The blade measured around 1 metre (40 inches), the grip averaged 15-23 cm (6-9 inches). A channel ran down about half of the blade. A longsword, hand and a half sword or bastard sword is a long, symmetrical sword with a cruciform (cross-shaped) hilt, and a double-edged blade tapered to a sharp point for thrusting. 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. The last known German manual to include longsword teaching was that of Jakob Sutor, published in 1612. The grete war sword, also called epee de guerre or great sword, was an earlier type of longsword used throughout most of western Europe. The Military History Book: The Ultimate Visual Guide to the Weapons that Shaped the World, Cut and Thrust: European Swords and Swordsmanship, Knight: The Warrior and World of Chivalry, Medieval Armies and Weapons in Western Europe: An Illustrated History, The Art of Sword Combat: A 1568 German Treatise on Swordsmanship. Ehhh, Xiphos were typically more of a shortsword, usually only about 24ish inches in length. Though deemed a Hand and a Half sword, this sword has a grip length and handling characteristics that would be fitting for a longsword. An example of a "true" bastard sword / hand-and-a-half sword Skallagrim 1.56M subscribers 881K views 7 years ago The term longsword (or "long sword") is often incorrectly applied to. What are the dimensions/measurements of a historically accurate hand The Spartiats were always armed with a xiphos as a secondary weapon. Replicated from a sword thought to be that of Albrecht II of Austria, the Hand-and-a-Half Sword represents the pinnacle of beauty and balance in medieval swords. Landesbib. A rapier (/ r e p i r /) or espada ropera is a type of sword with a slender and sharply-pointed two-edged blade that was popular in Western Europe, both for civilian use (dueling and self-defense) and as a military side arm, throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.. Accurate Sword Guide : r/coolguides - reddit The evolution of the large swords of war into the Knightly longsword can first be seen as a distinct group in the swords of Oakeshotts Type XIIa and XIIIa. 55413 United States. avg. Black War Sword And Scabbard - High Carbon Steel Blade, Wooden Handle, Leather-Wrapped - Length 42". [53] The term 'falchion' may also refer to the early cutlass. Slung across his back in a black leather shoulder sheath was Longclaw, the hand-and-a-half bastard blade the Old Bear had given him for saving his life. Hand-and-a-half swords can be used with one or both hands as needed in combat. Use in the Inheritance cycle Jian (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: jin; Cantonese: gim) is a double-edged straight sword used during the last 2,500 years in China. By The Sword, Inc. - 15th Century Hand and a Half Sword Longsword | Military Wiki | Fandom Half-swording was a manner of using both hands, one on the hilt and one on the blade, to better control the weapon in thrusts and jabs. It allowed more accurate and powerful thrusts against armored opponents. Would a sword with a long handle, but a shorter blade (like an arming sword) be a "bastard" neither being a one nor two handed sword? Sword 5 - 15th Century Hand and a Half Sword. Quantity. The term "broadsword" was never used historically to describe the one-handed arming sword. Well, the most notable benefit of this sword type is the ability to use it with another weapon or shield. Irish Hand and Half Sword by Legacy Arms - CAS Iberia $440. This increased the accuracy and strength of thrusts and provided more leverage for Ringen am Schwert or "wrestling at/with the sword". Cod. Hans Talhoffer, a mid-15th-century German fightmaster, is probably the most prominent, using a wide variety of moves, most resulting in wrestling. First quarter of the 9th c. A.D. (Stuttgart: Wurt. 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. These are double-edged, usually straight bladed swords, designed for optimized balance, reach and versatility. A longsword (long sword) is any sword that is generally wielded with two hands. Sub-type XXa has a more acutely tapering blade and a more acute point. Others are modern or early modern terms used by antiquarians, curators, and modern-day sword enthusiasts for historical swords. Leadingthe research, replication and understanding ofarms and armor for over 37 years, creating exceptional items for those who appreciate history and its material culture. The sword is made of carbon steel with a Rockwell hardness of HRC 54 ? 4.14-3.1 cm, then sharp point. [13] Recommended Products Windlass Rustblocker Special Offer (Reg $24.95) [+$21.95] Flitz Care Kit Special Offer (Reg $26.95) [+$21.95] In stock BUY NOW OVERVIEW Hand-and-a-half swords have special half-grips that can be used with either one or both hands. The specific term used to describe these swords in period varied by region as listed above. Longsword | Medieval Wiki | Fandom The term hand-and-a-half or bastard sword became a label to denote the later manifestations of these war swords or longswords. Two-Hander Longsword DJ Combat Two-Hander Longsword (2 reviews) Write a Review SKU: DD-W-206 $110.00 Quantity: Description Specifications Made from polypropylene. the same height as the user) such as the Oakeshott type XIIa or Oakeshott type XIIIa. Blofechten (blosz fechten) or "bare fighting" is the technique of fighting without significant protective armour such as plate or mail. Two-handed swords, on the other hand, are long and heavy, making them particularly effective at dealing critical blows. 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. Rapier - Wikipedia 15th Century. Cold Steel Hand-and-A-Half Sword with Leather/Wood Scabbard In Italy, spadone, or longsword, instruction lingered on despite the popularity of the rapier, at least into the mid-17th century (Alfieri's Lo Spadone of 1653), with a late treatise of the "two handed sword" by one Giuseppe Colombani, a dentist in Venice dating to 1711. . Hanwei's Albrecht Sword Review The German school of swordsmanship includes the earliest known longsword Fechtbuch, a manual from approximately 1389, known as GNM 3227a. Ewart Oakeshott classified medieval swords into types, focusing on their blade type, pommel, and crossguard designs. Historically, katana () were one of the traditionally made Japanese swords (, nihont)[47][48] that were used by the samurai of feudal Japan. There are two late examples of longswords kept in the Swiss National Museum, both with vertically grooved pommels and elaborately decorated with silver inlay, and both belonging to Swiss noblemen in French service during the late 16th and early 17th century, Gugelberg von Moos and Rudolf von Schauenstein. [5]:133[15] All these newly introduced or redefined terms add to the confusion of the matter. Deepeeka Spadona Review - sword-buyers-guide.com 4 European Single Hand-and-a-half Sword. The hand-and-a-half sword had a longer reach than the so-called short sword, the earlier arming sword, making it significant for a mounted knight fighting against other cavalry and foot soldiers. It could also be used one-handed against lightly armored archers from horseback and two-handed for thrusting attacks against heavily armored opponents. The Scottish Gaelic claidheamh mr means "great sword"; anglicised as claymore, it came to refer to a large Scottish type of longsword with a Vshaped crossguard. CAS Hanwei Hand-and-a-Half Sword SH2034 - Amazon.com Venezia, fine secolo XV. [5]:130 These all seem to have originated in Bavaria and in Switzerland. In terms of blade typology, they do not form a single category. [citation needed], The small sword or smallsword (also court sword or dress sword, French: pe 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. 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"[38] which referred to the sound the blade makes[39] when it comes into contact with another blade. [citation needed] The small sword was the immediate predecessor of the pe de Combat from which the pe developed[45] and its method of useas typified in the works of such authors as Sieur de Liancour, Domenico Angelo, Monsieur J. Olivier, and Monsieur L'Abbatdeveloped into the techniques of the French classical school of fencing. Pal. In comparison, a shortsword's blade is about 12 to 20 inches (30 to 50 cm). Most hand-and-a-half swords had a diamond cross-section with a central ridge, creating a more rigid blade and specialized anti-armor tip for thrusting. The longsword is characterized not so much by a longer blade, but by a longer grip, which indicates a weapon designed for two-handed use. Powered by Shopify. (M. Rector, Ed. 3 lb. Here are the unique characteristics of hand-and-a-half swords: Historical hand-and-a-half sword blades were often made of a single piece of steel and were hardened by quenching. Fine secolo XIV Lunghezza totale cm 108. One-handed swords are shorter and lighter, but they allow the user to wield a second weapon or shield. The name bastard sword was first used in the 15th century, as far as we know. GOTHIC HAND AND A HALF SWORD. The English language terminology used in the classification of swords is imprecise and has varied widely over time. [17][18] Use of the longsword in attack was not limited only to use of the blade, however, as several Fechtbcher explain and depict use of the pommel and cross as offensive weapons. It does not mean that these blades could not cut well, though they were less optimized for slashing. It was not defined, as we do today, by specific lengths or forms. 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). A sword with a single hand grip length but longsword blade length The so called "hand and a half" swords Longswords/Greatswords that could be effectively used one handed but were usually used with both making it hard to describe as strictly a one hander or two hander J Jonathon Belt Joined Aug 20, 2011 Messages 40 Aug 14, 2013 #8 Weight ranged from 1 to 1.5 kg. A defining characteristic of the sword isn't the overall length, it's the length of the handle. This is the classic one-handed sword used by knights and was often used in conjunction with a shield. Total Length: 1060mm; Blade Length: 790mm ; Hilt Length: 270mm ; Guard Width: 255mm ; Total Weight: 765g; View All Close. Hand and Half Bastard Sword, "Winter's Wind" Fantasy Blade Others also had knuckle guards, particularly the Swiss style. A longsword (also spelled long sword, long-sword) is a type of European sword characterized as having a cruciform hilt with a grip for two handed use and a straight double-edged blade of around 100 to 122 cm (39 to 48 in . 848 Groe Heidelberger Liederhandschrift(Codex Manesse) Zrich, 1305 bis 1340 321v: Herr Dietmar der Setzer. Later on, the thrusting rapier gained favor as a civilian dueling weapon. or example, 'longsword' is related to the German 'langshwert', and 'bastard sword' from the French 'pe btarde', Take the Survey (takes 2 minutes or less). What Is a Hand-and-a-Half Sword? | MartialArtSwords.com A nonce attestation of "long-sword" in the sense of "heavy two-handed sword" is found in, Systematic use of the term only from 2001 beginning with, Oakeshott's Typology of the Medieval Sword A Summary, "Medieval and Renaissance Fencing Terminology", "Study of the Destructive Capabilities of the European Longsword", "The Two-Handed Great Sword Making lite of the issue of weight", "Oakeshott's Typology of the Medieval Sword: A Summary", Halflang and Tua Handit: Hand-and-a-Half and Two-Handed Scottish Swords, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Longsword&oldid=1141836737, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox weapon with unknown parameters, Articles containing Portuguese-language text, Articles containing Spanish-language text, Articles containing Italian-language text, Articles containing Scottish Gaelic-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Types XIIa and XIIIa represent the Great Sword or War Sword type used in the later 13th and in the 14th century. These blades are long and slowly tapering, with a flat hexagonal blade cross-section and a fuller running along one third of the blade. Sign up for our mailing-list and be alerted to new products, special sales, limited product availability, and more. 15th Century Hand and a Half sword (#1537) - Darksword Armory Made from 5160 high-carbon steel, this functional sword has a double-edge blade. The arming sword was paired with a small, round buckler shield on the left hand. 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. #4. Irish Hand and Half Sword - Irish hand and a half sword, a Legacy Arms/Generation 2 design, dating from around 1475 - 1525 A.D. Swords, Knives & Reenactment menu. Regardless, the sword's defining characteristics remain the same: it can be used with either one hand or both hands. 1400-1430 On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 373. Bastard Swords - Medieval Chronicles HAND AND A HALF SWORD. Some of the earliest swords seemingly designed for two handed use are the "Grete Swords of War" of the 13thC. Overall Length: 45.5" Blade Length: 33.50" Handle Material: Wood Covered in Leather, Black Carry System: Wood Scabbard Covered in Leather, Black This item is not for sale in some specific zip codes Frequently bought together + + Total price: Product Description The hand and a half length handle is 10 inches. A longsword is, obviously, longer than a shortsword. European Hand-and-a-half Sword - Superior Swords Co. Equipped with a long grip, the hand-and-a-half sword was suitable for use with one or even both hands if one wished to give extra force to a blow. These blades are long, slender and acutely tapering, approaching the outline of type XVa, while still retaining a narrow hexagonal cross-section and a shallow fuller running along about one quarter of the blade. The blade could range between 0.5 and 1m (1ft 8in and 3ft 3in) long while the handle was usually between 18 and 20cm (7 and 8in). this name was given because the balance of the sword made it usable in one hand, as well as two. They have a flattened diamond cross-section, often with pronounced mid-rib, some being hollow-ground. This versatility was unique, as multiple works hold that the longsword provided the foundations for learning a variety of other weapons including spears, staves, and polearms. Hilt length: 34 cm (13 3/8") Pommel Length: 6.2 cm (2 7/16 in.) [44], The "tuck" (French estoc, Italian stocco)[citation needed] is an edgeless blade of square or triangular cross-section used for thrusting. The Archaeology of Weapons: Arms and Armour from Prehistory to the Age of Chivalry, Fighting: Teaching the Foundations of Sigmund Ringecks Style, A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times: Together with Some Closely Related Subjects, Medieval Combat: A Fifteenth-Century Manual of Swordfighting and Close-Quarter Combat. It remains identifiable as a type during the period of about 1350 to 1550. Frontline Books. In the UK, the swords were supposedly weapons of a long dead great grandfather in British Navy. They have a 2 inch guard width and 0.24 inch guard thickness. Sword Length: 42 5/8". 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", "Zweihnder" (instead of Beidhnder), and "cut-and-thrust sword". They were made from wood, lined with cloth, and bound in leather. Gothic hand-and-a-half sword Wolfram - CelticWebMerchant.com Optimized for armored combat, their blades were steeply pointed, suggesting that their primary function was to pierce armor. 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. This was the most common longsword up to the late 13th century CE. Hand-and-a-Half Sword - The Metropolitan Museum of Art A hand-and-a-half sword, however, falls somewhere between these two, with an average blade length of about 22 to 30 inches. The term "hand-and-a-half sword" is modern (late 19th century). These techniques could be nearly instantly fatal or incapacitating, as a thrust to the skull, heart, or major blood vessel would cause massive trauma. Bonhams : An Italian Two-Hand Sword probably German. But if that same warrior encountered an enemy on an open battlefield, he may switch to using two hands for greater strength and stopping power. Tony Willis, "A Pair of Scottish Swords", Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of premodern combat weapons Swords, "Pappenheimer | Define Pappenheimer at Dictionary.com", "SOCIETY:: WEAPONS:: THRUSTING AND CUTTING WEAPONS [1] image - Visual Dictionary Online", "Search Chambers - Free English Dictionary", "A Perfect Length II: The Longsword | Encased in Steel", "Sword types in prize playing - The Association for Renaissance Martial Arts", "The Raymond J. Lord Collection of Historical Combat Treatises and fencing manuals: Terms of Use", "dictionary:: Panzerstecher [Blankwaffe]:: German-English translation", "Philadelphia Museum of Art - Collections Object: Tuck (Panzerstecher)", "Hermann Historica - Internationales Auktionshaus fr Antiken, Alte Wa", "Glossaire archologique du Moyen Age et de la Renaissance", "Ethnographic Arms & Armour - Article: Notes on development of modern sabers - Role of Eastern Europe & the Hussars", "Stradioti: Balkan Mercenaries In Fifteenth And Sixteenth Century Italy", "estradiot: dfinition de estradiot, citations, exemples et usage pour estradiot dans le dictionnaire de franais Littr adapt du grand dictionnaire de la langue franaise d'Emile Littr", Best and most powerful martial arts, fight science, Top Quality Bokken/ Katana Sword available for Martial Arts training, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Classification_of_swords&oldid=1128493319, Articles that may contain original research from October 2012, All articles that may contain original research, Articles with disputed statements from August 2013, Articles containing Scottish Gaelic-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2012, Articles containing Chinese-language text, Articles containing Italian-language text, Articles containing simplified Chinese-language text, Articles containing traditional Chinese-language text, Articles containing Yue Chinese-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2013, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2014, Articles with self-published sources from August 2022, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Articles containing Japanese-language text, Articles containing Spanish-language text, Articles containing Old High German (ca. 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. Of these, "bastard sword" is the oldest, its use being contemporaneous with the weapon's heyday. Leather Wrapped Handle. [6] Historical European Martial Arts associations have turned the term spada da lato[7] into "side-sword". collezionedeltin Longsword - Types and History - ilovebuhurt.com [17]:7373,plate 67 The cross has been shown to be used as a hook for tripping or knocking an opponent off balance. Their specially shaped grips, usually bottle-shaped or waisted, gave better control and hold of the weapon. It is uncertain whether the same term could still be used to other types of smaller swords, but antiquarian usage in the 19th century established the use of "bastard sword" as referring unambiguously to these large swords. It is ideal for HEMA study - recreating the longswords from Fiore, Talhoffer, etc. (J. L. Forgeng, Trans.). It was through students of Liechtenauer, like Sigmund Ringeck, who transcribed the work into more understandable prose[20] that the system became notably more codified and understandable. Deepeeka - 15th Century Hand and a Half Sword - Kult of Athena Battle Ready Albrecht Hand and a Half Swords for Sale Tough, rigid and durable. The hand-and-a-half swords had straight, double-edged blades. War Sword, Hand-and-a-half sword - Strongblade With the Irish Hand and Half Sword, you swiftly break through the enemy lines and claim victory for your army this morn. Longswords have straight, double-edged blades and are small enough to be drawn from the belt. The hand-and-a-half swords optimized the combination of reach, maneuverability, and weight. Product details: Length: 115.6 cm / Blade length: 85.10 cm / Grip length: 30.5 cm / Blade width at guard: 5.1 cm / Weight: 1389 g / Steel type: 1056 carbon steel, hardness 52-54 HRC . By clicking enter you are verifying that you are old enough to consume alcohol. With long tapering double-edged blade of flattened diamond section cut with two shallow fullers forming a low medial ridge over its entire length on each side, and incised with an indistinct crucifix mark on both sides towards the forte, long waisted ricasso with a pair of small pointed . The steeply pointed blade, indicating that it was primarily intended . Specifications: Overall Length: 43" Blade Length: 33" Weight: 3 lbs Edge: Unsharpened Width: 4.7 mm - 3.6 mm Pommel: Nut P.O.B. [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. Hand-and-a half varieties typically have a blade length between 30 and 34 inches and weigh between 2 and 4 pounds. Others also had hexagonal cross-sections that cut poorly towards the tip. There is a wide assortment of Kris swords styles to choose from as each island, region, clan, or school has its own favorite with some putting more emphasis on cutting while others favor styles more conducive for thrusting. Historical terminology overlaps with that applied to the Zweihnder sword in the 16th century: French espadon, Spanish espadn, or Portuguese montante may also be used more narrowly to refer to these large swords. It's typically used as an intermediate weapon for those learning how to use a real longsword. [citation needed], The tuck may also get its name from the verb "to tuck" which means "to shorten". When wielded two-handed, they become brutally effective slashing or chopping weapons. An example of a "true" bastard sword / hand-and-a-half sword They were hybrid swords that enabled blows to be delivered with the power of a two-handed sword but could also be wielded with one hand. This type of sword had a thickened back to the blade (opposite the cutting edge), which gave the blade strength. 100-122 cm (39-48 in) Width. Hand and a half swords is a modern term to describe bastard swords but it is used in reference to long swords. A longsword typically features a blade with a length of approximately 33 to 41 inches (85 to 110 cm). Longswords or . Albrecht II Sword - Functional European Swords at Reliks.com Type XX blades are broad, with lenticular or octagonal cross-sections. Historical one-handed versions have blades varying from 45 to 80 centimeters (18 to 31 inches) in length. Furthermore, there is a deprecation of the term "broadsword" by these associations. Traditional vs Modern Differential Hardening for Swords. Leather Wrapped Handle. When pike formations became common on battlefield tactics, ranged weapons proved more effective against pikemen, diminishing the advantages of hand-and-a-half swords. Knives such as the seax and other blades of similar length between 30 and 60cm (1 and 2ft) are sometimes construed as swords. Maximum Diameter: 4.2 cm (1 5/8 in.) Irish Hand and Half Sword - Medieval Collectibles What are hand and a half swords? - Sage-Answer 30-40 Inches (3) 40-50 Inches (21) 50-60 Inches (2) Product Includes. 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. Handle Length. Bastard swords are also known as hand-and-a-half swords, falling between the longsword and greatsword in length. Another technique would be the Mordstreich (lit. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Fully functional medieval battle ready sword. These swords were too heavy to be wielded one-handed and possessed a large grip for leverage. 3 European single handed sword. The hand-and-a-half sword is also called a bastard sword because it has no legitimate claim to being classified as either a one-handed or two-handed weapon. The cross sections of the blades also varied a great deal. The term "single-handed sword" (or "one-handed sword") is a retronym coined to disambiguate from "two-handed" or "hand-and-a-half" specimens. Today, replicas have high-carbon steel blades, though the ones used in stage combat and reenactment have blunt edges. Bastard Sword Weapons | NWN2DB 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). 5, which scholars have dated back to between 1100 and 1200 due to the hilt style and specific taper, but swords like this remain incredibly rare, and are not representative of an identifiable trend before the late 13th or early 14th century. 1101 Stinson Blvd. The Elizabethan long sword (cf. Advantages of Hand-and-a-Half Swords From the late 15th century, however, it is also attested as being worn and used by unarmoured soldiers or mercenaries. The fighter could attempt to hit the opponent in the face using the pommel when wrestling with the sword, disarm, or throw him. The earlier flatter blade types could not chop through plate armor, and its thin tip would only glance off instead of puncturing it. In modern times, this variety of sword is also sometimes referred to as the broadsword.[36][37].