What a Gentleman should do with his Sword on Wedding Night

[major_clanger]

We were taught a lot about how to eat and drink properly during the Customs, Etiquette and Social Responsibilities module of RAF Officer Training at Cranwell, but not this:

"" (Watch on YouTube)

(alt link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8RFRm_-WtU)

Actually, we were warned not to use the RAF Officers' Sword (which is in fact a cavalry sabre) to cut the wedding cake, as it's meant to be corrosive to the blade. Seeing as how hardly any of us owned swords - which cost £2,000 from Wilkinson's - but rather borrowed them from a pool, I can understand why we were advised to take good care of them.

Comments

[sharikkamur.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a very interesting course.

I'm very tempted to give this a try with one of my rapiers. Thanks for the link. :)

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

cost £2,000 from Wilkinson's

Eek! Better update the insurance.

[inamac.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Thank you for that. Most useful.

(Am amused by the responses thus far - you are about to find out how many of your f-list posess swords - and intend to try this out.)

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

It was a series of lectures scattered through the 18 weeks of Initial Officer Training. We also got a rather dry manual, which was enlivened by one lecture that dramatised the chapter on Dinner Etiquette. Two tables were set for dinner on stage; one of the training staff read out extracts, which were then acted out properly and badly by four other TS as Mr and Mrs Polite and Mr and Mrs Saddam Hussein (yes, this was October 1990), with another TS acting as waiter. If only there was a video...

[whotheheckami.livejournal.com]

You obviously weren't on a A-Sqn ;@) We did have a go at this with heavy kitchen knives - very very messy

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

I certainly was on A Sqn, and have the red scarf somewhere to prove it (130 IOT, Oct 1990 to Feb 1991). I don't recall anyone messing around with champagne bottles, although I do seem to recall quite insane amounts of Brasso, spray starch and Parade Gloss shoe polish.

[whotheheckami.livejournal.com]

Bloody Hell! They did change personalities along the way. I was on 74 IOT and A Sqn had a well-deserved reputation for having a damn good time. In my day... B Sqn were the sporty ones, C the academics and D were the drill and spit n'shine merchants.

[whotheheckami.livejournal.com]

I've also been shown the technique were you gently tap the collar/neck whilst rotating the bottle. The trick is to set up a rhythm which eventually releases the cork and the neck from the remains of the bottle.

[non-trivial.livejournal.com]

I'd heard about this before, and seem to remember there being a company that sold tat specialty tools to do the job. Ah yes: http://www.sabreachampagne.com/

Also, didn't Wilkinson's get out of the ceremonial sword business a couple of years ago? I vaguely recall fulminating in the Torygraph or suchlike that Officers and Gentlemen would have to procure their dress swords from Germany, or worse, France!

[biggingerdave.livejournal.com]

as in Wilkinson's sword? That's where it comes from then! Excellent.

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

On checking (and as non_trivial notes) Wilkinson Sword stopped making swords back in 2005, but their equipment was bought by Pooley Sword who now make the swords in India and finish them in the UK. I see that their price for an RAF Officer's Sword is a mere £600+VAT, so a lot less than what I understood WS were selling them for.

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

Mind you, I see that the requisite sword belt (which replaces the normal cloth belt on the uniform) is another £250+VAT, so you're looking at a grand for something you can wear on parade.

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

See my comments above - Pooley Sword now supply them from Wilkinson's tooling and patterns.

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

When I went through Cranditz, A was definitely the Bull squadron, whilst D had an evil reputation for taking PT to the sort of lengths more normally associated with the Paras. If B and C had reputations, I can't remember. R were of course a bunch of tree-hugging retreads, SERE were tarts and vicars on an attendance course, and MASH limped around on crutches. Shoulder slides and neck scarf colours were:

A - Red
B - Yellow
C - Blue
D - Green
R - Purple
MASH - Silver (I don't think they had a matching scarf, probably just wore the scrim one)
SERE - Wore insignia of rank they were going to be commissioned in with 'SERE' flash underneath

Last I heard, A was now the NCO Aircrew training sqn after it moved from Finningley to Cranwell. R is long gone, having been absorbed into the main IOT course when it was lengthened from 18 to 24 weeks (it occurred to someone that if half the course was being recoursed, it might just be an idea to lengthen the course). Now that the course is 30 weeks, split as 3 x 10-week terms, I think they just run with 3 squadrons.

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

I have the sword (somewhat antique - it has the Star of David on it, from one of the regiments serving in Palestine), I have the scabbard, I do not have the belt.

I suspect that, since I do not intend to wear it on parade, the belt may be omitted for now.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

See now, I've only ever come across sabring a port bottle (with the excuse for the very good reason that there's a decent chance the cork will be half-rotted and inclined to crumble, so it makes sense to take off the whole neck at once). I am delighted to learn how actually to do it, as I had of course envisioned bringing the blade down perpendicular to the neck and praying for a good shear...

[ms-cataclysm.livejournal.com]

you aren't going to do this at my wedding are you ? ... looks anxious ...

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

I wasn't planning to, unless you want me to take time out from being photographer to open the champagne. But you'll have to provide the sword.

[ms-cataclysm.livejournal.com]

Am definitely not into swords at wedding ...