Sharpening Swords And Bayonets

[Honest John]

During the wars as depected on the silver screen, the evening before the big battle everyone sat around sharpening his edged weapon. In life I have never seen a sharpened sword or bayonet. Indeed, if the piece has been sharpened it is said to reduce the value.

So, did these soldiers sit around sharpening their pieces or not? If they did, why don't we ever see one? My 1860 enlisted man's saber dated 1865 was not sharpened. Thanks.

 

[Coonewah Creek]

IIRC, Forrest sharpened his...just sayin'.

 

[bobinwmass]

Swords typically were not sharpened as it was not necessary. It was the force of the blow that caused the most damage. But some swords were sharpened. The regimental history of the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry reports they ground their blades as sharp as possible, and indeed the 2 Massachusetts marked cavalry sabers in my collection are sharpened. One of my officer swords is also sharpened, though most of the swords in my collection are not.

 

[UCVRelics]

Its been my experience in the past when I have seen sharpened swords they were done after the war and the patina on the edge didn't match the rest of the blade.

 

[Jeff in Ohio]

I've read that a sharpened sword could cut into bone and stick, meaning the wielder lost his sword. If you have ever buried an axe into a green tree trunk, you had to wiggle it to loosen it so you could remove it. If you were moving on horseback and your sharp sword stuck in someone's bone, you would not have the chance to wiggle it and loosen it - you would LOSE IT or if you held on, you would get jerked from your saddle.
A dull sword injured and stunned with a blow, but would not get stuck.
Just as in the modern reality TV shows, it is surely impressive to show a sharpened sword slice through a watermelon, but that doesn't mean this would be best for use in combat.
That's especially true since except for officer's swords, a sign of rank and not meant for use as a weapon, the users of swords in the Civil War would be cavalry troopers, expected to swing their swords while on horseback and moving, and so they could not risk getting their swords stuck as they moved.
NOW, remember that the idea of sharp sword that could slice off you arm (or head) would be frightening, and so it could well be that it might scare an enemy to believe that Forrest or the 1st Mass Cavalry might attack with razor sharp blades, and so that would be a good story to spread around, whether or not you sharpened your blade!