"Sabretache - what's it for?" Topic

The American usage of biscuit completely ignores the French and Latin origins of the word which means "twice cooked" or "cooked again" where they had two bakings, one to essentially cook the mixture and then at a higher temperature to crisp them.

"One other great idea is to drop spoonfuls of them into a pot of stew about 10 minutes before it's due to come off the heat, cover, and let the biscuits form a layer over the top. It's wicked good, yessah!" – sounds a very similar result to dumplings, a traditional English accompaiment to stews where small balls of suet pastry are dropped into the gravy for the last 10 mins of cooking.

"Biscuits and gravy….probably the most disappointing meal I ate in my brief holidays in America" – you did well then to avoid the 'grits'; possibly one of the nastiest things I've ever had at breakfast, apart from the rice gruel they serve in Hong Kong

Up North (England that is) I have been given 'hot baps stuffed wi chips'. Considered a delicacy apparently….

Threads like these are exactly why I love TMP…

Disclaimer: I'm a "Yank" born in Kentucky but lived all over, in California for the last 35 years.

1. Handbag = a bag carried in the hand, possibly with a handle. Not used by "real men."

2. Purse = like a handbag but with a shoulder strap. Not used by "real men."

3. Biscuit = a waste of dough, as it has no yeast in it. Though slightly better than "grits."

The difference between a handbag (not manly) and a knapsack slung over one shoulder (manly) is the point of balance?

The Sabretache has to make a come back. Where can I find a pattern?

Bearing in mind the degree of literacy among the general population 18th/19th centuries; I would imagine the sabretache being superfluous for most, hardly big enough for a loaf, bottle and sausage. Just another piece of kit which has to be kept, worn and paid for.

Reading de Brack thorough description of how and where a light horseman should pack his belongings, the sabretache is noticeable in its absence.

In the portmonteau is a spare jacket, spare trousers, two or three shirts, and a spare pair of boots go into the portmanteau. He advises using leather saddle bags instead of the portmanteau as it is a bad piece of kit. One side of the saddle bags gets the linen goods and the other has provisions (these bags ought be balanced). The provisions wallet should also have salt, pepper, onion, garlic, shalot, vinegar and matches and wax taper.

The LaSalle trousers have pockets and in the pockets should be (for officers at least) a memorandum book, a good pencil, a pocket compass, a tin spoon, a strong knife, a pen knife, a hoof pick, an awl, a lancet, and a steel.

The handkerchief is to be carried in the shako.

His purse should be in a belt next to his skin and a few coins should be sewn into the lining of one of his oldest jackets.

The small valise packed upon his horse should contain toilet articles, a shirt, a pair of socks, a hankerchief, the housewife (sewing/repair kit with spare boot nails, trouser straps, trouser buckles), a roll of bandages, a small writing case containing a few sheets of paper, some ink, pencils, pens, wafers, a bit of india ink, and a brush.

Under the troops, on the saddle (saddle bags), should be a burlap wallet containing rations on the offisde and oats on the other.

The pockets of the officer's shabraque should contain, the one a folded nosebag to be used in feeding grain in bivouac, the other his pipe. (Is this then the sabretache?)

The tobacco pouch (de Brack advises officers to encourage all their men to smoke) will be hung to the trooper's sabre. Field glasses are worn across the chest. His brandy flask is in his wallet.

Upon the led horse, between the saddle bags should be a large can and a tin saucepan, also a scythe with its handle.

Sometimes officers carry toilet articles in cartridge boxes which is wrong as it is no good for an officer to try borrowing cartridges from troopers.

Every trooper should carry at least one set of fitted spare horseshoes, enough nails for double that, and a set of rough nails for icy conditions.

At the present day, a light cavalrymen carries 246-253 pounds not counting rations.

Of course The Queen's Own Shameless Hussies need a purse.
How else would they carry their biscuits!

Malcolm

Thankyou for your learned contribution.

I have re-enacted a Napoleonic hussar for 15 years across the battlefields of europe, this is what we keep in our Sabretache and elsewhere!

1. Stable hat stuffed into shako or muff cap so you have something to put on when you take your big hat off.

2. In special pocket inside dolman – passport and travel insurance so when you are carted off in an ambulance jonnie foreigner will treat you. (Last used in Balaclava hospital, Ukraine 2004)

3. waitcoat pockets -hankerchief (officers only) and local coins for beer buying and bribing local urchins.

4. forage bag – Telescope, (for checking out teenage drummer-girls in enemy ranks) the breakfast the event oganisers gave you, ie squashed bread roll, squashed sausage/boiled egg squashed yoghourt, plastic bottle of water, hip flask of scotch, digital camera (with crumbs stuck to it) several burst black powder cartridges from the last event but one, so that sausage/bread makes your lips go black.

5. water bottle – empty since it leaks like a sieve anyway and in order to prevent it bashing you in the head while riding the strap is so short you couldnt drink out of it anyway.

6. sabretache – Wallet, car keys if travelling overland, car rental keys and air tickets as applicable, email printout of how to find event site from airport. mobile phone (also useful for calling girlfriend from hospital see 2. above) condoms (you are dressed as a hussar after all), all the ball buttons that have fallen off you dolman and pelisse that weekend.

7. Valise – washing and shaving kit, stable jacket spare pants (underpants in america, before I start another linguistic debate) spare shirt, copy of FHM to read on journey. white duck trousers to wear out in evenings, bottle of warm coke, packet of crisps.

8. front saddle wallets are not troopers' issue, but where present make space for more squashed bread rolls, or just about fit a bottle of wine and some cups.

Not what Blucher or Lassalle would have expected, but in keeping with tradition we think…

Cheers!

And I should have added a pen and pad in the sabretache for writing out your email address to give to admirers, although with facebook this tradition is now considered archaic…

Howdy,

I registered just so I could comment on this thread.

Many years ago, I used to hang out at a military antique store. The owner had just gotten a shipment in from Europe and as we were going through the box, we found a German WWII officer's sabrateche. He was apparently a staff officer in North Africa when for whatever reason, he became separated from his sabrateche.

It was smaller than a hussar's, of plain black leather and seems to have attached at the belt. It seems not to ever have been inspected. We opened it up and inside was a pad of German Army stationary, several pencils (with swastika) and a pack of Istambuli cigarettes complete with 20 worm eaten smokes and Third Reich tax stamp.

So, that's what this fellow kept in his. The owner game me the Istambuli pack and I still have it somewhere. Hope that helps.

Dieter