sign in sign up
<<
Home , Arkansas toothpick, Backsword, Barong (sword), Changdao, Chinese swords, Cinquedea

and

Swords are formed by a (the part intended for striking) and a (from which the is held) [Fig. 1]. While there have been swords made of wood and stone, the more predominant and effective examples have been made of some sort of metal. Bronze was used in ancient times, followed by iron and then . Daggers are a more primitive, much smaller which share many features with the sword. As a general rule, have a single edge.

Blade

The sword’s blade can be divided between the forte (third of the blade closer to the hilt) and the foible (third of the blade closer to the tip). This refers to how much strength the wielder can put into each area of the blade when used as a lever. The part of the blade that becomes narrow and goes into the grip is called the [Fig. 2].

The point of balance [Fig. 3] is the sword’s center of gravity, often found on the blade very close to the hilt, and influences the handling of the weapon. The center of percussion [Fig. 3] is the area of the blade that produces the least amount of vibration when striking a target, and thus is the ideal place with which to strike.

The cross-section of the blade [Fig. 4] is the shape it has when cut at the guard. The fullers, incorrectly called blood grooves in modern times, were used to reduce the weight of the blade and give it structural strength. taper in two ways. The distal taper [Fig. 5] is the reduction in blade thickness the closer it is to the point. The profile taper [Fig. 6] is how narrow the blade becomes the closer it is to the point.

Blades had to be hard enough to keep an edge and rigid enough to pierce, but flexible enough to resist impacts. This was achieved by tempering the steel: heating it up in the forge and quenching it in water until it had the desired hardness.

Some blades have an unsharpened portion near the guard called . Some knives and single-edged daggers have jimping on their blades. This is a series of notches filed on the spine, near the tang, to improve gripping. Some single-edged blades had a false edge on their foible, opposed to the primary edge. This could be dull or sharpened, to reinforce the point or simply to add another cutting surface.

Some European straight double-edged blades from the and later periods presented a consistently undulating blade. These were called flame-bladed swords. Allegedly this shape would transmit unpleasant vibrations to the opponent’s blade upon impact. The most common flame-bladed swords were and zweihanders. One-handed flame-bladed swords were called flamberges, while two-handed swords were called flambards or flammards. Hilt

The sword's hilt is composed of a grip, a pommel and a guard (often called cross-guard or cross) [Fig. 1]. Daggers generally follow the same formula, but they often don't have guards. The tang of the blade goes through the guard and into the grip, and is then attached to the pommel.

An exception to this is the in the -type swords, which have a similar construction to a 's handle [Fig. 2]. The tang is sandwiched between two slabs of wood or horn and the pommel is attached to it in a similar way.

Hand guards became more elaborate as time went by. Some of the extra elements added to protect the hand were knuckle-guards/bows (curved bars extending from the quillons to the pommel to protect the fingers), finger-rings (rings to protect the finger when placed on the guard or to give it more control), side-rings (rings attached to the sides of the guard), nagels (short metal bars perpendicular to the quillons), bell-guards (round domes surrounding the hilt) and shell-guards (curved metallic plates covering the hand).

European Swords and Daggers

The following weapons will be categorized according to their place in the historical periods of medieval and modern .

Early Middle Ages (VIII to XIII century):

Roman : A one-handed sword with a broad double-edged steel blade and a knobbed hilt. The hilt was generally made from wood, but bronze and were also used. Finger grooves were a popular feature, if not universal. The blade was usually 20 to 25 inches (50 to 63 centimeters) in length, with or without a . Some gladii had leaf-shaped blades, especially those from the . It was issued to roman foot soldiers.

Roman : A sword shaped similarly to the gladius, but with a longer blade. It had from 25 to 33 inches (64 to 84 centimeters) of length. It was issued to roman .

Pugio: A with a broad leaf-shaped blade and a thin grip. It was issued to roman soldiers as a backup weapon.

Falcata: A one-handed sword with a single-edged blade. Its blade had a convex curve near the hilt and became broader towards the tip. It had no guard, but its hilt was hook-shaped on both ends. The tips of these hooks were sometimes linked with a thin chain. The blade was made of laminated iron and was forged at very high temperatures to rid the iron from impurities. The hilt could be made of wood or metal, and was sometimes heavily carved and decorated. It was commonly used in the Iberian Peninsula by warriors and mercenaries. The name was given to it during the modern age. In its time it was called machaera Hispana by roman soldiers. Viking/Anglo-Saxon Sword: A sword with a long iron blade and a hilt formed of a tang, a hand guard and a pommel. The blade was usually broad and similar in length to the spatha. Most models were double-edged, but there were some single-edged examples. The quillons were generally small, often just an inch wider than the blade. Some late Viking and Anglo-Saxon swords had longer quillons similar to those of cruciform high-medieval swords. The blade itself was made of iron, pattern-welded to make up for the inferior materials and tended to have a very gradual profile tapering. The grip was made of wood and sometimes wrapped in leather. These weapons were significantly blade-heavy compared to later swords. Because of the difficulty involved in forging them, these swords were used only by the best and most notorious of Anglo-Saxon and Viking warriors.

Seax/Sax/Scramasax: A dagger with a long, single-edged blade and a simple grip of wood or horn. The blade was sometimes wider at the tip, with a sharp forward angle, in a style called broken-back . These knives were made of iron and often pattern-welded. They were commonly carried by Anglo-Saxon and Viking warriors alike.

Knives/By-knives and Picks/Prickers: These were the most common tools carried by soldiers in the entire medieval period. The knives were cutting tools and/or eating implements of simple construction and varied size and shape, but they could be used as weapons in a pinch. The pick was a small thin spike used for detailed carving work, medical purposes or punching holes though fabric. In later times these tools were often kept in small pockets sewn into the of larger daggers or swords.

Pocket/Folding Knife: These tools have been found in the Iberian Peninsula and central Europe since the time of the , even though they weren't as common as they became during the Renaissance. They were used in similar way as fixed-blade knives, though they were usually smaller and not as fit to handle heavy duty cutting tasks.

High Middle Ages (XII to XIV century):

Arming Sword: A one-handed sword with a cruciform hilt and a straight double-edged blade. The length of the blade was usually between 23 to 32 inches (58 to 82 centimeters) and it was usually forged from high-carbon steel. The hand guard was a pair of quillons perpendicular to the blade, though they were sometimes curved towards the tip. The grip was usually wrapped in leather. Early swords had fullers to reduce weight and gradual tapering, but later designs favored ridges, hollow-ground blades, acute tapering and awl-shaped tips. It was the sword of professional soldiers and knights, and it was often called for that reason.

Falchion: A one-handed sword with a similar construction to that of an arming sword. The blade, however, was single-edged and curved. Many also had a heavier blade, wider at the foible similar to that of a . These swords were initially used by archers and poor soldiers. The blade was forged of iron and the edge was made of steel, to cut down on the production cost. After knights and nobility started adopting the weapon, however, blades were forged entirely out of steel. In some later models the quillons below the edge extended downwards to the pommel to form a knuckle-guard.

Quillon Dagger: A dagger with a similar construction to that of an arming sword. The cruciform hand guard is what gives it the name. Its blades were usually from 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 centimeters) long. They were used as backup weapons by knights and soldiers.

Bollock/Ballock Dagger: A dagger with a cylindrical wooden hilt and a pair of spherical protrusions on the sides of the grip, which give the dagger its name. They were sometimes called kidney daggers to avoid the sexual connotation. These were carried by nobles, knights, soldiers and peasant alike. The most simple models hand simple wooden hilts, but the ones owned by knights and nobles were ornate and sometimes had small metal guards. They were primarily utility knives, but could also be used as weapons very effectively.

Late Middle Ages (XIV to XVI century):

Longsword: A two-handed sword with a similar construction to that of an arming sword. The length of the blade was usually between 35 and 42 inches (88 and 106 centimeters). Its grip favored a two-handed grip, but it was balanced in a way that allowed it to be wielded in one hand with relative ease. It was used mostly by armored knights and nobles. It was also known as hand-and-a-half sword or bastard sword. The Scottish two-handed sword falls under this category.

Estoc/Tuck: A two-handed sword with an almost identical structure to that of a , with the exception that it had a long, stiff edgeless blade, often with a thickened diamond cross-section. It was specialized for armored combat and often used by knights.

Langes/Grosse Messer: A one-handed single-edged sword. The blade could be straight or slightly curved, and sometimes presented a false edge. The construction of the hilt is more similar to that of a knife than to an arming sword, but it does include a cross-guard. An almost universal feature of the messer was a nagel protruding towards the right of the sword. In some models the quillon below the edge extended down to the pommel to form a knuckle-guard. Allegedly the hilt of this weapon was built like a knife's grip to bypass German laws against peasants carrying swords.

Kriegmesser: A two-handed single-edged sword with a curved blade. It was essentially a messer with the dimensions of a longsword. The blade was usually narrower and had a more pronounced curve than its one-handed counterpart. It was popular amongst mercenaries and rich peasants who wished to carry an imposing sword.

Bauernwehr: A knife with a large, stout blade. Sometimes they had a small nagel extending to the right side of the blade. They were used both as weapons and heavy-duty cutting tools by peasants. /Poinard: A dagger with a long double-edged blade. Its blade was narrow and had a very acute point. It had a cruciform hilt with short quillons. It was commonly carried by knights and noblemen. During the Revolution, Charlotte Corday murdered Jean-Paul Marat with such a dagger.

Baselard/Basilard: A dagger with an I-shaped hilt and a narrow grip. The blade was wide and double-edged with an acute tapering. It was carried by middle-to-high class peasants as a self-defense weapon and tool.

Rondel Dagger: A dagger with a cylindrical hilt and disc-shaped hand guard and pommel. The blade was long, stiff and narrow, and could have one or two edges. This weapon was specialized to fight against armored opponents. It was mostly carried by knights and professional soldiers.

Misericorde: A dagger with a long, narrow, stiff blade. It was similar to a rondel dagger, but without its characteristic guard and pommel. It was used to finish off wounded opponents or to provide euthanasia on the battlefield.

Ear Dagger: A dagger with a long single-edged blade and an acute point. Its characteristic pommel was formed by two small disks in an angle protruding from the base of the grip. It often had finger grooves that encouraged holding it with the blade downwards. It was mostly carried as a self-defense weapon by high-class peasants and nobility.

Skean: A dagger with a long double-edged blade. It has a small cylindrical wooden grip and no guard. The blades were remarkably long, sometimes up to 20 inches (50 centimeters) in length. It was carried by Irish and Scottish soldiers and mercenaries.

Renaissance (XVI to XVIII century):

Zweihander/Greatsword/Montante: A two-handed sword with a similar construction to that of an arming sword. The length of the blade was usually more than 42 inches (106 centimeters). The size of the sword and its balance made it so it had to be wielded with two hands, unlike a longsword. Early models had the same features and fittings as a longsword, but it eventually developed additional safety features like a secondary set of quillons on the ricasso called parrying hooks and a more elaborate cross-guard. It was famously used by the mercenaries known as Landsknecht, allegedly deployed in battle against pike formations.

Side-sword/Spada da Lato: A one-handed sword almost identical in its structure to an arming sword. Its blade is narrower than that of its high-medieval predecessor, and it has a more elaborate hand guard. The practice of placing the index finger over the quillon for added control led to the development of steel rings covering the area to protect the finger. It was both a dueling and a military weapon. Executioner's Sword: A two-handed sword with a short blade. Its blade had two edges but no point and the quillons were usually short. It was not meant for combat, but to decapitate criminals. They were often ornate and used as a symbol of judicial power.

Hunting Sword: A one-handed sword with a curved single-edged blade, similar to a falchion or a messer. They were often heavily decorated, and some had a secondary saw-back blade on their spine, for cutting up the kill. They could have nagels, knuckle-guards and other kinds of hand protection. They were often called hangers. They were used by nobles for horseback hunting.

Boar Sword: A sword specifically designed to hunt boars. Its blade was straight and stiff, like that of an , but its tip became a broad spearhead. Later models had a set of quillons near the end of the blade to keep it from running too deep into the kill.

Rapier/Espada Ropera: A one-handed sword with a long, stiff blade. The length of the blade was usually between 35 and 42 inches (88 and 106 centimeters). It was specialized for thrusting, but had one or two sharpened edges. It had a heavy pommel and a complex hand guard. Different styles of hilt were developed in different regions, like the Italian swept hilt, the German Pappenheimer or the Spanish cup hilt. It first appeared in Italy and was mainly a gentleman's sword and a dueling weapon. Its name was given to it by German and British swordfighters, since Italians simply called it a sword.

Cinquedea: A one-handed sword with a waisted grip and a short, broad blade. Its name means five fingers and describes the width of the blade at the guard. The length of the blade was usually between 15 and 20 inches (38 and 50 centimeters). It had several fullers to reduce weight and an acute tapering that ended in a rounded point. It was usually heavily decorated and carried by high-class civilians as a self-defense weapon, hanging horizontally on the lower back.

Dussack: A large knife made of one piece of steel. Its blade was broad, single-edged and curved, though some models had a sharpened false edge. Its tang curved upwards towards the hilt to form a sort of knuckle-guard. Its grip could be wrapped in leather or sandwiched between two wooden slabs. It was used by farmers or artisans in central Europe. Military versions had conventional sword hilts with complex guards. It later evolved into a wooden or leather weapon used for training or sport .

Basket-hilted Sword/Broadsword: A one-handed sword with a straight double-edged blade. It was defined by its complex hand guard, which wrapped the hand with thick steel bars in a structure similar to a basket. Several different variants were produced with minor differences: the Italian schiavona, the Germanic Sinclair hilt, the waloon sword, the Scottish broadsword (sometimes called claymore) and the mortuary sword. Some models had finger-rings for the index and thumb. This type of sword became widespread all over Europe well into the Modern era. : A one-handed sword with a straight single-edged blade and a thick spine, often with a false edge. It was initially fitted with a knuckle-guard and later with more elaborate hilts, like that of a basket-hilted sword. Since it was easier and cheaper to make than a double-edged sword, it became the standard sword during its period.

Szabla: A one-handed single-edged sword with a curved blade. Based on the Turkish , it was ubiquitous in Eastern Europe. It had a small cross-guard, sometimes with a chain connecting the front quillon with the pommel. It often had a finger-ring for the thumb on the side of the guard and a forward-angled pommel. The blade had a sharpened false edge. The hussar or szabla husarska of the seventeenth century, famously used by the Winged Hussars of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, had a solid knuckle-guard and a reinforced cross-guard. The most famous style of szabla is the lighter karabela, used by nobility, with its eagle’s head shaped pommel and cruciform guard. The szabla was later known as Polish .

Koncerz: A one-handed sword with a long, narrow, stiff and edgeless blade, similar to that of a medieval estoc. It had an angled grip and a knuckle-guard. It was used by the Winged Hussars as an anti-armor weapon.

Swiss Degen: A one-handed sword with a short blade, defined by the symmetrical crescent-shaped metal bars delimiting its hilt. Its blade was usually between 18 and 26 inches (45 and 66 centimeters) of length. It was the iconic side arm of the Reislaufer, Swiss mercenaries.

Swiss Dagger: A dagger with an almost identical structure to the swiss degen, only in a much smaller size. It was also carried by the Reislaufer.

Katzbalger: A one-handed sword with a short sturdy blade and a flared pommel. It has a distinctive S-shaped or figure-8 hand guard formed by its curved quillons. Its name allegedly comes from the custom of carrying the sword without a scabbard, held by a cat's skin. It was the iconic sidearm of the Landsknecht, German mercenaries.

Landsknecht Dagger: A dagger similar in style to the , sometimes with a different style of guard or no guard at all. It was commonly carried by the Landsknecht.

Parrying Dagger: A dagger with a long, double-edged blade and long quillons. These quillons could be straight or curved towards the blade. It was designed as a defensive weapon, to parry and catch blades. They sometimes had side-rings to further protect the hand, knuckle-guards or even shell-guards. It was also called main-gauche. The sword-breaker variant had comb-like teeth along its blade, which allowed it to easily entrap a blade, but not break it as the name suggests. The trident dagger had a pair of steel rods which spring from the blade to the sides, to make parrying easier. It was commonly used by duelists alongside a or side-sword. : A dagger with a long, narrow needle-like blade. Some models possessed cutting edges, but it was specialized for thrusting. Depending on its size it could be used by soldiers against armored opponents or as a concealed weapon by civilians or criminals.

Sgian-achles: A Scottish dagger with a wood or horn grip and a single-edged blade, sometimes with jimping. It was used as a concealed weapon and by civilians and soldiers alike. It was carried in a sheath under the armpit.

Modern Era (XVIII to XIX century):

Colichemarde: A one-handed double-edged straight sword, allegedly designed to be used against the rapier. The guard was much simpler than that of a rapier, usually featuring only a knuckle-guard and a pair of shell guards or side-rings, sometimes with a finger-ring on each side of the blade, beneath the shell guards. The blade had a broad forte that abruptly tapered to a narrow needle-like blade. It was intended to have the quickness and thrusting capability of a rapier but with better parrying capability thanks to its heavier forte. Allegedly it was the favored weapon of President George Washington.

Smallsword: A one-handed straight sword with a stiff, needle-like blade. It was developed from the colichemarde and used the same hilt. The blade was long, slender and with no edges, similar to that of an estoc but much shorter. The sword was light to carry with ease, and served both as a dress sword and a dueling weapon. These swords were worn by high-class gentlemen and were often ornate. It became the most prominent dueling sword of the era.

Spadroon: A one-handed sword almost identical to a smallsword. The key difference was that it had a sturdier blade with a single edge, much like a backsword, or in some cases two edges. This was an officer's weapon, less ornate and cheaper to make than a smallsword.

Sabre/Saber: A one-handed single-edged curved sword. It had a simple guard often formed of just a knuckle-guard. Infantry officer sabers were usually lighter, thinner and shorter, more suitable for fencing. Cavalry sabers were longer and heavier, often with curved grips that encouraged holding the sword with the blade forwards and more elaborate guards. Boarding sabers present a wide knuckle-guard or even a shell-guard in place of it.

Mameluke Sabre/Saber: A one-handed single-edged curved sword with a cruciform guard. It was aesthetically inspired on the carried by the warriors of Egypt, though its blade was longer, narrower and less curved than most scimitars. Many officers preferred these swords over conventional sabers due to their exotic image.

Swiss Saber/Sabre: A two-handed single-edged curved sword. Its dimensions and balance were comparable to those of a medieval longsword, but its blade made it more similar to a kriegmesser. It often presented a false edge. Its guards could be as simple as quillons and a side-ring, but some were more complex, from knuckle-guards to partial basket-hilts. : A one-handed single-edged curved sword. Its construction is similar to that of a saber, but it has a shorter, wider blade and a large, spherical shell-guard from blade to pommel which usually covers half of the hand.

Swordstick/Cane-sword: A one-handed sword concealed within a walking stick. The blade was essentially a short rapier blade, usually no longer than 25 inches (63 centimeters). The handle could be of wood or metal, curved or straight. Some had large spherical pommels or even carved in the shape of animal heads. Swordsticks generally have no guard, but some of the most intricate models have quillons that spring to the sides of the blade upon the draw or by activating a button, similar to the mechanism in trident daggers. The sheath of the swordstick, usually made of wood, can also be used for parrying or striking. These were popular civilian weapons after carrying a sword on the hip became unfashionable.

Hunting Dagger: A long double-edged dagger. Its blade was between 20 to 30 inches (50 to 76 centimeters). It often had hand protection in the form of knuckle-guards and side-rings. It was commonly used by German nobility to hunt deer and boar.

Naval : A dagger used by shipmen and naval officers, as a boarding weapon and later a ceremonial weapon and badge of office. It can be single of double-edged, curved or straight. It usually has a short, straight or S-shaped cruciform guard. It may have a knuckle-guard or a thin chain connecting the guard and pommel.

Fascine Knife: A dagger or knife and issued to light infantry and soldiers. Early models had a cruciform hilt and a double edged straight blade, or a curved blade with a saw-toothed back. Later models had a simpler construction with a curved, hook-shaped blade, and sometimes no guard. They were used both as weapons and tools.

Highland Dirk: A Scottish dagger based on the medieval bollock and rondel daggers. It has a carved wooden handle and a long, narrow, single-edged blade with jimping. Its blade was usually between 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 centimeters) in length. It was carried as a backup weapon by highland troops.

Sgian-dubh: A Scottish dagger with a wood or horn grip and a small single-edged blade, sometimes with jimping. It’s considered a successor of the sgian-achles. It was carried by soldiers and civilians alike as a utility knife and backup weapon, worn on the boot or hose.

American Swords and Daggers

Colonial Swords and Daggers:

Bowie Knife: A large knife with a and a cross-guard. It was named after Colonel Jim Bowie, who allegedly killed the sheriff of Rapides Parish with such a knife in 1827. It was a popular heavy-duty cutter, hunting blade and . It was commonly carried by all types of outdoorsmen during the nineteenth century. : A heavy dagger with a long, double-edged blade and a cross-guard. Its blade had a length of 12 to 20 inches (30 to 50 centimeters), a very acute tapering and a sharp point. It was designed in the nineteenth century as a fighting dagger and was commonly used for dueling.

Nessmuk Knife: A knife idealized by George Washington Sears under the pen name of Nessmuk in the Forest and Stream magazine, in the late nineteenth century. It has a broad curved blade that flares towards the spine near the tip. It was specifically designed as a camping and .

Boot/Neck/Gambler's Dagger: A small dagger or knife designed to be concealed in the inside of a boot or carried in a sheath hanging from the neck. Its blade was single or double-edged was usually had between 3 to 5 inches (7 to 12 centimeters) in length. Carrying this type of weapon in the boot or neck was popularized by American gamblers in the nineteenth century.

Push Dagger/Knife: A small dagger originated in North America, presumably inspired by the Indian . It has a horizontal handle and a short, usually double-edged blade perpendicular to it. When gripped, the blade protrudes from between the fingers. The most well-known variant is the gimlet knife, from New Orleans, which had a symmetrical T-shaped grip and a 2 inch (5 centimeters) double-edged blade. These were popular concealed weapons amongst civilians in the nineteenth century and were later adopted by military forces.

Corvo: A double-edged dagger with a pronounced curve on its tip, similar in shape to a hook or claw. It had a cylindrical hilt and no guard. It was a popular weapon amongst Chilean soldiers of all ranks during the nineteenth century.

Falcon: A double-edged dagger with a long, heavy blade of between 10 and 20 inches (25 to 50 centimeters) in length. It generally had no guard. It was a popular weapon and tool amongst South American gentlemen and outdoorsmen, who were by law prohibited from carrying swords. Many of these daggers were built using cut-down sword blades. Even after the appearance of repeating weapons, it remained favored by the gauchos of the South American pampas as a utility, defensive and dueling blade.

Native Swords and Daggers:

Macuahuitl: A sword-club found in . It's a flat, wooden paddle, often carved and decorated. It had grooves on its sides to hold several shards of , which formed its two edges. This weapon is strongly associated with the Aztec warriors. It could be designed to be wielded with two hands or with one hand alongside a shield.

Knives: The knives used by the Native Americans were made of rock or bone. Rock knives could be flaked to a very sharp edge, but were brittle. In Central and South America natives had access to obsidian, a rock with hardness similar to glass, and which took an extremely keen edge. These sharp rocks were often attached to a wooden handle.

Middle Eastern, Eurasian and North African Swords and Daggers

It has proven difficult to categorize these weapons into definite eras as was done with European weapons. However, I have been able to determine that most of the following swords originated sometime in the Abbasin era (preceding the early medieval period) and changed very little all through the Ottoman era (roughly equivalent to the High and ), save for the metalworking methods. Many of these weapons, especially the ones owned by high-class warriors or nobles, were forged with a technique now known as "Damascus steel" to create a better blade with impure or otherwise inferior materials, in a manner similar to the pattern-welded swords of Viking and Anglo-Saxon warriors. In fact, pattern-welded steel was presumably based on this method, since there is evidence of Viking presence in the .

Shashka: A one-handed, single-edged sword originated in the during the twelfth century. Its blade had a very subtle curve and was commonly fullered. It had no guard and its hilt was often decorated and had a large, curved pommel. It's traditionally a combat weapon, a ceremonial weapon and a vine-cutting tool. It was later adopted by the Russian and Ukrainian . The hilts of Caucasian often go into the scabbard when sheathed, but Cossack shashkas don't share this feature. This sword was later known as Cossack sabre.

Scimitar: A one-handed, single-edged curved sword. This type of sword is almost universal all through the Middle East and the north of Africa, and remains in use even in the early Modern era. European soldiers serving in the colonies often favored these swords over their sabers. There are several variations of this sword, most of which will be described individually.

Talwar/Tulwar: A variant of the scimitar common in North , Pakistan and Bangladesh. It has a characteristic waisted grip with a disc-shaped pommel and small cruciform guard, which sometimes includes a thin knuckle-guard. The shape of the hilt encourages a grip that keeps the guard parallel to the arm, to take full advantage of the blade's curvature while sacrificing reach.

Pulwar: A variant of the scimitar common in and Pakistan. It's very similar to the tulwar, with just a few key differences. Its pommel is cup-shaped instead of disc-shaped, its blade is more robust and heavily fullered and its quillons are curved upwards instead of perpendicular to the grip.

Shamshir: A variant of the scimitar common in Persia. It's characterized by the radical curve of its blade, up to fifteen degrees from tip to tip. Kilij: A variant of the scimitar common in Turkey and Egypt. Its blade is narrow, has a moderate curve and a sharpened false edge. Its quillons are often longer its round pommel protrudes towards the front. Similar swords were also carried by the Mongol cavalry.

Nimcha: A variant of the scimitar common in the north of Africa, from the eighteenth century onwards. They often present knuckle-guards and characteristic squared-off pommels hooked towards the edge.

Shotel: A variant of the scimitar common in the Horn of Africa, mainly in Ethiopia. The blade has a very pronounced almost semi-circular curve and it's double-edged. The hilt was simple and wooden with no guard. The sword resembles a large and was used to strike an enemy over their shield.

Yatagan/Yataghan: A single-handed, single-edged sword from Turkey. It has a short blade that curves forward, no guard and a hilt constructed like a knife, with two panels of bone, ivory, horn or placed on the sides of the tang and connected with bolsters. These panels usually spread out to the sides as a sort of pommel. This sword was carried by and other Ottoman infantry troops.

Flyssa: A single-handed, straight single-edged sword common in Morocco and from the nineteenth and probably eighteenth centuries. Its blade is long, narrow and has a very acute tapering. It has no guard and it has a simple wooden hilt with a rounded pommel hooked towards the edge. Its point was often reinforced, which made this a very effective weapon against mail armor.

Karkara: A single-handed straight double-edged sword common in Sudan, Chad and Eritrea. It had a cruciform hilt similar to that of a European sword. Its blade measured 36 inches (92 centimeters) on average and had a spatulate tip.

Khanda: A one-handed double-edged sword commonly used in India. The blade has a subtle reverse profile tapering, becoming broader from the hilt to the tip, which has a rounded or square tip. The tang was glued and/or pinned into the hilt. The hilt often has a round shell-guard and a thick knuckle-guard connecting it to the pommel, which is flat and has a long spike protruding downwards. Depending on its construction and how the sword was attached to the hilt, this spike could be used as a weapon or as a secondary grip to wield the sword with both hands. Some of the earlier variants have a simpler cruciform hilt with short quillons. The weapon is used in Indian , but some communities also revere it as a symbol of Shiva.

Firangi: A one-handed Indian sword built with a European broadsword or backsword blade and a hilt.

Pata/Patta/Dandpatta: A single-handed double-edged sword. Originating in India, it is characterized by its unique gauntlet integrated as a guard. Its blade could have between 10 to 44 inches (25 to 114 centimeters) long, though the longest ones were mainly ornamental or ceremonial. It was commonly used in pairs by the Maratha warriors or with a javelin or axe in the other hand. It was also a common cavalry weapon.

Janbiya: A dagger with a short, wide curved blade and an hourglass-shaped hilt usually made of horn or bone. It originated in , but widely spread all through the Middle East. Men over the age of fourteen typically wear it as an accessory. Often very ornate, the details of the ivory or horn handle and the sheath describe the status of the wearer. It is mostly a ceremonial blade, used in dances and celebrations, but it can be used as a self-defense weapon.

Khanjar: A dagger very similar in design to the Janbiya, but having originated in . Its blade was usually narrower than the Janbiya, but it was used in the same way.

Qama/Quama: A dagger with a long double-edged blade common in Turkey. Its blade could be straight or slightly curved. It was also known as kina or kindjal in the Caucasus. It was adopted by the Cossacks, and was later known as the Cossack dagger for this reason.

Katar/Katara: A push-dagger with a wide double-edged blade with acute profile tapering and a characteristic H-shaped hilt, which results with the blade sitting above the wielder's knuckles. It was mostly used as a ceremonial weapon, but some techniques include the use of katars, often as a pair.

Pesh-kabz: A Persian knife with a long single-edged hollow-ground blade and a thick spine. The blade could be straight or curved. It is broad at the hilt, but tapers radically to a triangular reinforced needle-like tip. This knife could be straight or curved, and it was very effective against mail armor.

Kard: A knife common in Turkey, Armenia, Persia and India. It looks very much like a common utility knife, but its straight single-edge blade had a reinforced point that could be used to penetrate mail.

Haladie: A knife from India and Sudan, characterized by its twin curved blades attached to opposite ends of the horn or bone handle. It could have a knuckle guar, which could have a spike attached to it.

Bichuwa/Bichawa: An Indian dagger with a narrow, undulating double-edged blade and a metallic looped hilt, which often acted much like a knuckle-guard. A few were forked or had a pair of blades. Because of its size it was easily concealable. It was often combined with a bagh naka, a claw-like weapon designed to fit over the knuckles or inside the palm.

Oriental Swords

Since most oriental cultures developed relatively independently, it’s hard to put them all into a single chain of historical periods. Instead, the following weapons will be sorted by region and culture. For chronological reference, the are equivalent to the Tang to Song dynasties in China and the Nara and in . The High and Late medieval periods are equivalent to the in China and the first half of the Feudal period in Japan. The Renaissance is equivalent to the late Ming and beginning of the Qing dynasties in China and the last half of the Feudal period and start of the in Japan. Finally, the Modern age in Europe is equivalent to the second half of the in China and the remainder of the Edo period in Japan.

Chinese Swords and Daggers:

Jian: A one-handed double-edged straight sword. Its blade is from 18 to 31 inches (45 to 80 centimeters) in length and it has a minimal profile taper. It has a narrow guard shaped like short wings pointing towards or away from the blade. The grip is sometimes long enough to accommodate two or three fingers of the off-hand. The grip is usually fluted wood wrapped in ray skin or cord. The pommel is wide to keep the sword from slipping out of the hand and sometimes has a tassel or other ornament attached to it. In China, this sword was referred to as "The Gentleman of All Weapons". It seems to be the most ancient and long-lived of and was initially made of bronze. Its design has remained mostly unchanged, save for its materials and accessory details.

Shuangshou : A two-handed version of the jian sword. It wasn’t as common as the ubiquitous one-handed version.

Dao: A one-handed sword with a wide single-edged moderately curved blade. It was often called a broadsword in a local context. It had a cupped, disc-shaped, allegedly to prevent rainwater from touching the blade and blood from dripping on the grip. The pommel often possessed tassels, lanyards or scarves, much like a jian. In China, it's often referred to as "The General of All Weapons". It's one of the earliest Chinese swords, second only to the jian. It served as the base for all later Chinese curved swords. It was the most common military sword design.

Dadao: A two-handed sword based on the , built with a wider, heavier blade. It has a long hilt, usually wrapped in cord, with a ring-shaped pommel and a small hand guard. Sometimes they had tassels or other adornments on the spine of the blade.

Changdao: A two-handed sword created during the , developed form the zanmadao. It had a very long handle, sometimes more than one-third of the total length of the weapon, and was extensively used as an anti-cavalry weapon.

Niuwedao: A one-handed sword based on the dao. It had a heavy blade and a wide tip. It was mainly a civilian weapon.

Yanmaodao: A one-handed single-edged sword. Its blade was straight for two-thirds of its length, after which it began to curve. This allows for the weapon to have similar handling properties to a jian while retaining the cutting power of the dao. It was the standard military sword during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Zanmadao: A two-handed sword created during the , based on the dao. It had a long straight blade that curved near the tip, and a long wrapped grip. It was used in battles against cavalry troops, allegedly to kill the horses from under their riders.

Piandao: A one-handed single-edged sword developed during the Ming dynasty. It had a deep curve resembling a scimitar, which favored drawing cuts. It was a rather rare weapon, often used with a shield.

Lujiaodao: An exotic bladed weapon consisting of two metal crescents, crossing at two points. These form four claw-like points, sometimes one of them longer than the others. One of the crescents has a midsection wrapped in cord or covered with wood grips. They were commonly used in in the martial art . They were used in pairs or in the off hand, accompanying a sword.

Butterfly Sword: A one-handed sword with a short, broad single-edged blade. It has a distinctive hilt featuring a knuckle-guard and a quillon that curves following the spine of the blade, creating a potential blade-catcher. The blade is usually sharpened from the middle of the edge to the tip, so that the base can safely be used to parry. It was often used in pairs and very prominent in .

Hook Sword: An exotic one-handed sword presenting a long straight blade with a hook at the end, a crescent-shaped knuckle-guard and a spike at the bottom of the hilt. It was presumably developed during the Qing era. It was often used in pairs in Chinese martial arts, but never as a military weapon.

Japanese Swords and Daggers:

Chokuto: A one-handed sword with a straight single-edged blade. It was developed prior to the tenth century. It had a small disc-shaped guard and a large, often decorated pommel.

Tsurugi: A one-handed sword with a straight double-edged blade, similar in construction to the Chinese jian. It was developed prior to the tenth century.

Tanto: A single-edged dagger originated during the Heian period. It was initially used alongside a , but later became the dagger of the class. Most tanto blades had no ridgeline and were practically flat. This was the weapon most commonly used to perform , the ritual suicide of the men of the samurai class.

Yoroidoshi: A variant of the tanto with a thick spine, used for piercing armor.

Tachi: A two-handed sword with a curved single-edged blade. Its curvature was centered very close to the hilt. It had a small disc-shaped guard and no pommel. Its grip was made of wood and wrapped in ray skin and string. Just as later Japanese curved swords, it tended to be very blade-heavy because of its minimal if not nonexistent distal tapering. Despite its two-handed design, it was sometimes used in one hand with a dagger or a shorter sword in the other hand, or from horseback. This trait is shared with the and the . The combination of a long sword and a short sword or dagger is known as daisho, and became the symbol of the samurai class. It was carried suspended from the belt with the edge downwards. This type of sword was popular from the eleventh to the fifteenth century. This type of sword and all its derivatives usually had blades folded and forged in a variety of ways to make up for inferior materials, much like the Damascus or pattern-welded swords of the west. The edge was forged of different materials and hardened separately to the rest of the blade, which allowed it to be much harder, and therefore sharper, without making the entire blade brittle.

Kodachi: A one-handed sword with a curved single-edged blade. It was essentially a shorter version of the tachi.

Odachi/Nodachi: A two-handed sword with a long curved single-edged blade. It was a much larger version of the tachi, presumably inspired by the Chinese zanmadao. Commonly used as a battlefield sword against cavalry, or later as a ceremonial weapon.

Uchigatana: A two-handed sword with a curved single-edged blade. A sword developed from the tachi during the fifteenth century. Its curvature centered near the tip of the blade. It was carried inside the (belt or sash), with the edge upwards.

Katate-uchi: A one-handed sword with a curved single-edged blade. It was a shorter version of the uchigatana.

Katana: A two-handed sword with a curved single-edged blade. It developed from the uchigatana and had a more consistent curvature all along the blade. Its length was usually between 24 and 32 inches (60 and 80 centimeters). It was carried in the same way as its predecessor. It was originated in the sixteenth century. To this day it’s popular as an ornamental or ceremonial weapon and in Japanese fencing.

Wakisashi: A one-handed sword with a curved single-edged blade. It was a shorter version of the katana.

Shikomizue: A blade mounted in a specialized hilt and sheath to make it look like a cane. Not to be confused with the shirasaya, an undecorated plain wooden set of hilt and scabbard used to store the blade when not in use. These cane-swords were used to carry a weapon without raising suspicion, notably by /shinobi.

Tekkan: A one-handed sword with no cutting edges or point. It was shaped like a wakisashi. It was used during the Edo period to bypass laws against carrying swords. Hachiwari: A curved dagger with no cutting edges but a very acute point. It was usually between 13 and 17 inches (35 to 45 centimeters) in length. It had a small hook at the base of its blade to catch enemy weapons and armor or to assist in grappling. It was often mounted on a tanto hilt. It was used by the samurai in armored combat.

Kaiken: A small dagger with a single or double-edged blade and a plain mount. It was carried by men and women of the samurai class as a defensive weapon and used by women for ritual suicide.

Korean Swords and Daggers:

Hwandudaedo: A sword with a straight blade, no guard and a distinctive ring-shaped pommel. It could be single or double-edged and was often heavily ornate, initially used by high-ranking officers and nobles, and later by cavalry.

Hwando/To: A one-handed sword with a curved single-edged blade. It had a disc-shaped guard and a flat, flared pommel, common amongst infantry since the fifteenth century.

Unggeom: A two-handed sword with a curved single edge, built in a similar way to a hwando. It could also be used in one hand and was a common cavalry sword.

Ssangsudo/Ssangsoodo: A two-handed sword of over six feet in length. The hilt is two feet long and the first two feet of the blade are usually covered in or copper.

South East Asian Swords and Daggers:

Bolo: A large knife or with a heavy blade that curves and flares at the tip, popular in the and . Its grip is usually made of hardwood or horn. It’s mainly used as a cutting tool for agriculture or clearing vegetation, but was often used as a weapon by farmers. Those designed for combat usually have narrower tips.

Golok/Gulok: A large knife, heavier but shorter than most , common in Indonesia and the Malay Archipelago. It’s used as both a weapon and an agricultural tool. Its blade is narrow, but becomes wider at the tip and can sometimes have a convex edge. In the Betawi culture, men carry goloks as a self-defense weapon and a symbol of masculinity, and these can be very ornate.

Parang: A one-handed, single-edged sword from the Malay archipelago, similar in design to the but with a longer and heavier blade. Its hilt is made of wood and has a flared, curved pommel.

Ginunting: A one-handed single-edged sword popular in the Philippines. It has a long, narrow blade with a subtle forward curve, a mostly straight edge and a beak-shaped tip. Its hilt is flared at its end and it can sometimes have a small guard. /Pinute: A one-handed, single-edged sword from the , in the Philippines. Originally devised as an agricultural tool, it was used effectively as a weapon by farmers due to its narrow blade and acute point, which favored thrusting. Its blade angles forward from the hilt. It sometimes possesses a knuckle-guard.

Kampilan: A two-handed, single-edged sword used in the Philippines, particularly in the . The blade is narrow near the hilt and tapers inversely towards the tip. It’s usually forged with a laminated pattern similar to Damascus steel. The cutting edge is longer than the spine, which angles sharply forward towards the tip. This flat ramp often has a small spike. Its hilt is entirely made of wood and the grip is often wrapped in . The pommel is bifurcated and carved to look like a beast’s open maw. The cross-guard and pommel sometimes have metal staples, mainly for decoration.

Talibong: A one-handed, single-edged sword from the Philippines. It was characterized by its flaring towards the edge at the blade’s mid-section. The blade could be straight or curved forwards.

Kukri: A Nepalese knife with a heavy, flared blade and a convex edge. It’s considered the traditional cutting tool and weapon of the Nepalese people, and still carried by troops throughout the world. Their blades generally are between 16 to 18 inches (40 to 45 centimeters) long, but larger can be found as ornamental or ceremonial weapons. Kukri often have pockets for a smaller utility knife and a sharpening tool.

Dahong Palay: A one-handed single-edged sword from the Philippines. Its blade is mostly straight with slight flaring towards the middle of the blade and a narrow tip. It has no guard. It’s used both as a weapon and as a farmer’s tool.

Barong: A one-handed, single-edged sword of the Philippines, used mainly in Sulu. Its blade was thick, broad and heavy, narrow at the hilt and tip but broader at its mid-section. It was often forged with a laminated pattern similar to Damascus steel. Its blade’s length could be anywhere between 8 and 22 inches (20 and 56 centimeters. Its hilt was curved toward the edge. It was made of hardwood with a metal collar before the blade, and it was sometimes wrapped in lacquered cord.

Panabas: A two-handed, single-edged sword from the Philippines. It's characterized by its blade's forward curve and its long hilt, which can be as long if not longer than the blade. The tip of the blade can be round, sharp or squared. It was often made of laminated steel, similar to Damascus steel. It can also easily be used in one hand. It was commonly used as a combat weapon, an agricultural tool, an execution instrument and a symbol of power.

Klewang: A two-handed, single-edged sword used in Indonesia. Its blade is similar in shape to that of a , but much broader and heavier. Its hilt has no guard and a grip of horn or hardwood that bends towards the edge. /Dah: A single-edged bladed weapon used in , , , , and . It has a round grip, no guard and a gently-curved blade. Its blade sometimes has a convex curve. Depending on the length of the blade it can be considered a sword or a dagger, one or two-handed. They were used as tools and weapons

Kalis: A one-handed double-edged sword used in Indonesia, the Philippines, and . Its blade is usually from 18 to 26 inches (46 to 66 centimeters) in length, wide on its base. It could be straight, waved all the way to the tip or waved halfway through the blade. It was often forged with a laminated pattern similar to Damascus steel. Its steel guard is shaped in such a way that its upper line flows directly into the blade. Its hilt can be straight or curved slightly forward, made of hardwood and wrapped in lacquered natural fiber. Its pommel is carved in various shapes, often horse-hooves or birds. Most pommels are made of hardwood, but those of belonging to the upper classes were usually made of ivory or metal, and their hilts were wrapped in silver or alloys.

Kris/Keris: A dagger strongly associated with the , but common in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Thailand. Its design is almost identical to that of the kalis sword, but in smaller dimensions and with a one-piece blade and guard. Both the dagger and its sheath are often heavily ornate and used as both a weapon and a symbol of status for men and women of all social classes. They are often carried on the back, across the belt.

Gunong/Punyal: A small dagger with a similar design to the and kalis, but in a much smaller size. It’s usually not as ornamented as its larger counterparts and used as both a utility knife and a backup weapon.

Karambit/Kerambit/Lihok: A double-edged Indonesian knife with a distinctive curved shape and a claw-like blade. It has a ring-like hole at the end of the grip for the index finger. It’s meant to be held with the blade down and the hand closed like a fist. It can have a variety of sizes and shapes depending on its use. It’s commonly used in , as a concealed weapon or as a utility knife. The name lihok is the one most commonly used in Indonesia, while the other two are popular amongst foreigners.