Copyright 2007 T. Sheil & A. Sheil All Rights Reserved
The Navy Cutlass remained in the inventory well into the 20th Century. A heavy-bladed weapon with thick handguard and saber-like blade, the cutlass was made for fighting on a ship. The accepted technique was based on the same fencing moves used for army sabers. Pictured below are scenes of American sailors training with the cutlass. Cutlass drills could be held on land or on ship. The hptos below are from the turn of the century, circa 1980 to about 1910.
Because it was common practice to supplement Marines with armed sailors in expeditions on shore, the cutlass was practiced in earnest.
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Sailor trains with officer  |
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Sailors spar on deck  |
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Officers practice their cutlass technique  |
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Check this move with the drawings below.  |
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From a Civil War naval manual  |
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From the 1906 manual  |