This is a French Naval Cutlass(notice the anchor on the blade near the hilt). Circa 1812. The blade is thick, and stout, but not very heavy. It has a nice balance to it. Your hand feels safe inside the cuff, but the grip is slick, and you can imagine that it would get slippery during the heat of battle. Not fancy or pretty, this sword is designed for the dirty business of hand to hand combat on the rolling decks of tall -masted wooden sailing ships.