Sword Blade Types

[Takako Dito]

TheEnglish 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 single-edged or double-edged knife.

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.

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[2] or misinterpreted[3][4][5] in the 19th century by antiquarians and in 20th century pop culture,[6] and by the addition of new terms such as "great sword", "Zweihnder" (instead of Beidhnder), and "cut-and-thrust sword".[7] Historical European Martial Arts associations have turned the term spada da lato[8] 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.

The term "hand-and-a-half sword" is modern (late 19th century).[9]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" referred to the rapier (in the context of Renaissance or Early Modern fencing).[10]

The Scottish name "claymore" (Scottish Gaelic: claidheamh mr, lit. "large/great sword")[17][18] 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.

Jian (simplified Chinese: 剑; traditional Chinese: 劍; pinyin: jin; 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;[19] one of the earliest specimens being the Sword of Goujian. Historical one-handed versions have blades varying from 45 to 80 cm (18 to 31 in) in length. The weight of an average sword of 70 cm (28 in) blade-length would weigh about 700 to 900 g (1.5 to 2.0 lb).[20] 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 58 in (150 cm) long.

In modern times, 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 pe btarde 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."[21] Espe bastarde could also historically refer to a single-handed sword with a fairly long blade compared to other short swords.[22]

Joseph Swetnam states that the bastard sword is midway in length between an arming sword and a long sword,[23] and Randall Cotgrave's definition seems to imply this, as well. The French pe de passot was also known as pe btarde[citation needed] (i.e., bastard sword) and also coustille croix[24] (literally a cross-hilted blade). The term referred to a medieval single-handed sword optimized for thrusting.[25] The pe de passot was the sidearm of the franc-archers (French or Breton bowmen of the 15th and 16th centuries).[26] The term passot comes from the fact that these swords passed (passaient) the length of a "normal" short sword.[26]

The "Masters of Defence" competition organised by Henry VIII in July 1540 listed[27] "two hande sworde", "bastard sworde", and "longe sworde" as separate items (as it should in Joseph Swetnam's context).[28][29][30][self-published source?]

Antiquarian usage in the 19th century established the use of "bastard sword" as referring unambiguously to these large swords.[31] 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).[9] During the first half of the 20th century, the term "bastard sword" was used regularly to refer to this type of sword.[10]

The Elizabethan long sword (cf. George Silver[32] and Joseph Swetnam) is a single-handed "cut-and-thrust" sword with a 4 ft (1.2 m) blade[23] 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 pe longue.

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).

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]

Knives such as the seax and other blades of similar length between 30 and 60 cm (1 and 2 ft), they are sometimes construed as swords because of their longer blades. 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:

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.

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.[37][38]

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 cm (24 in). The Spartan version of the sword typically had a blade about 30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 in) in length. The Spartan's shorter weapon proved deadly in the crush caused by colliding phalanx formations, as it was far more capable of being thrust through gaps in the enemy's shield wall and armour, where there was little to no room for longer edged weapons. The groin and throat were among the favourite targets.

The term "rapier" appeared in the English lexicon via the French pe rapire which either compared the weapon to a rasp or file; it may be a corruption of "rasping sword"[39] which referred to the sound the blade makes[40] when it comes into contact with another blade. There is no historical Italian equivalent to the English word "rapier".[5]

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.[41][42][43] Early models were either two-handers or "hand-and-a-half" hilted,[44] while later 16th and 17th century models (also known as koncerz) were one-handed and used by cavalry.[45]

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]

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.

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.

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