How to Saber a Champagne Bottle (And Why You Should)

There are two kinds of people in the world.
People who twist the wire cage, thumb the cork out, and pour as quickly as possible before it spills.
And people who take the top off entirely — clean, fast, and in one motion — with a blade.
The second kind of person has a better story to tell.

Sabering a champagne bottle is called sabrage, and it's been around since the time of Napoleon. His cavalry officers allegedly opened bottles on horseback after victories, saber in hand, because subtlety was never part of the plan. The tradition stuck — because some rituals are just too good to abandon.
Here's everything you need to know to do it right.

What Actually Happens When You Saber a Bottle

First, the physics — because understanding it makes the technique make sense.
A champagne bottle is under significant internal pressure, roughly 90 psi. The weakest point on the bottle isn't the cork. It's the lip — the small glass ring at the very top of the neck, just below where the wire cage sits.

When you run a blade along the seam of the bottle and strike that lip with enough force and momentum, the pressure inside does the rest. The top separates cleanly. The cork and the annular ring (the glass collar) come off together. A small amount of champagne rushes out to clear any glass fragments.
Done right, it looks effortless. Because it essentially is — once you know what you're doing.

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The Technique, Step by Step

Step 1: Remove the foil and the wire cage.
Completely. The cage must come off. Keeping a thumb over the cork while you remove it is good practice — the bottle is pressurized and can release without warning once the cage is off.

Step 2: Find the seam.
Run your finger down the side of the bottle. You'll feel two faint vertical seams running from base to lip. These are where the glass mold joined during manufacturing — and they're your guide. The seam is structurally the most consistent breaking point on the bottle.

Step 3: Hold the bottle correctly.
Point it at roughly a 30–45 degree angle away from yourself and anyone nearby. Grip the bottle firmly from underneath, thumb in the punt (the indent at the base). Your four fingers should wrap around the lower half. Do not hold the neck.

Step 4: Run the blade.
Hold the saber flat against the seam, dull spine toward the glass. Starting from the middle of the bottle, run it firmly and smoothly along the seam toward the lip. You're building momentum — not hacking.

Step 5: Strike.
On the final stroke, maintain that momentum through the lip. The goal is a single continuous motion from mid-bottle to the annular ring. Don't hesitate at the top. The strike should be decisive.
The top comes off. Champagne exhales. The room reacts.

Step 6: Pour immediately.
A small rush of champagne clears the opening. Pour quickly into your first glass — this removes any microscopic glass fragments and gets the celebration started in the same motion.

What to Do If It Doesn't Work

The bottle is too warm. Chill it further. This is the most common cause of failed sabrage.
You're hesitating on the strike. Commitment is the technique. A timid stroke glances off. A confident one connects.
You're holding the neck. Don't. The neck should be free. Grip only the body.
You're using the sharp edge. The spine — the blunt back edge — is correct. The sharp edge of a knife tends to chip rather than transfer momentum cleanly.