When I was in my last year of high school, I went through a sword phase that transitioned into a history phase that transitioned into… well I went through phases in high school. And one of those phases was a sword phase. The two sheathed swords in front of me? They were Model 1840 Cavalry Sabers – wristbreakers. But… they weren’t.

They boasted silver pommels shaped like strange little boats. The handles were black and felt rubbery – held there by tight, blue wrappings. The hand guard compromised between being a Japanese tsuba and its more traditional basket. Covered in engravings of flowers, ornate washers held the guard in place.

There, wound through and around and from a small steel ring at the top of either guard was a long, bright blue and silver tassel ending in a monkey’s fist knot. The sheaths themselves were mostly black and well-polished, decorated towards the silver locket and towards the equally silver chape with pink and white flowers.