Have you ever seen someone open a champagne bottle with a saber? The act is called sabrage, used for ceremonial occasions. The cork and the glass collar of the bottle are removed in one smooth move, leaving the neck of the bottle intact. You can learn to do it, if you have a proper saber. Do you?
If you do try this, let us know how it turns out! Link -via the Presurfer
When performed correctly, as noted above on a suitably chilled bottle of Champagne, the cork and glass ring will fly away, spilling little of the precious wine and leaves a neat cut on the neck of the bottle. Now, the Champagne is ready to be enjoyed. Not to worry, the internal pressure (100 psi) of the Champagne bottle always ensures that no glass falls back into the bottle making it safe for consumption.
If you do try this, let us know how it turns out! Link -via the Presurfer
Now, your typical solider is no gentleman, nor is he very noble either. I imagine they would raid some rich aristocrat's wine cellar in the middle of nowhere, execute the previous residents, and proceed to get blitzed to blazes from the ex-owner's stash. Rampaging soldiers tend to be an unruly lot, and were probably far too wasted of their asses to bother with opening the bottles in a conventional manner and voila, sabrage was invented!
It was probably the French Napoleonic version of a modern redneck's: "Hey guys! Hold my beer & watch THIS..."
oliver: thanks for the chuckle, dude. That was funny!???