Army Officer Saber – Premium Stainless Steel

Why WKC?

1.Saber Etches – Capturing the etching details in photographs can be challenging due to the varying materials used in sabers, the difficulty in showcasing the etching’s depth, and how light interacts with the surface in raw images.

The horizontal “lines” visible in the photos are caused by light reflecting off the blade’s bevel and blood groove. Since all our images are entirely unedited, we have left these reflections intact to present an authentic view.

1. Color: The color difference is perhaps the most evident. WKC’s saber-blade etch has a finer, more refined, and more polished look, a result of first nickel-plating the stainless-steel blades. The acid used in etching reacts differently with the nickel than with the steel blades used by most other manufacturers, resulting in a silver hue rather than a gray hue from the steel. Army specifications allow nickel-plating the blade; we prefer the result of WKC’s additional effort which achieves a more intricate, brilliant, and jewel-like finish.
2. Detail: WKC etches are intricate and very detailed. All sabers were photographed at the exact same size, but you’ll notice the incredible detail difference between the eagle in WKC’s etch and the eagle in the other countries’ etches (e.g., the feathers, the olive branch, the arrows, etc.). The best way to compare the differences is to click on any image below and view the ultra-high-resolution image. We, subjectively, feel there is no comparison.
3. Depth: The depth of the etch is perhaps impossible to depict by photo. The depth is determined by how much acid comes in contact with the “negative” part of the blade over a period of time. WKC immerses the blade in an acid bath to achieve a uniform etch; the depth of the etch is determined by the time it stays in the bath. Some countries brush the acid on, which results in a very superficial etch and can disrupt the uniformity of the etch. One can feel WKC’s etch with a fingernail; no other manufacturer’s etch we saw came close to the depth of WKC’s etch.
4. Uniqueness: You may note the similarities (perhaps one copied the other?) between Country One’s and Country Two’s etches. The specifications state that the etch must include the national-seal eagle, the intertwined and scripted US, the ivy, etc.; however, the exact pattern is determined by each manufacturer’s artisan. WKC has been using their own unique, intricate etch on US Army Sabers for decades.

WKC Sword – sold by Glendale Parade Store

“Other Brands” Army Saber Etch

2.Saber Hand Guards – Below is a photo of the WKC hand guard with some sample areas circled. Under the photo, we discuss each issue. Below our discussion, we show the image of WKC’s hand guard (without the red) and two other manufacturers from different countries.

1. WKC casts its thumb guard with a shell-casting technique. Other countries use a sand-casting technique, leaving pits and sand in the grooves of the thumb guard.
2. Handle shapes can vary slightly. No particular shape is exactly “proper”, but there are likely some shapes you might not care for as well as others. We subjectively consider WKC’s design to a fuller, more elegant design than the others. Furthermore, WKC presses the shape and then hand-files the grooves to round the edges. Other countries sand-cast the guard, again leaving pits and bumps.
3. The Army Saber has a ridge along the edge of the grip. Again, WKC shell-casts the grip. Other countries sand-cast the grip leaving more pits in the grooves.
4. The item circled is the nut that connects the blade to the guard. WKC uses a perfectly oval nut, which we find to be more elegant than the nuts from the other two countries shown. Both have nuts that have parallel sides and more abrupt corners. Visit the guard “shape” page for a better angle.
5. All hand-made sabers have some minor blemishes or slight “waves” that are a result of being hand-made. With other manufaturers’ sabers, we have seen more pits and dents that we would consider inconsistencies in manufacturing that were not properly completed or repaired.
6. WKC fits the metal band that goes around the grip and minimizes any space between the metal band and the grip. Note that “Country One” does a fairly good job of this process; however, “Country Two” has left a gap.