Special edition Sabre à Champagne Canard Duchêne

This truly amazing Sabre à Champagne is a special and limited edition created for the 150th anniversary of the French Champagne house Canard Duchêne. This exquisite Sabre is made from bronze and steel and on the blade is engraved “Champagne Canard Duchêne 1868”. This is also printed on the silk of the inside lid of the box. The box and the saber are vintage but in good condition and are a fantastic and unique item from France for the wine or champagne lovers amongst us. Size: Saber length 73cm, the box is w 78 x d 16 x h 4cm. The boxed item weighs 2710 grms. Postage from France included.

What is Sabrage?
Sabrage is a technique for opening a Champagne bottle with a Saber used for ceremonial occasions. The wielder slides the Saber along the body seam of the bottle to the lip to break the top of the neck away, leaving the bottle open and ready to pour. The cork and bottle collar remain together after separating from the neck.

The technique became popular in France when the army of Napoleon visited many of the aristocratic domains. It was just after the French Revolution and the saber was the weapon of choice of Napoleon’s light cavalry (the Hussars). Napoleon’s spectacular victories across all Europe gave them plenty of reason to celebrate. During these parties the cavalry would open the champagne with their sabers. Napoleon, who was known to have said, “Champagne! In victory one deserves it; in defeat one needs it”, may have encouraged this.
There are many stories about this tradition. One of the more spirited tales is that of Madame Clicquot, who had inherited her husband’s small champagne house at the age of 27. She used to entertain Napoleon’s officers in her vineyard, and as they rode off in the early morning with their complimentary bottle of champagne, they would open it with their saber to impress the rich young widow.