. The hand and a half blade is used for thrusting and the length of the blade is not any longer than the long sword. 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. Hand-and-a-half swords initially had a plain crossguard but later featured extensive hand guards. Swordecyclopedia 2022 - All Rights Reserved, Medieval Swordsmanship: Illustrated Methods And Techniques, Medieval Military Technology, Second Edition. Scabbard. Oakeshott's Typology of the Medieval Sword - Albion Swords Hanwei's Albrecht Sword Review 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. Shes particularly interested in the rise and fall of empires, accounts of war and conquest, and ancient and classical history. Handle Length. These are all in reference to swords commonly called hand and a half swords or longswords today. They were made from wood, lined with cloth, and bound in leather. It was coined by modern collectors in the 19th century to refer to how the weapon is wielded. To overcome this problem, swords began to be used primarily for thrusting. Cold Steel Hand and a Half Sword - 9 7/16" Grip - Kult of Athena "Let thy (long) Rapier or (long) Sword be foure foote at the least, and thy dagger two foote." After a Brief exchange with the Questioner in another answer, I have gotten an approximation of what recurve profile has been asked upon. Most feel they were blades that could be used either one or two handed (much like the longsword pictured), and sometimes the term hand and a half sword is also used interchangeably. Traditional vs Modern Differential Hardening for Swords. The expression fechten mit dem langen schwert ("fencing with the long sword") in the German school of fencing denotes the style of fencing which uses both hands at the hilt; fechten mit dem kurzen schwert ("fencing with the short sword") is used in half-sword fighting, with one hand gripping the blade. [17]:1516 The blade was generally used with both hands on the hilt, one resting close to or on the pommel. Medieval Agincourt War Sword - Battlecry by Windlass - Museum Replicas Tweet Share Google+ Pinterest . The waisted grip, featuring a wider center tapering toward the pommel, allowed better control of the weapon. Middle Ages Warrior Short Broadsword With Black Sheath - Double-Edged Sharp Blade - 22 1/2" Length. Hand-and-a-half swords varied in their blade length, usually ranging from 88 to 100 centimeters (35 to 40 inches). 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. The French pe de passot may also refer to a medieval single-handed sword optimized for thrusting. As such, warriors using the hand-and-a-half sword were given more options. Made from 5160 high-carbon steel, this functional sword has a double-edge blade. 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. Handle Length. Deepeeka Spadona Review - sword-buyers-guide.com The blade is 79cm in length and constructed from a rugged 1060 spring steel and through . This . [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). 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. Similarly, strong strikes could cut through skin and bone, effectively amputating limbs. Blofechten (blosz fechten) or "bare fighting" is the technique of fighting without significant protective armour such as plate or mail. It was longer than the gladius, and had more reach, so the spatha was most popular with soldiers in the cavalry. The evolution of these swords and how they were used was a dynamic and vigorous interplay of weapons and armor development with the keenest minds of martial combat striving to define the new environment of plate armor and longsword. Longswords have straight, double-edged blades and are small enough to be drawn from the belt. Access this answer and support the author as a Quora+ subscriber 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. Sword 5 - 15th Century Hand and a Half Sword. Apparently, many swords were designed for left-hand use, although left-handed swords have been described as "a rarity".[12]. Fencing longsword ("hand-and-a-half" sword) - Gallery Systems In modern history, many of these terms have been given specific, often arbitrary meanings that are unrelated to any of their historical meanings. In some instances, the crossguard could hook the shield or the weapon away and even trip the enemy. On the other hand, those with stainless steel blades are only meant for decoration while LARP versions have foam blades. 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. These swords were too heavy to be wielded one-handed and possessed a large grip for leverage. ], Antiquarian usage in the 19th century established the use of "bastard sword" as referring unambiguously to these large swords. The increased defensive capability of a man clad in full plate armour caused the use of the sword to be drastically changed. More details . 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). This probably represents the differing tastes of current sword buyers from those of the Middle Ages. The arming sword, also called the knightly sword, had a short grip and was designed to be wielded with one hand. [8] During the first half of the 20th century, the term "bastard sword" was used regularly to refer to this type of sword.[9]. What are hand and a half swords? - Sage-Answer [14] There is no historical Italian equivalent to the English word "rapier". It was prevalent during the late medieval and Renaissance periods (approximately 1350 to 1550), with early and late use reaching into the 12th and 17th centuries. 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. The Scabbard All Hanwei western medieval swords come with a nicely made scabbard. It was the typical knights sword of the 15th century designed for thrusting against vulnerable points in plate armor. The longsword as a late medieval type of sword emerges in the 14th century, as a military steel weapon of the earlier phase of the Hundred Years' War. 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. This balance made the hand-and-a-half sword a formidable weapon, as it was light enough to easily maneuver yet still heavy enough to inflict serious damage when wielded by a skilled swordsman. Sponsored. These long-gripped weapons were ideal for thrusting at small gaps in armor when the typical slashing sword could not chop through it. [49] Modern versions of the katana are sometimes made using non-traditional materials and methods. All parts of the sword are used for offensive purposes, including the pommel and crossguard. These are all in reference to swords commonly called hand and a half swords or longswords today. Sub-type XXa has a more acutely tapering blade and a more acute point. Ehhh, Xiphos were typically more of a shortsword, usually only about 24ish inches in length. All of these types can be classified in some of their forms as Longsword, Bastard Sword and Hand and a Half swords. 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. Deepeeka - 15th Century Hand and a Half Sword - Kult of Athena Albrecht II Sword - Functional European Swords at Reliks.com The names derive from words popular at different times and places. The excellent balance and light weight make the Warspike an exceptional addition to any collection. Two-handed swords, on the other hand, are long and heavy, making them particularly effective at dealing critical blows. A hand-and-a-half sword can be anywhere from 3.5 to 4.5 feet long and generally weighs around 2-4 pounds. The most common form is also known as the Chinese sabre, although those with wider blades are sometimes referred to as Chinese broadswords. Glamdring | The One Wiki to Rule Them All | Fandom The 34 inch blade on that tends to be like 2 inches wide and 6mm+ thick and tapering . Leather Wrapped Handle. [19] There are also larger two-handed versions used by ancient and medieval armies and for training by many styles of Chinese martial arts. We will never share your information with anybody else cross our hearts, hope to die, stick a sharp sword in our (ok, this just got a little silly). This hand-and-a-half sword is based on several historical originals. Total Length: 1060mm; Blade Length: 790mm ; Hilt Length: 270mm ; Guard Width: 255mm ; Total Weight: 765g; View All Close. COLD STEEL HAND AND A HALF SWORD DEADLIEST WEAPONS One of Lynn's favorites.Hand-And-A-Half Sword. . These swords were what we today call a "Hand and a Half" sword, or rather swords that can be utilized for either one-handed or two-handed use. Venezia, fine secolo XV. 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. 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. Hand and a Half Sword 88HNH Bastard Sword by Cold Steel - Get a Sword