Some of these terms originate contemporaneously with the weapons which they describe. $349.99. ca. 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. 848 Groe Heidelberger Liederhandschrift(Codex Manesse) Zrich, 1305 bis 1340 321v: Herr Dietmar der Setzer. In the Oakeshott typology of blade morphology, "longswords" figure as a range of sub-types of the corresponding single-handed sword types.[16]. avg. probably German. However, they had various hilt and guard forms depending on their origin. They represent an optimised compromise between thrusting capability and retaining good cutting characteristics. A hand-and-a-half sword, however, falls somewhere between these two, with an average blade length of about 22 to 30 inches. Middle Ages Warrior Short Broadsword With Black Sheath - Double-Edged Sharp Blade - 22 1/2" Length. Ewart Oakeshott classified medieval swords into types, focusing on their blade type, pommel, and crossguard designs. Ehhh, Xiphos were typically more of a shortsword, usually only about 24ish inches in length. Rather than restricting its use to either one or two hands, it allows for both types of wielding. 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 were carried in scabbards attached to waist belts, though some sources mention swords being carried in rings welded directly to the skirt of a harness. Cod. The "longsword" type exists in a morphological continuum with the medieval knightly sword and the Renaissance-era Zweihnder. [25] The term passot comes from the fact that these swords passed (passaient) the length of a "normal" short sword. (J. L. Forgeng, Trans.). 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 . Shes particularly interested in the rise and fall of empires, accounts of war and conquest, and ancient and classical history. The groin and throat were among the favourite targets. As an example, the Type XIX blade cross section are not as common as they seem to be in the surviving historical examples, and the tuck style blade is rarely seen at all in modern production and is often only done as a custom order. Answer (1 of 2): I'll apologize be as I'm long-winded and cover a lot of ground. A tradition of teaching based on this has survived in contemporary French and Italian stick fighting.[24]. The blade could be the same length as a single-hand sword but the tang and the grip . From the late 15th century, however, it is also attested as being worn and used by unarmoured soldiers or mercenaries. The hand-and-a-half sword falls somewhere in between the one-handed and two-handed weapons. The earlier flatter blade types could not chop through plate armor, and its thin tip would only glance off instead of puncturing it. 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. These are all in reference to swords commonly called hand and a half swords or longswords today. The last known German manual to include longsword teaching was that of Jakob Sutor, published in 1612. This actually does help with defining how long the blade can be in relation t. Like the German manuals, the weapon is most commonly depicted and taught with both hands on the hilt. 5060cm long and typically made of bronze or iron. We will respect your privacy. It was longer than the gladius, and had more reach, so the spatha was most popular with soldiers in the cavalry. the same height as the user) such as the Oakeshott type XIIa or Oakeshott type XIIIa. [30] However, George Silver and Joseph Swetnam refer to them merely as "two hande sworde". 120-150 cm (47-59 in), blade length: avg. Therein the basics of combat were described and, in some cases, depicted. 8 . Special Properties None Base Damage: 1d10 Base Critical Threat: 19-20/x2 Base Damage Type: Slashing Weapon Size: Medium Feats Required: Exotic Item Code: nw_wswbs001 Return to Top Bastard Sword +1 The fighter could attempt to hit the opponent in the face using the pommel when wrestling with the sword, disarm, or throw him. Most swords are intended for use either one or two hands. The #034 Black Prince a Type XVa Longsword, Durer Bastard Sword #195 a Type XVIII Longsword. Sub-type XXa has a more acutely tapering blade and a more acute point. However they mainly saw prominence outside the battlefield as a duelling weapon. The hand and a half length handle is 10 inches. Apparently, many swords were designed for left-hand use, although left-handed swords have been described as "a rarity".[12]. [53] The term 'falchion' may also refer to the early cutlass. 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. An Italian Two-Hand Sword First Half Of The 16th Century. 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. [5], The term "hand-and-a-half sword" is relatively modern (from the late 19th century);[6] Black War Sword And Scabbard - High Carbon Steel Blade, Wooden Handle, Leather-Wrapped - Length 42". 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. [8] Specifications: Overall Length: 43" Blade Length: 33" Weight: 3 lbs Edge: Unsharpened Width: 4.7 mm - 3.6 mm Pommel: Nut P.O.B. Benefits of Using a Hand-and-a-Half-Sword. One-handed swords are shorter and lighter, but they allow the user to wield a second weapon or shield. This type of sword had a thickened back to the blade (opposite the cutting edge), which gave the blade strength. And this is why it remains a popular sword type even after all of those years. It is considered "The General of All Weapons". Well, the most notable benefit of this sword type is the ability to use it with another weapon or shield. Hand-and-a-half swords had long grips that permitted the use of the second hand. NE The term hand-and-a-half sword is often used interchangeably with longsword, although it is not entirely accurate. Some had straight or curved quillons (arms of the crossguard), side rings, finger rings, and loop-back guards. Swordsmen were trained to use the dulled side for defensive and blocking techniques. Historical terms (15th to 16th century) for this type of sword included the Italian spada longa (lunga) and French pe longue. In comparison, a shortsword's blade is about 12 to 20 inches (30 to 50 cm). The medieval longsword could include the earlier grete war swords, hand-and-a-half or bastard swords, and estocs. Bastard medieval swords, also known as hand-and-a-half swords, are surprisingly diverse weapons. Hand and a Half Sword 88HNH medieval bastard sword by Cold Steel. #4. They also had a pommel that counterbalanced the weight of the blade, improving its maneuverability. 4 European Single Hand-and-a-half Sword. It's typically used as an intermediate weapon for those learning how to use a real longsword. [2] Navigation menu . On the other hand, those with stainless steel blades are only meant for decoration while LARP versions have foam blades. Type XVa is the classical two-handed sword of the 14th and 15th centuries (with early examples appearing from the later 13th century). 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 hand-and-a-half swords had straight, double-edged blades. By the late 16th century, early forms of the developed-hilt appear on this type of sword. Sponsored. As plate armor became more common, swords became longer and acquired a leaner blade with an acute point for thrusting. The hilts (handles) range from 8 to 16 inches long to provide room for gauntleted hands. 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). In the years to follow, however, the sword later became known as a "bastard sword." [19], What is known of combat with the longsword comes from artistic depictions of battle from manuscripts and the Fechtbcher of Medieval and Renaissance Masters. 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. However, the grete war sword should not be confused with the extremely large great swords of the Renaissance that required the use of two hands. 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. 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. Handle Length. In later usage, 'cutlass' referred to the short naval boarding sabre. The blade is 79cm in length and constructed from a rugged 1060 spring steel and through . (M. Rector, Ed. [6] Historical European Martial Arts associations have turned the term spada da lato[7] into "side-sword". At only 7 inches long, the guard appears a bit small for a sword of this size, but again, it's true to the original design. 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. 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 German school of swordsmanship includes the earliest known longsword Fechtbuch, a manual from approximately 1389, known as GNM 3227a. 1101 Stinson Blvd. It allowed more accurate and powerful thrusts against armored opponents. These swords have long cruciform hilts with grips over 10 to 15 inches in length, which provide room for two hands. Sword Length: 42 5/8". Their long grip increased their striking power and made some fighting techniques easier. These techniques could be nearly instantly fatal or incapacitating, as a thrust to the skull, heart, or major blood vessel would cause massive trauma. We see these depicted in art beginning in late antiquity and the early Middle Ages Miniature from Stuttgart Psalter, Ps 143, 10, showing David and Goliath. The grip was somewhat larger than the grip of a one-handed sword so that . With the Irish Hand and Half Sword, you swiftly break through the enemy lines and claim victory for your army this morn. Rather, it's intended to be used with either one hand or both, depending on the user's preferences and the circumstances in which he or she is using it. These terms were often described in relation to other unrelated weapons, without regard to their intended use and fighting style. The guard is also cast of the same extremely hard stainless steel alloy. These blades are long and slowly tapering, with a flat hexagonal blade cross-section and a fuller running along one third of the blade. It's not technically intended to be used with one and a half hands that doesn't make sense. 2023, Arms & Armor Sword Mounting Hand-and-a-half swords can be used with one or both hands as needed in combat. It does not mean that these blades could not cut well, though they were less optimized for slashing. A longsword typically features a blade with a length of approximately 33 to 41 inches (85 to 110 cm). "Let thy (long) Rapier or (long) Sword be foure foote at the least, and thy dagger two foote." 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 . 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. The "longsword" type exists in a morphological continuum with . 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. Type XX blades are broad, with lenticular or octagonal cross-sections. The longsword has many names in the English language, which, aside from variant spellings, include terms such as "bastard sword" and "hand-and-a-half sword." The hand-and-a-half sword is particularly versatile in this regard. The name bastard sword was first used in the 15th century, as far as we know. CAS Hanwei Hand-and-a-Half Sword SH2034 Brand: CAS Hanwei $40399 About this item Authentic replica of Museum Piece Fully functional Overall length: 44 1/2" Product Description The Hand-and-a-Half Sword is replicated from a sword thought to be that of Albrecht II of Austria and represents the pinnacle of beauty and balance in medieval swords. Most were better suited for thrusting, but others were also designed for more cutting. Types XVIIIb and XVIIIc represent the later longswords of the mid-15th to early 16th centuries. [19] There are also larger two-handed versions used by ancient and medieval armies and for training by many styles of Chinese martial arts. Modern replica longswords cover many of these diverse types, though certainstyles are less well represented in the current market place. $269.99 $211.98! Many different swords fall into this category and many of them are as maneuverable as they are surprisingly sturdy. [citation needed], The sabre (US saber) or shable (French sabre, Spanish sable, Italian sciabola, German Sbel, Russian sablya, Hungarian szablya, Polish szabla, Ukrainian shablya) is a single-edged curved bladed cavalry sword.[57]. On the contrary, the hand-and-a-half sword had a longer grip to allow it to be wielded with one or two hands, delivering a more powerful blow in one stroke if necessary. Dual Tempered HRc 60 48-50 at the core Fittings : Mild Steel Blade Thickness: 1.34 mm Total Length: 45 . It was not defined, as we do today, by specific lengths or forms. It remains identifiable as a type during the period of about 1350 to 1550. On the other hand, the term hand-and-a-half tends to describe later types of longswords with sharply tapering blades and specially shaped grips widely used in the 15th and 16th centuries. Lengths usually ranged from 110 cm to 150 cm, with 120 to 125 cm probably being the median. SWORD, late 14th century, . Print ; $299-$141. [5]:130 These all seem to have originated in Bavaria and in Switzerland. The term hand-and-a-half is more of modern designation for a range of sword types that featured tapered blades longer than the common shorter arming swords of the time but without the double-hand grips of larger heavier war-swords. Theme by Safe As Milk. Of these, "bastard sword" is the oldest, its use being contemporaneous with the weapon's heyday. The tip of the sword blade is . "arming sword", "broadsword", "long sword", etc.) In the early Middle Ages, swords were broad and heavy and used to hack through the mail. Some historians believe that it was primarily used in war and not an everyday weapon of the knight. During half-swording, the entirety of the sword works as a weapon, including the pommel and crossguard. (2012). The hand could grip above or below the half-grip, or directly at the middle. Our Medieval Hand and a Half Sword with Blunted Blade is a Battle Ready sword designed to be used for Stage Combat. Others also had hexagonal cross-sections that cut poorly towards the tip. The German langes schwert ("long sword") in 15th and 16th-century manuals does not denote a type of weapon, but the technique of fencing with both hands at the hilt, contrasting with kurzes schwert ("short sword") used of fencing with the same weapon, but with one hand gripping the blade (also known as a half-sword).[11][12]. Use of the two-handed Great Sword or Schlachtschwert by infantry (as opposed to their use as a weapon of mounted and fully armoured knights) seems to have originated with the Swiss in the 14th century. + $45.00 shipping. The term "broadsword" was never used historically to describe the one-handed arming 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. Scabbard. In modern times, this variety of sword is also sometimes referred to as the broadsword.[36][37].