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Classification of swords

The English language terminology used in the classification of swords is imprecise and has varied widely over time. There is no historical dictionary for the universal names, classification or terminology of swords; a sword was simply a double edged knife.

Replica of a late Medieval European double-edged two-handed sword

Historical terms without a universal consensus of definition (i.e. "arming sword", "broadsword", "long sword", etc.) were used to label weapons of similar appearance but of different historical periods, regional cultures and fabrication technology. These terms were often described in relation to other unrelated weapons, without regard to their intended use and fighting style. In modern history, many of these terms have been given specific, often arbitrary meanings that are unrelated to any of their historical meanings.

Terminology

Some of these terms originate contemporaneously with the weapons which they describe. Others are modern or early modern terms used by antiquarians, curators, and modern-day sword enthusiasts for historical swords.

Terminology was further complicated by terms introduced[1] or misinterpreted[2][3][4] in the 19th century by antiquarians and in 20th century pop culture,[5] and by the addition of new terms such as "great sword", "Zweihänder" (instead of Beidhänder), and "cut-and-thrust sword".[6] Historical European Martial Arts associations have turned the term spada da lato[7] into "side-sword". Furthermore, there is a deprecation of the term "broadsword" by these associations. All these newly introduced or redefined terms add to the confusion of the matter.

The most well-known systematic typology of blade types of the European medieval sword is the Oakeshott typology, although this is also a modern classification and not a medieval one. Elizabethans used descriptive terms such as "short", "bastard", and "long" which emphasized the length of the blade, and "two-handed" for any sword that could be wielded by two hands.

Classification by hilt type

 
Warring States era jian (double edged sword)

Handedness

The term two-handed sword, used as a general term, may refer to any large sword designed to be used primarily with two hands:

The term "hand-and-a-half sword" is modern (late 19th century).[8] During the first half of the 20th century, the term "bastard sword" was used regularly to refer to this type of sword, while "long sword" or "long-sword", if used at all, referred to the rapier (in the context of Renaissance or Early Modern fencing).[9]

The term "single-handed sword" (or "one-handed sword") is a retronym coined to disambiguate from "two-handed" or "hand-and-a-half" specimens. "Single-handed sword" is used by Sir Walter Scott.[10] It is also used as a possible gloss of the obscure term tonsword by Nares (1822);[11] "one-handed sword" is somewhat later, recorded from c. 1850.

Apparently, many swords were designed for left-hand use, although left-handed swords have been described as "a rarity".[12]

Great sword

Great swords or greatswords are related to the long swords of the Middle Ages.[13][14][15][dubious ] The great sword proper was developed during the Renaissance, but its earlier cousin, the Scottish Claymore, was very similar in size and use, like the "outsized specimens" between 160 cm and 180 cm (approx. the same height as the user) such as the Oakeshott type XIIa or Oakeshott type XIIIa. These swords were too heavy to be wielded one-handed and possessed a large grip for leverage. The point would be to hold the grip with one hand at the top of the grip, and one hand at the bottom. The top hand would push, and the bottom hand would pull; this gave extra leverage thus the sword would be easier to swing, ignoring much of its weight.

Claymore

The Scottish name "claymore" (Scottish Gaelic: claidheamh mór, lit. "large/great sword")[16][17] can refer to either the longsword with a distinctive two-handed grip, or the basket-hilted sword.[citation needed] The two handed claymore is an early Scottish version of a greatsword.

Zweihänder

The Zweihänder ("two-hander") or Beidhänder ("both-hander") is a true two-handed sword, in the sense that it cannot be wielded in only one hand. It was a specialist weapon wielded by certain Landsknechte (mercenary soldiers), so-called Doppelsöldners.

Classification by blade type

 
Han dynasty Jian swords (above)

Double-edge and straight swords

These are double-edged, usually straight bladed swords, designed for optimized balance, reach and versatility.

Jian

Jian (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: jiàn; Cantonese: gim) is a double-edged straight sword used during the last 2,500 years in China. The first Chinese sources that mention the jian date to the 7th century BC during the Spring and Autumn period;[18] one of the earliest specimens being the Sword of Goujian. Historical one-handed versions have blades varying from 45 to 80 centimeters (18 to 31 inches) in length. The weight of an average sword of 70-centimeter (28-inch) blade-length would be in a range of approximately 700 to 900 grams (1+12 to 2 pounds).[19] There are also larger two-handed versions used by ancient and medieval armies and for training by many styles of Chinese martial arts. Two handed jians from the time of the Chu and Han Dynasty were up to 150 cm (58 in) long.

Longsword

These days, the term longsword most frequently refers to a late Medieval and Renaissance weapon designed for use with two hands. The German langes Schwert ("long sword") in 15th-century manuals did not necessarily denote a type of weapon, but the technique of fencing with both hands at the hilt.[citation needed]

The French épée bâtarde and the English bastard sword originate in the 15th or 16th century,[citation needed] originally having the general sense of "irregular sword or sword of uncertain origin". It was "[a sword] which was neither French, nor Spanish, nor properly Landsknecht [German], but longer than any of these sturdy swords."[20] Espée bastarde could also historically refer to a single-handed sword with a fairly long blade compared to other short swords.[21]

Joseph Swetnam states that the bastard sword is midway in length between an arming sword and a long sword,[22] and Randall Cotgrave's definition seems to imply this, as well. The French épée de passot was also known as épée bâtarde[citation needed] (i.e., bastard sword) and also coustille à croix[23] (literally a cross-hilted blade). The term referred to a medieval single-handed sword optimized for thrusting.[24] The épée de passot was the sidearm of the franc-archers (French or Breton bowmen of the 15th and 16th centuries).[25] The term passot comes from the fact that these swords passed (passaient) the length of a "normal" short sword.[25]

The "Masters of Defence" competition organised by Henry VIII in July 1540 listed[26] "two hande sworde", "bastard sworde", and "longe sworde" as separate items (as it should in Joseph Swetnam's context).[27][28][29][self-published source?]

Antiquarian usage in the 19th century established the use of "bastard sword" as referring unambiguously to these large swords.[30] However, George Silver and Joseph Swetnam refer to them merely as "two hande sworde". The term "hand-and-a-half sword" is modern (late 19th century).[8] During the first half of the 20th century, the term "bastard sword" was used regularly to refer to this type of sword.[9]

The Elizabethan long sword (cf. George Silver[31] and Joseph Swetnam) is a single-handed "cut-and-thrust" sword with a 1.2-meter-long (4 ft) blade[22] similar to the long rapier. "Let thy (long) Rapier or (long) Sword be foure foote at the least, and thy dagger two foote." Historical terms (15th to 16th century) for this type of sword included the Italian spada longa (lunga) and French épée longue.

The term longsword has been used to refer to different kinds of sword depending on historical context:

Spatha

The spatha was a double-edged longsword used by the Romans. The idea for the spatha came from the swords of ancient Celts in Germany and Britain. It was longer than the gladius, and had more reach, so the spatha was most popular with soldiers in the cavalry. The blade could range between 0.5 and 1 m (1 ft 8 in and 3 ft 3 in) long while the handle was usually between 18 and 20 cm (7 and 8 in).

Broadsword

The term "broadsword" was never used historically to describe the one-handed arming sword.[citation needed] The arming sword was wrongly labelled a broadsword by antiquarians as the medieval swords were similar in blade width to the military swords of the day (that were also sometimes labeled as broadswords) and broader than the dueling swords and ceremonial dress swords.[citation needed]

Shortswords and daggers

Knives such as the seax and other blades of similar length – between 30 and 60 cm (1 and 2 ft) – are sometimes construed as swords. This is especially the case for weapons from antiquity, made before the development of high quality steel that is necessary for longer swords, in particular:

Oversized two-handers used as parade swords or ceremonial weapons often exceeded the length and weight of practical weapons of war.

Edgeless and thrusting swords

The edgeless swords category comprises weapons which are related to or labelled as "swords" but do not emphasise hacking or slashing techniques or have any cutting edges whatsoever. The majority of these elongated weapons were designed for agility, precision and rapid thrusting blows to exploit gaps in the enemy's defences; the major joints of the arms, the opening in a visor. However they mainly saw prominence outside the battlefield as a duelling weapon.

Basket-hilted sword

The basket-hilted sword is a sword type of the early modern era characterised by a basket-shaped guard that protects the hand. The basket hilt is a development of the quillons added to swords' crossguards since the Late Middle Ages. In modern times, this variety of sword is also sometimes referred to as the broadsword.[36][37]

Xiphos

The Spartiatēs were always armed with a xiphos as a secondary weapon. Among most Greek warriors, this weapon had an iron blade of about 60 centimetres. The Spartan version was typically only 30–45 centimetres. The Spartan's shorter weapon proved deadly in the crush caused by colliding phalanx formations – it was capable of being thrust through gaps in the enemy's shield wall and armour, where there was no room for longer weapons. The groin and throat were among the favourite targets.

Rapier

The term "rapier" appeared in the English lexicon via the French épée rapière which either compared the weapon to a rasp or file; it may be a corruption of "rasping sword"[38] which referred to the sound the blade makes[39] when it comes into contact with another blade. There is no historical Italian equivalent to the English word "rapier".[4]

Panzerstecher and koncerz

The Panzerstecher ("armour stabber") is a German and East European weapon with a long, edgeless blade of square or triangular cross-section for penetrating armour.[40][41][42] Early models were either two-handers or "hand-and-a-half" hilted,[43] while later 16th and 17th century models (also known as koncerz) were one-handed and used by cavalry.[44]

Tuck and verdun

The "tuck" (French estoc, Italian stocco)[citation needed] is an edgeless blade of square or triangular cross-section used for thrusting.[citation needed] In French, estoc also means thrust or point; and estoc et taille means cut and thrust.[citation needed]

The tuck may also get its name from the verb "to tuck" which means "to shorten".[citation needed]

Small-sword

The small sword or smallsword (also court sword or dress sword, French: épée de cour)[citation needed] is a light one-handed sword designed for thrusting[citation needed] which evolved out of the longer and heavier rapier of the late Renaissance.[citation needed] The height of the small sword's popularity was between the mid-17th and late 18th century.[citation needed] It is thought to have appeared in France and spread quickly across the rest of Europe.[citation needed] The small sword was the immediate predecessor of the Épée de Combat from which the Épée developed[45] and its method of use—as typified in the works of such authors as Sieur de Liancour, Domenico Angelo, Monsieur J. Olivier, and Monsieur L'Abbat—developed into the techniques of the French classical school of fencing.[citation needed] Small swords were also used as status symbols and fashion accessories; for most of the 18th century anyone, civilian or military, with pretensions to gentlemanly status would have worn a small sword on a daily basis.[citation needed]

Single-edge and curved swords

These are single-cutting edged, usually thick or curved construction bladed swords, typically designed for slashing, chopping, severing limbs, tripping or broad sweeping techniques; but were often very poorly designed for stabbing. Swordsmen were trained to use the dulled side for defensive and blocking techniques.

Backsword

The backsword was a single-edged, straight-bladed sword, typically for military use. This type of sword had a thickened back to the blade (opposite the cutting edge), which gave the blade strength. The backsword blade was cheaper to manufacture than a two-edged blade. This type of sword was first developed in Europe in the 15th century and reflected the emergence of asymmetric guards, which made a two-edged blade somewhat redundant. The backsword reached its greatest use in the 17th and 18th century when many cavalry swords, such as the British 1796 Heavy Cavalry Sword, were of this form.

Dao

Dao are single-edged Chinese swords, primarily used for slashing and chopping. The most common form is also known as the Chinese sabre, although those with wider blades are sometimes referred to as Chinese broadswords. In China, the dao is considered one of the four traditional weapons, along with the gun (stick or staff), qiang (spear), and the jian (sword). It is considered "The General of All Weapons".

Hook sword

The hook sword, twin hooks, fu tao or shuang gou (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: 鈎 or 鉤; pinyin: Gou), also known as hu tou gou (tiger head hook), is a Chinese weapon traditionally associated with northern styles of Chinese martial arts and Wushu weapons routines, but now often practiced by southern styles as well.

Kopis

Unlike the xiphos, which is a thrusting weapon, the kopis was a hacking weapon in the form of a thick, curved single edged iron sword. In Athenian art, Spartan hoplites were often depicted using a kopis instead of the xiphos, as the kopis was seen as a quintessential "villain" weapon in Greek eyes.[46]

Khopesh

The khopesh is an ancient Egyptian curved short sword with a length of approx. 50–60 cm long and typically made of bronze or iron.

Katana

Historically, katana () were one of the traditionally made Japanese swords (日本刀, nihontō)[47][48] that were used by the samurai of feudal Japan.[49] Modern versions of the katana are sometimes made using non-traditional materials and methods. The katana is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, slender, single-edged blade usually with a round guard and long grip to accommodate two hands.

Hanger

The hanger (obs. whinyard, whinger, cuttoe), wood-knife, or hunting sword is a long knife or short sword that hangs from the belt and was popular as both a hunting tool and weapon of war.[50][51]

Falchion and cutlass

The falchion (French braquemart,[52] Spanish bracamarte) proper is a wide straight-bladed but curved edged hanger or long knife.[53] The term 'falchion' may also refer to the early cutlass.

The cutlass or curtal-axe also known as a falchion (French badelaire, braquemart,[54] coutelas,[55] malchus; Italian coltellaccio, storta; German messer,[56] dussack, malchus) is a broad-bladed curved hanger or long knife. In later usage, 'cutlass' referred to the short naval boarding sabre.[citation needed]

Sabre

The sabre (US saber) or shable (French sabre, Spanish sable, Italian sciabola, German Säbel, Russian sablya, Hungarian szablya, Polish szabla, Ukrainian shablya) is a single-edged curved bladed cavalry sword.[57]

Scimitar

The scimitar (French cimeterre, Italian scimitarra) is a type of saber that came to refer in general to any sabre used by the Turks or Ottomans (kilic), Persians (shamshir) and more specifically the Stradioti[58] (Albanian and Greek mercenaries who fought in the French-Italian Wars and were employed throughout Western Europe).[59][60] The scimitar proper was the Stradioti saber,[61][62] and the term was introduced into France by Philippe de Commines (1447 – 18 October 1511) as cimeterre,[63] Italy (especially the Venetian Republic who hired the stradioti as mercenaries) as scimitarra, and England as cimeter or scimitar via the French and Italian terms.

See also

References

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  2. ^ e.g., bastard sword, broadsword ["Broadswords". Thearma.org. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
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  5. ^ sword and sorcery fiction, role playing games, fighting games, etc.
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  7. ^ A term that was coined by Italian curators
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classification, swords, this, dynamic, list, never, able, satisfy, particular, standards, completeness, help, adding, missing, items, with, reliable, sources, this, article, possibly, contains, original, research, please, improve, verifying, claims, made, addi. This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources This article possibly contains original research Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations Statements consisting only of original research should be removed October 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message The English language terminology used in the classification of swords is imprecise and has varied widely over time There is no historical dictionary for the universal names classification or terminology of swords a sword was simply a double edged knife Replica of a late Medieval European double edged two handed sword Historical terms without a universal consensus of definition i e arming sword broadsword long sword etc were used to label weapons of similar appearance but of different historical periods regional cultures and fabrication technology These terms were often described in relation to other unrelated weapons without regard to their intended use and fighting style In modern history many of these terms have been given specific often arbitrary meanings that are unrelated to any of their historical meanings Contents 1 Terminology 2 Classification by hilt type 2 1 Handedness 2 1 1 Great sword 2 1 2 Claymore 2 1 3 Zweihander 3 Classification by blade type 3 1 Double edge and straight swords 3 1 1 Jian 3 1 2 Longsword 3 1 3 Spatha 3 1 4 Broadsword 3 1 5 Shortswords and daggers 3 2 Edgeless and thrusting swords 3 2 1 Basket hilted sword 3 2 2 Xiphos 3 2 3 Rapier 3 2 4 Panzerstecher and koncerz 3 2 5 Tuck and verdun 3 2 6 Small sword 3 3 Single edge and curved swords 3 3 1 Backsword 3 3 2 Dao 3 3 3 Hook sword 3 3 4 Kopis 3 3 5 Khopesh 3 3 6 Katana 3 3 7 Hanger 3 3 8 Falchion and cutlass 3 3 9 Sabre 3 3 10 Scimitar 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksTerminology EditSome of these terms originate contemporaneously with the weapons which they describe Others are modern or early modern terms used by antiquarians curators and modern day sword enthusiasts for historical swords Terminology was further complicated by terms introduced 1 or misinterpreted 2 3 4 in the 19th century by antiquarians and in 20th century pop culture 5 and by the addition of new terms such as great sword Zweihander instead of Beidhander and cut and thrust sword 6 Historical European Martial Arts associations have turned the term spada da lato 7 into side sword Furthermore there is a deprecation of the term broadsword by these associations All these newly introduced or redefined terms add to the confusion of the matter The most well known systematic typology of blade types of the European medieval sword is the Oakeshott typology although this is also a modern classification and not a medieval one Elizabethans used descriptive terms such as short bastard and long which emphasized the length of the blade and two handed for any sword that could be wielded by two hands Classification by hilt type Edit Warring States era jian double edged sword Handedness Edit The term two handed sword used as a general term may refer to any large sword designed to be used primarily with two hands the European longsword popular in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance the Scottish late medieval claymore not to be confused with the basket hilted claymore of the 18th century the Bidenhander sword favoured by the Landsknechte of 16th century Germany The term hand and a half sword is modern late 19th century 8 During the first half of the 20th century the term bastard sword was used regularly to refer to this type of sword while long sword or long sword if used at all referred to the rapier in the context of Renaissance or Early Modern fencing 9 The term single handed sword or one handed sword is a retronym coined to disambiguate from two handed or hand and a half specimens Single handed sword is used by Sir Walter Scott 10 It is also used as a possible gloss of the obscure term tonsword by Nares 1822 11 one handed sword is somewhat later recorded from c 1850 Apparently many swords were designed for left hand use although left handed swords have been described as a rarity 12 Great sword Edit Great swords or greatswords are related to the long swords of the Middle Ages 13 14 15 dubious discuss The great sword proper was developed during the Renaissance but its earlier cousin the Scottish Claymore was very similar in size and use like the outsized specimens between 160 cm and 180 cm approx the same height as the user such as the Oakeshott type XIIa or Oakeshott type XIIIa These swords were too heavy to be wielded one handed and possessed a large grip for leverage The point would be to hold the grip with one hand at the top of the grip and one hand at the bottom The top hand would push and the bottom hand would pull this gave extra leverage thus the sword would be easier to swing ignoring much of its weight Claymore Edit The Scottish name claymore Scottish Gaelic claidheamh mor lit large great sword 16 17 can refer to either the longsword with a distinctive two handed grip or the basket hilted sword citation needed The two handed claymore is an early Scottish version of a greatsword Zweihander Edit The Zweihander two hander or Beidhander both hander is a true two handed sword in the sense that it cannot be wielded in only one hand It was a specialist weapon wielded by certain Landsknechte mercenary soldiers so called Doppelsoldners Classification by blade type Edit Han dynasty Jian swords above Double edge and straight swords Edit These are double edged usually straight bladed swords designed for optimized balance reach and versatility Jian Edit Jian simplified Chinese 剑 traditional Chinese 劍 pinyin jian Cantonese gim is a double edged straight sword used during the last 2 500 years in China The first Chinese sources that mention the jian date to the 7th century BC during the Spring and Autumn period 18 one of the earliest specimens being the Sword of Goujian Historical one handed versions have blades varying from 45 to 80 centimeters 18 to 31 inches in length The weight of an average sword of 70 centimeter 28 inch blade length would be in a range of approximately 700 to 900 grams 1 1 2 to 2 pounds 19 There are also larger two handed versions used by ancient and medieval armies and for training by many styles of Chinese martial arts Two handed jians from the time of the Chu and Han Dynasty were up to 150 cm 58 in long Longsword Edit These days the term longsword most frequently refers to a late Medieval and Renaissance weapon designed for use with two hands The German langes Schwert long sword in 15th century manuals did not necessarily denote a type of weapon but the technique of fencing with both hands at the hilt citation needed The French epee batarde and the English bastard sword originate in the 15th or 16th century citation needed originally having the general sense of irregular sword or sword of uncertain origin It was a sword which was neither French nor Spanish nor properly Landsknecht German but longer than any of these sturdy swords 20 Espee bastarde could also historically refer to a single handed sword with a fairly long blade compared to other short swords 21 Joseph Swetnam states that the bastard sword is midway in length between an arming sword and a long sword 22 and Randall Cotgrave s definition seems to imply this as well The French epee de passot was also known as epee batarde citation needed i e bastard sword and also coustille a croix 23 literally a cross hilted blade The term referred to a medieval single handed sword optimized for thrusting 24 The epee de passot was the sidearm of the franc archers French or Breton bowmen of the 15th and 16th centuries 25 The term passot comes from the fact that these swords passed passaient the length of a normal short sword 25 The Masters of Defence competition organised by Henry VIII in July 1540 listed 26 two hande sworde bastard sworde and longe sworde as separate items as it should in Joseph Swetnam s context 27 28 29 self published source Antiquarian usage in the 19th century established the use of bastard sword as referring unambiguously to these large swords 30 However George Silver and Joseph Swetnam refer to them merely as two hande sworde The term hand and a half sword is modern late 19th century 8 During the first half of the 20th century the term bastard sword was used regularly to refer to this type of sword 9 The Elizabethan long sword cf George Silver 31 and Joseph Swetnam is a single handed cut and thrust sword with a 1 2 meter long 4 ft blade 22 similar to the long rapier Let thy long Rapier or long Sword be foure foote at the least and thy dagger two foote Historical terms 15th to 16th century for this type of sword included the Italian spada longa lunga and French epee longue The term longsword has been used to refer to different kinds of sword depending on historical context Zweihander or two hander a late Renaissance sword of the 16th century Landsknechte the longest sword of all the long side sword or rapier 4 with a cutting edge the Elizabethan long sword Spatha Edit The spatha was a double edged longsword used by the Romans The idea for the spatha came from the swords of ancient Celts in Germany and Britain It was longer than the gladius and had more reach so the spatha was most popular with soldiers in the cavalry The blade could range between 0 5 and 1 m 1 ft 8 in and 3 ft 3 in long while the handle was usually between 18 and 20 cm 7 and 8 in Broadsword Edit Claymore 32 Basket hilted sword 33 Sabre 34 The term broadsword was never used historically to describe the one handed arming sword citation needed The arming sword was wrongly labelled a broadsword by antiquarians as the medieval swords were similar in blade width to the military swords of the day that were also sometimes labeled as broadswords and broader than the dueling swords and ceremonial dress swords citation needed Shortswords and daggers Edit Knives such as the seax and other blades of similar length between 30 and 60 cm 1 and 2 ft are sometimes construed as swords This is especially the case for weapons from antiquity made before the development of high quality steel that is necessary for longer swords in particular Iron Age swords Seax a tool and weapon common in Northern Europe Gladius an early ancient Roman thrusting shortsword for legionaries 35 Xiphos a double edged single hand blade used by the ancient Greeks Certain Renaissance era sidearms Baselard a late medieval heavy dagger Cinquedea a civilian long dagger Dirk the Scottish long dagger biodag Hanger or wood knife a type of hunting sword or infantry sabre Certain fascine knives Model 1832 Foot Artillery Sword a blade of about 64 cm 25 in in length designed after the Roman gladius Also known as a coupe chou literally cabbage cutter in France Oversized two handers used as parade swords or ceremonial weapons often exceeded the length and weight of practical weapons of war Edgeless and thrusting swords Edit The edgeless swords category comprises weapons which are related to or labelled as swords but do not emphasise hacking or slashing techniques or have any cutting edges whatsoever The majority of these elongated weapons were designed for agility precision and rapid thrusting blows to exploit gaps in the enemy s defences the major joints of the arms the opening in a visor However they mainly saw prominence outside the battlefield as a duelling weapon Basket hilted sword Edit The basket hilted sword is a sword type of the early modern era characterised by a basket shaped guard that protects the hand The basket hilt is a development of the quillons added to swords crossguards since the Late Middle Ages In modern times this variety of sword is also sometimes referred to as the broadsword 36 37 Xiphos Edit Main article Xiphos The Spartiates were always armed with a xiphos as a secondary weapon Among most Greek warriors this weapon had an iron blade of about 60 centimetres The Spartan version was typically only 30 45 centimetres The Spartan s shorter weapon proved deadly in the crush caused by colliding phalanx formations it was capable of being thrust through gaps in the enemy s shield wall and armour where there was no room for longer weapons The groin and throat were among the favourite targets Rapier Edit Main article Rapier The term rapier appeared in the English lexicon via the French epee rapiere which either compared the weapon to a rasp or file it may be a corruption of rasping sword 38 which referred to the sound the blade makes 39 when it comes into contact with another blade There is no historical Italian equivalent to the English word rapier 4 Panzerstecher and koncerz Edit The Panzerstecher armour stabber is a German and East European weapon with a long edgeless blade of square or triangular cross section for penetrating armour 40 41 42 Early models were either two handers or hand and a half hilted 43 while later 16th and 17th century models also known as koncerz were one handed and used by cavalry 44 Tuck and verdun Edit The tuck French estoc Italian stocco citation needed is an edgeless blade of square or triangular cross section used for thrusting citation needed In French estoc also means thrust or point and estoc et taille means cut and thrust citation needed The tuck may also get its name from the verb to tuck which means to shorten citation needed Small sword Edit Main article Small sword The small sword or smallsword also court sword or dress sword French epee de cour citation needed is a light one handed sword designed for thrusting citation needed which evolved out of the longer and heavier rapier of the late Renaissance citation needed The height of the small sword s popularity was between the mid 17th and late 18th century citation needed It is thought to have appeared in France and spread quickly across the rest of Europe citation needed The small sword was the immediate predecessor of the Epee de Combat from which the Epee developed 45 and its method of use as typified in the works of such authors as Sieur de Liancour Domenico Angelo Monsieur J Olivier and Monsieur L Abbat developed into the techniques of the French classical school of fencing citation needed Small swords were also used as status symbols and fashion accessories for most of the 18th century anyone civilian or military with pretensions to gentlemanly status would have worn a small sword on a daily basis citation needed Single edge and curved swords Edit These are single cutting edged usually thick or curved construction bladed swords typically designed for slashing chopping severing limbs tripping or broad sweeping techniques but were often very poorly designed for stabbing Swordsmen were trained to use the dulled side for defensive and blocking techniques Backsword Edit Main article Backsword The backsword was a single edged straight bladed sword typically for military use This type of sword had a thickened back to the blade opposite the cutting edge which gave the blade strength The backsword blade was cheaper to manufacture than a two edged blade This type of sword was first developed in Europe in the 15th century and reflected the emergence of asymmetric guards which made a two edged blade somewhat redundant The backsword reached its greatest use in the 17th and 18th century when many cavalry swords such as the British 1796 Heavy Cavalry Sword were of this form Dao Edit Main article Dao Chinese sword Dao are single edged Chinese swords primarily used for slashing and chopping The most common form is also known as the Chinese sabre although those with wider blades are sometimes referred to as Chinese broadswords In China the dao is considered one of the four traditional weapons along with the gun stick or staff qiang spear and the jian sword It is considered The General of All Weapons Hook sword Edit Main article Hook sword The hook sword twin hooks fu tao or shuang gou simplified Chinese 钩 traditional Chinese 鈎 or 鉤 pinyin Gou also known as hu tou gou tiger head hook is a Chinese weapon traditionally associated with northern styles of Chinese martial arts and Wushu weapons routines but now often practiced by southern styles as well Kopis Edit Main article kopis Unlike the xiphos which is a thrusting weapon the kopis was a hacking weapon in the form of a thick curved single edged iron sword In Athenian art Spartan hoplites were often depicted using a kopis instead of the xiphos as the kopis was seen as a quintessential villain weapon in Greek eyes 46 Khopesh Edit Main article Khopesh The khopesh is an ancient Egyptian curved short sword with a length of approx 50 60 cm long and typically made of bronze or iron Katana Edit Main article katana Historically katana 刀 were one of the traditionally made Japanese swords 日本刀 nihontō 47 48 that were used by the samurai of feudal Japan 49 Modern versions of the katana are sometimes made using non traditional materials and methods The katana is characterized by its distinctive appearance a curved slender single edged blade usually with a round guard and long grip to accommodate two hands Hanger Edit The hanger obs whinyard whinger cuttoe wood knife or hunting sword is a long knife or short sword that hangs from the belt and was popular as both a hunting tool and weapon of war 50 51 Falchion and cutlass Edit The falchion French braquemart 52 Spanish bracamarte proper is a wide straight bladed but curved edged hanger or long knife 53 The term falchion may also refer to the early cutlass The cutlass or curtal axe also known as a falchion French badelaire braquemart 54 coutelas 55 malchus Italian coltellaccio storta German messer 56 dussack malchus is a broad bladed curved hanger or long knife In later usage cutlass referred to the short naval boarding sabre citation needed Sabre Edit Main article Sabre The sabre US saber or shable French sabre Spanish sable Italian sciabola German Sabel Russian sablya Hungarian szablya Polish szabla Ukrainian shablya is a single edged curved bladed cavalry sword 57 Scimitar Edit The scimitar French cimeterre Italian scimitarra is a type of saber that came to refer in general to any sabre used by the Turks or Ottomans kilic Persians shamshir and more specifically the Stradioti 58 Albanian and Greek mercenaries who fought in the French Italian Wars and were employed throughout Western Europe 59 60 The scimitar proper was the Stradioti saber 61 62 and the term was introduced into France by Philippe de Commines 1447 18 October 1511 as cimeterre 63 Italy especially the Venetian Republic who hired the stradioti as mercenaries as scimitarra and England as cimeter or scimitar via the French and Italian terms See also EditList of premodern combat weapons Swords Types of swords History of the sword Oakeshott typologyReferences Edit e g hand and a half sword single handed sword Pappenheimer Pappenheimer Sword myArmoury com Retrieved 2015 10 08 Pappenheimer Define Pappenheimer at Dictionary com Dictionary reference com Retrieved 2015 10 08 Walloon sword Sinclair Sabre Mortuary sword spada da lato town sword etc e g bastard sword broadsword Broadswords Thearma org Retrieved 2015 10 08 SOCIETY WEAPONS THRUSTING AND CUTTING WEAPONS 1 image Visual Dictionary Online Visual merriam webster com 2008 10 29 Retrieved 2015 10 08 rapier a b c The rapier revisited Salvatorfabris org 1970 01 01 Retrieved 2015 10 08 estoc flamberge etc sword and sorcery fiction role playing games fighting games etc cut and thrust sword A term that was coined by Italian curators a b New Gallery London England 1890 Exhibition of the Royal House of Tudor Retrieved 2015 10 08 via Google Books a b Cox Trenchard 2009 02 23 A General Guide to the Wallace Collection London England Wallace Collection Retrieved 2015 10 08 via Google Books in Death of the Laird s Jock 1831 Robert Nares A glossary or Collection of words which have been thought to require illustration in the works of English authors 1822 Tony Willis A Pair of Scottish Swords Page One Page Two Page Three Page Four Ewart Oakeshott 1994 The Sword in the Age of Chivalry Woodbridge Boydell Press pp 42 46 ISBN 978 0 85115 715 3 OCLC 807485557 OL 26840827M Wikidata Q105271484 Oakeshott Ewart Records of the Medieval Sword Boydell Press 1991 Page 89 and 95 Du Fresne Du Cange C Henschel G A L Carpentier P Adelung J C Favre L Freher M Scaliger J J Welser M 1887 Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis Indices pp v ccxvi amp Extraits des observations sur l Histoire de Saint Louis L Favre Search Chambers Free English Dictionary chambers co uk Archived from the original on 2013 09 28 Retrieved 2014 05 27 Claymore jacobites info Archived from the original on 2013 09 15 Retrieved 2014 05 27 Ebrey 1999 p 41 Rodell 2003 p 19 Qui n etait ni Francaise ni Espagnole ni proprement Lansquenette mais plus longue que ces fortes epees Rabelais Francois de 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via Google Books Sword types in prize playing The Association for Renaissance Martial Arts Thearma org Retrieved 2015 10 08 Joseph Strutt The sports and pastimes of the people of England from the earliest period including the rural and domestic recreations May games mummeries pageants processions and pompous spectacles 1801 p 211 London Masters of Defense Iceweasel org 1998 05 29 Retrieved 2015 10 08 The London Masters of Defense Iceweasel org Archived from the original on 2021 02 25 Retrieved 2015 10 08 Oakeshott 1980 The Raymond J Lord Collection of Historical Combat Treatises and fencing manuals Terms of Use PDF Umass edu Archived from the original PDF on 2017 06 29 Retrieved 2015 10 08 Pennant T 1776 A Tour in Scotland and Voyage to the Hebrides 1772 B White Forms of European Edged Weaponry myArmoury com Retrieved 2014 05 27 Abel Boyer William Bentley Fowle 1835 Boyer s French Dictionary p 225 Retrieved 2015 10 08 via Google Books Romeinse Rijk 3 1 Landmacht Encarta Encyclopedie 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2015 10 08 Glossaire archeologique du Moyen Age et de la Renaissance Paris Societe bibliographique Retrieved 2015 10 08 Historical Messer Drawings Albion swords com Retrieved 2015 10 08 Ethnographic Arms amp Armour Article Notes on development of modern sabers Role of Eastern Europe amp the Hussars Vikingsword com Retrieved 2015 10 08 Stradioti Balkan Mercenaries In Fifteenth And Sixteenth Century Italy Shsu edu Archived from the original on 2015 09 24 Retrieved 2015 10 08 estradiot definition de estradiot citations exemples et usage pour estradiot dans le dictionnaire de francais Littre adapte du grand dictionnaire de la langue francaise d Emile Littre Littre reverso net Retrieved 2015 10 08 Glossaire archeologique du Moyen Age et de la Renaissance Paris Societe bibliographique Retrieved 2015 10 08 Jacques Benigne Bossuet 1863 Oeuvres complctes de Bossuet p 267 Retrieved 2015 10 08 via Google Books Auguste Racinet 1876 Le costume historique Cinq cents planches trois cents en couleurs or et Retrieved 2015 10 08 via Google Books Levasseur Michel Des princes francais rois de Sicile rois de Naples p 190 ISBN 9782748377675 Retrieved 2015 10 08 via Google Books External links EditBest and most powerful martial arts fight science Top Quality Bokken Katana Sword available for Martial Arts training Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Classification of swords amp oldid 1128493319 Handedness, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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