angst]

very good stuff mate!

a