Some pop their bottle open, others twist. But there’s only one way to open champagne with true brio: beheading the bottle with a ceremonial saber. It is a practice with Napoleonic roots, and many saberagers even carry their own swords for the purpose. One such enthusiast, Nicolas Krafft, president and CEO of French silverware company Christofle says, “I have an extensive collection of antique sabers, and each has its own character”. So what’s the appeal to fans? “It’s the wonderful moment of anticipation before the saber connects with the bottle.” According to Tom Tuke-Hastings, founder of luxury company Henry Tuke, which offers a saber through Harrods in London priced at $46,000, “There are whole brotherhoods of sabering. It’s particularly popular with military fraternities.” Henry Tuke designed its saber to be a little shorter than a cavalry saber, forged it from stainless Damascus steel, and finished it with a solid-silver guard and shagreen grip. It claims the Guinness World Record for most bottles sabered in a minute: 35. And yes, that is a challenge. uk.christofle.com
