Uniforms and Equipment of the Old Army - Cavalry - Cuirassiers - The Pallasch and the Thrusting Dagger

In the above photo the white saber belt for slinging over the shoulder and the matching bandolier can be clearly seen.

On the cartridge box of this unit there was a nickel-silver star.

The pallasch in French form had a straight blade and the hilt consisted of a main knuckle-bow with three side-bows made of brass (cf.: W. Gohlke, Die blanken Waffen und Schutzwaffen, ihre Entwicklung von der Zeit der Landsknechte bis zur Gegenwart, reprint Krefeld 1972, p. 95).

Mila (Geschichte der Bekleidung und Ausrüstung der Königlich Preußischen Armee 1808 - 1878, Berlin 1878, reprint Krefeld, pp. 168 ff.) describes it as follows:

"Pallasches with straight iron blade and iron scabbard. Previously the hilt of the pallasch (since 1786) was ornamented with an eagle. At the end of March 1814, however, pallasches with undecorated brass basket-hilts were introduced: since 16 June 1817 Regiments No. 1, 3, 6 and 7 and the Regiment Garde du Corps wear French pallasches with three bars, the remaining regiments formed later, however, wear Russian pallasches with two bars on the basket hilt.

When off duty the officers wear, instead of the pallasch, a straight sword in the same manner as the infantry officers; the same is also worn by the officers of the two guard regiments at major court balls with the red uniform.

The pallasch is worn by the ranks on a white leather cavalry belt buckled over the coat, the waist belt of which is provided in front with a rectangular brass buckle.

Originally the officers had a white-lacquered pallasch hanger which was buckled under the coat; in 1843 it was replaced by a hanger which on the outside, in harmony with the color of the coat buttons, is trimmed with a gold or silver braid, but on the inside shows the color of the collar patch on the white koller, and which is likewise buckled under the coat, however the officers of the two guard regiments, according to the announcement of the War Ministry of 21 February 1844, when they are wearing the koller and are on foot without cartridge box and sash, are to have it buckled over the koller".

On the hilt of the pallasch the men and non-commissioned officers (insofar as they did not wear the portepee) had the wrist strap (Faustriemen) attached, and the officers had the portepee.

For minor (and off-) duty the cuirassier officers wore the thrusting dagger. This had a gilded hilt and corresponding fittings on the leather scabbard, initially brown (until 1816) and then black.

Such a thrusting dagger was worn by the Regiment Garde du Corps since 1808 and by the Guard Cuirassier Regiment since 1821. The officers of the line regiments only received it by A.K.O. of 31.01.1862. This is, however, disputed; presumably the line regiments also wore the thrusting dagger earlier.