A sword called by these names would most likely have a blade length of 33 to 40+ inches and a grip and pommel that one can get both hands placed comfortably upon. Often also referred to as a hand-and-a-half sword. [49] Modern versions of the katana are sometimes made using non-traditional materials and methods. Others also had knuckle guards, particularly the Swiss style. A longsword (also spelled as long sword or long-sword) is a type of European sword characterized as having a cruciform hilt with a grip for primarily two-handed use (around 15 to 30cm or 6 to 12in), a straight double-edged blade of around 80 to 110cm (31 to 43in), and weighing approximately 1 to 1.5kg (2lb 3oz to 3lb 5oz).[1][2]. It was longer than the gladius, and had more reach, so the spatha was most popular with soldiers in the cavalry. The Austrian Bastard Sword. Black War Sword And Scabbard - High Carbon Steel Blade, Wooden Handle, Leather-Wrapped - Length 42". They also had a pommel that counterbalanced the weight of the blade, improving its maneuverability. . Traditional vs Modern Differential Hardening for Swords. Minneapolis Minnesota Powered by Shopify. This 15th Century Hand and a Half Sword is a surprisingly agile sword for its size with a total weight of only about 3 lbs - this ensures the sword is swift on the strike and a fine sword for drills and use. Ewart Oakeshott classified medieval swords into types, focusing on their blade type, pommel, and crossguard designs. In a depiction of a duel, individuals may be seen wielding sharply pointed longswords in one hand, leaving the other hand open to manipulate the large dueling shield. The two terms are largely equivalent to "unarmoured fighting" (blossfechten) and "armoured fencing" (fechten im harnisch). This technique combines the use of the sword with wrestling, providing opportunities to trip, disarm, break, or throw an opponent and place them in a less offensively and defensively capable position. The term longsword has been used to refer to different kinds of sword depending on historical context: The spatha was a double-edged longsword used by the Romans. A longsword typically features a blade with a length of approximately 33 to 41 inches (85 to 110 cm). The term "hand-and-a-half sword" refers to a sword with a moderate-length blade that can be used with either one hand or two. After a Brief exchange with the Questioner in another answer, I have gotten an approximation of what recurve profile has been asked upon. Grip Length: 7.5 inches; Overall Length: 46.5 inches; Blade thickness (base): 4.6 mm; Blade thickness (1" from tip): 3.0 mm; Guard Width: 10 inches; Most long swords were double edged. We will respect your privacy. The 34 inch blade on that tends to be like 2 inches wide and 6mm+ thick and tapering . 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. At the most basic level a longsword, also often known as a hand-and-a-half sword or a Bastard Sword, is a double-edged European sword, often with a cruciform hilt, that is capable of being used in either one hand or two. The Zweihnder ("two-hander") or Beidhnder ("both-hander") is a true two-handed sword, in the sense that it cannot be wielded in only one hand. [24] The pe de passot was the sidearm of the franc-archers (French or Breton bowmen of the 15th and 16th centuries). Swordecyclopedia 2022 - All Rights Reserved, Medieval Swordsmanship: Illustrated Methods And Techniques, Medieval Military Technology, Second Edition. Sub-type XXa has a more acutely tapering blade and a more acute point. Properties. Specifications: Overall Length: 43" Blade Length: 33" Weight: 3 lbs Edge: Unsharpened Width: 4.7 mm - 3.6 mm Pommel: Nut P.O.B. Hand-and-a-Half (26) Length. The sword is made of carbon steel with a Rockwell hardness of HRC 54 ? Hand-and-a-half swords varied in their blade length, usually ranging from 88 to 100 centimeters (35 to 40 inches). Hand and a half swords are basically the historically correct terminology for a long sword, it's a sword that can be two handed or one handed depending on your needs, it only weighs like a pound and a half so it's super easy to handle. A channel ran down about half of the blade. . In the years to follow, however, the sword later became known as a "bastard sword." These blades are long and slowly tapering, with a flat hexagonal blade cross-section and a fuller running along one third of the blade. Their defining characteristics is that they have three fullers, a shallow central fuller running along half the blade's length, with two shallow parallel fullers along the first quarter. Sponsored. After looking around, we'd appreciate 2 minutes of your timeto answer 3 short questions about your experience. The bastard sword had a two-edged blade that tapered into a point and weighed around 5-8 pounds, it was usually around 40 to 48 inches in length. Handle Length. Historical (15th to 16th century) terms for this type of sword included Portuguese espada-de-armas, estoque or espada de duas mos for the version with longer handle used exclusively with both hands; Spanish espadn, montante, or mandoble, Italian spada longa (lunga) or spada due mani (Bolognese), and Middle French passot. Optimized for armored combat, their blades were steeply pointed, suggesting that their primary function was to pierce armor. This could be a 5-inch handle with a pommel that accommodates being used as part of the grip to one that would have considerable room between the hands. The French pe btarde and the English "bastard sword" originate in the 15th or 16th century, originally in the general sense of "irregular sword, sword of uncertain origin", but by the mid-16th century could refer to exceptionally large swords. Another technique would be the Mordstreich (lit. By the 15th century, larger and heavier swords had been developed, including the 'Bastard' or 'Hand-and-a-half' sword. They had handles of roughly 17 to 25 centimeters (7 to 10 inches), excluding pommels, and weighed about 3 to 4 pounds. This type includes the 14th to 15th century "hand and a half sword" or "two-handed" swords, often with two or more fullers. The term hand and . We see very thin blades with tremendous cutting potential to swords of the more common diamond cross section, many with fullers, to the category of Tucks which hadblades designed for thrusting and levering ones opponent in close play. . The name hand-and-a-half is not a historical term. [17]:plates 128150, Another variation of use comes from the use of armour. Others are modern or early modern terms used by antiquarians, curators, and modern-day sword enthusiasts for historical swords. More . 3 lb. The Blunted Blade is made from hardened spring steel with a full tang construction. This . Inspired from swords used during the late 14th through to the mid-16th centuries, this is a hand and a half length sword and is fully functional. SBCM-MAS-RED [17]:1516 The blade was generally used with both hands on the hilt, one resting close to or on the pommel. The earliest forms of these are oversized examples of the single handed swords would be hard to distinguish as a separate group. A longsword is, obviously, longer than a shortsword. The hand-and-a-half sword was a balanced weapon that enabled one to use it with one or both hands. Perhaps. The blade length is about 70 to 80 cm (28-32 inches). Most longswords were made between the mid-14th century and the mid-16th century, and most of these measure approximately 120-150 cm overall (100-120 cm blade length) and weigh an average 1.5 kg. Apart from being a writer, she also dabbles in fashion modeling and acting. The distinction between two-handed swords and longswords can be confusing, and the deeper you delve into marginal cases the less clear the distinction can become. These are all in reference to swords commonly called hand and a half swords or longswords today. 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]. The "longsword" type exists in a morphological continuum with . In modern history, many of these terms have been given specific, often arbitrary meanings that are unrelated to any of their historical meanings. SPADA DI STOCCO. [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. George Silver[31] and Joseph Swetnam) is a single-handed "cut-and-thrust" sword with a 1.2-meter-long (4ft) blade[22] similar to the long rapier. In the Oakeshott typology of blade morphology, "longswords" figure as a range of sub-types of the corresponding single-handed sword types.[16]. The lack of significant torso and limb protection leads to the use of a large amount of cutting and slicing techniques in addition to thrusts. When we see references to the Grans espes d'Allemagne (large swords of Germany) at the beginning of the 14th century,it is obvious that the idea of a larger sword for use with two hands has entered the arsenal of the Medieval Knight. There is no historical Italian equivalent to the English word "rapier". The grip of the hand and a half sword was long enough to accommodate one hand or two hands when used in combat. The idea for the spatha came from the swords of ancient Celts in Germany and Britain. The intention of how to use the sword most likely dictated the way they were listed in inventories of the day. Some of the heavier normal size swords that I looked out were the single handed wide blade cut and thrust swords like the Munich town guard swords. Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more , The 4 Key Elements of a High-Quality Traditional Japanese Sword. The name bastard sword was first used in the 15th century, as far as we know. [citation needed] The height of the small sword's popularity was between the mid-17th and late 18th century. 120-150 cm (47-59 in), blade length: avg. This probably represents the differing tastes of current sword buyers from those of the Middle Ages. Hand and a half swords is a modern term to describe bastard swords but it is used in reference to long swords. Price Availability* Description SBA-WARSPIKE $ 95 14 In Stock The Warspike: Knight Longsword Engrave this item for $20 . When wielded one-handed, they can be paired with a shield for extra defense. The weight of an average sword of 70-centimeter (28-inch) blade-length would be in a range of approximately .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}700 to 900 grams (1+12 to 2 pounds).