

MEDIEVAL SWORDS TYPES UPGRADE
Many of their models have been in production for years, though they tend to quietly improve and upgrade their products every few years.

In some cases, they have been able to use Ewart Oakeshott's notes in the design/redesign of their products. These actions remove metal from the blade and can sometimes have the effect of changing the blade's shape enough that it moves from one type to another.Īrms & Armor of Minneapolis, MN has long produced high-quality reproductions of historical swords.

Added to this is the fact that swords needed to be sharpened over their working life, and often needed more severe honing to remove nicks and gouges from their cutting edges. Sometimes the difference between the two types is very subtle, making classification difficult. Type XVIII blades feature a convex taper that gives them more width at the Center of Percussion. Type XV swords typically feature a straight taper, giving the blade a triangular, or wedge, shape. Their main difference lies in how they taper to the point. Both feature blades that are broad at the base, stiffer than their predecessors, and taper to an acute point suitable for finding gaps in armour. There are many similarities between Type XV and Type XVIII. This diamond cross-section lends rigidity to the blade in thrusting, an action necessitated by increasing use of plate armour. These two groups, Type XV and Type XVIII, usually feature a diamond cross-section instead of the fullered cross-section of old. Of his thirteen blade types (X-XXII), only two do not regularly feature the fullers so common in the other types. Consisting of typologies for blades, pommels, and guards, as well as featuring a system of families that combine all these elements, it has become the standard way of looking at swords of the Middle Ages. One of noted researcher and collector Ewart Oakeshott's most lasting achievements was his framework for categorizing medieval European swords. Some, however, chose a different approach. Some chose to take the old fullered blades and improve them.

Never operating in a vacuum, weapon makers of the day had to find a new way to counteract these defenses. With the addition of plate armour in the high Middle Ages, these swords began to lose their effectiveness. Prominently featured on these blades are one or more fullers, or grooves, that lighten the blade somewhat while allowing it to retain the flexibility and width required for devastating cuts. They are generally light and thin, with cross-sections that enable them to be flexible enough to handle the shock and torque of high velocity cuts. The majority of these swords are designed for cutting against the lightly armoured targets they faced. These swords have its origin probably in Roman spatha.Common threads appear when one studies swords of the Migration Era, Viking Ages, and early Middle Ages. The most common medieval sword used together with shield or with a dagger. By holding the sword in both hands a more powerful blow could be struck.Īs technology improved further the single edged sword became increasingly more popular and these were commonly found throughout Asia with such swords as the tachi and the katana leading the way. These swords had to not only cut things but the point of the blade had to be able to counter improvements in armour as the 14th century saw the change from chain mail to plate armour.ĭuring the 14th century swords advanced to a stage where by the handler could use both hands, these swords where know as the hand and a half sword or more commonly known as a “bastard sword”. In the 12th and 13th century swords began to develop quillions or cross guards which predominantly concerned the shape of the pommel. A technique developed on the Indian subcontinent in 5th century BC lead to the creation of Damascus steel and was highly prized as it was not only tough but resistant to shattering and could be honed to a sharp and resilient edge. The introduction of more advanced technology in the 10th century meant that steel could be quenched hardened and tempered to provide a more consistent high quality. The medieval sword owes much to the spatha as it used much of its basic design, it was very popular during the migration period and was often decorated with Germanic artwork similar to that found on Roman coins. European One handed sword, longsword, bastard sword, two handed sword, claymore and more.
