fascine knife

Definitions

A large, heavy knife or short sword used by 17th- to 19th-century artillery and infantry soldiers as a sidearm and a tool for cutting fascines (“cylindrical bundles of small sticks of wood, used for strengthening purposes”) and other things.

historical

Equivalents

5 more languages

Suomihukari

Polskitasak

Portuguêschifaroteterçadotraçado

Românătesac

Русскийтесак

Examples

“2000 Canteens. 600 Camp Kettles. 200 Fascine Knives. […] It is to be presumed the troops will be provided with these articles.”

“The [artillery] men have⟳ a short rifle and bayonet, and carry⟳ also a fascine knife; 10 rounds of ammunition in the pouch.”

“The private should have⟳ a side arm of the following description: A short sword, about 20 inches long and 2½ inches wide at the grip; the blade to be ground sharp on one side and provided with saw⟳ teeth on the other; have⟳ a brass guard and buckhorn grip, and to be carried in a leather scabbard on a frog and common black belt. This is called in Europe a fascine knife, and a very useful implement it is in camp and on the field.”

“Verily the man must feel⟳ as though he were in a dream⟳; only a short time before, at a shoemaker's ordinary work⟳, the knocking of his hammer⟳ mingling with the sighs of a sick wife, and now, fascine knife on hip, helmet on closely cropped head, officers' commands in ear, crowds of people, drums, music, and the shrill whistle of the locomotive!—to march⟳ far away to Bohemia; […]”

“[I]f he were furnished with a hundred natives—whom he would get⟳ from the population on the coast—supplied with axes and fascine-knives, he would undertake⟳ to lead⟳ a caravan of beasts of burden to the Kenia without any delay⟳ worth mentioning.”

“Sappeur sections carry⟳ in addition a mattock or a pick⟳ apiece, and each ammunition carrier also carries a pick⟳, a fascine knife, or a saw⟳.”

“Later, some military fascine knives were made with saw-toothed backs, notably the Prussian M1810, M1841 and M1855 Faschinenmesser. Fascine knives were widely issued to engineers, pioneers and foot-artillerymen; smaller numbers were issued to other arms as circumstances dictated.”

CEFR level