Sabrage is a technique for opening a champagne bottle with a saber by sliding the blunt side of the blade along the seam of the bottle to break off the neck. The steps are to ensure the bottle is chilled, remove the foil label but not the cork cage, locate the seam, hold the bottle at a 45 degree angle and slide the saber along the seam to practice, then remove the cage and strike decisively along the seam to open it. The top may fly off up to 10 meters so be careful of where it is pointed.

1. How to Saber a
Champagne Bottle?

2. What is Sabrage?
Sabrage is a technique for opening
a Champagne bottle with a saber, used for
ceremonial occasions. The saber is slid along
the body of the bottle to break the entire
neck away from the bottle, leaving only the
base of the bottle open and ready to pour.
The force of the blunt side of the blade
hitting the lip breaks the glass to separate
the collar from the neck of the bottle. Note
that one does not use the sharp side of the
blade. The cork and collar remain together
after separating from the neck.

3. Follow these simple steps and soon you'll be sabering
champagne like a pro and be the life of the party!
1. Make sure the champagne bottle is well-chilled! This is the most important step in a successful
sabrage as a lukewarm bottle is a recipe for failure, shattered glass and wasted champagne.
2. Remove the foil/paper label from the bottle neck for your sabering adventure, but leave the cage
around the cork for now, you don't want to be popping before rocking out your champagne sabre!
3. Locate the seam. A champagne bottle has two seams that runs from top to bottom. Examine the
bottle and locate on of these, our strike will be made along it.
4. Hold the champagne bottle in one hand and your sabre in the other. Hold the bottom of the
champagne bottle pointing upward in a 45 degree angle. Carefully slide the blunt side of the sabre
along the seam up the bottle neck up to the cork back and forth to practice. The actual bottle killing
strike will be made in the same motion, sliding the blunt side of the sabre along the bottle neck,
hitting the cork seam, only faster and more decisive.

4. 5. Remove the cage around the cork and be ready with your sabre! Strike the bottle, along the
seam, according to the instructions in the previous step, decisively but not violently. The strike
should be straight hit, do not strike in a "curve". Depending on the bottle and your experience,
you may need a few strikes before your sabrage is successful. After each unsuccessful attempt,
slide the sabre back and forth along the bottle neck to calibrate for the next blow.
6. Success - the top has left the bottle! Be ready with the champagne glasses! The clean cut of the
sabered bottle is sharp, don't touch or try drinking straight from the bottle!
Note: Be careful where you're pointing the bottle. The top may fly as far as 16-33
ft. If you saber inside, consider attaching a string between the saber and the top of
the bottle so it doesn't cause any damage.

5. Watch the tutorial of how to saber champagne bottle and know more
in detail by following this website:
www.champagnesabres.co.uk/pages/sabrage