The 1861 to 1865 American Civil War is one of the most prominent markers of the era. Although gunpowder had already been part of the common soldier’s arsenal, many still favored the use of swords. For one thing, swords could be easily drawn in close quarters combat – and for years prior to that, soldiers were given more training in sword fighting than in any other weaponry. Also, guns at that time had very difficult reloading stages, with the gunman pouring and igniting the gunpowder one shot at a time. The most common swords during that time were cutlasses and sabers.
Sabers were considered as backswords, or swords that have rather thick metal backings to support the edged side of the blade. Most sabers during that time were curved, but there were also straight types that made it easier to use, since the main purpose of these weapons was stabbing. These often utilized hand guards to protect the person’s thumb and forefingers during parrying and thrusts. More elaborate hand guards (i.e. carved gold) were usually symbols of a person’s high military ranking or political prestige. Cutlasses on the other hand were also one form of saber with a much broader slashing sword. These can sometimes be distinguished by a basket shaped hand guard or what is termed as solid cupped.
These two kinds of swords are pretty much prevalent these days, particularly in reenactments. Civil war reenactment swords are getting a lot of use among people who engage in reenactment scenarios. Some prefer to use authentic sabers and cutlasses (especially if these have seen their battle already) while others commission custom made pieces so as to fit their “roles.”