middle age swords

[Shadowdragon]

I'm trying to come up with a list of weapons that existed in Europe during the late middle ages (1300 to 1500. If anyone has a list made up already please send me a copy ). I'm having a little trouble figuring out which swords I want to include in the list. I've found three main ones so far: the arming sword (which includes any one-handed sword about 3 feet long), the longsword (any hand-and-a-half sword about 4-5 feet long), and the falchion (any machete-like blade). I think the estoc/tuck (long "ice pick" weapons) also existed but they may be Renaissance weapons. Were there any other swords available in the late middle ages?

I'm also having trouble figuring out how middle age swords were used. Were arming swords still thrusting weapons, like the ones used by the romans and greeks? Were longswords cutting weapons with blunt tips, or where they pointed armour-piercing weapons that weren't designed for cutting, or did both types exist?

Any help I can get would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Arkhandus]

Uh, why is this in House Rules rather than General Discussion? Far as I know, this forum gets less traffic than General, and I don't see how this topic is houserules-centric.

Here are some links I have to websites that may be useful to your query.

Arms and Armour Glossary of Terms
Click on a letter to see the definitions that start with that letter.

The Weapons Room
Click on a weapon image for a list of weapons under that heading, then click on the name of the weapon you want to see the information for.

MyArmoury
This might have some useful info, but I haven't browsed it much so far except to see some of the antique and recreation weapons they have pictures and background for.

And of course, I would be remiss if I didn't direct you to search the Wikipedia online encyclopedia for any helpful information and background on medieval weaponry. It doesn't have everything you might want to check into, but it does have a surprising amount of information on history and historical military equipment (among many other topics; I search it any time I come across the name of a weapon, animal, title, or nation I'm unfamiliar with).

 

[robberbaron]

The best description of medieval swords I've come across was "sharpened crowbars".

AFAI recall, medieval swords were all slashing weapons, relying on weight and impetus to batter a foe down - the european weapons, anyway. I have a vague recollection of the bastard sword being a hand-and-a-half weapon designed to be thrust through armour (or, perhaps, between plates of armour), but it is vague.

Also, it depends upon your definition of 'middle ages'.

Osprey Books have always been an excellent source of info and there will doubtless be several for the period you are interested in.

 

[Shadowdragon]

Uh, why is this in House Rules rather than General Discussion? Far as I know, this forum gets less traffic than General, and I don't see how this topic is houserules-centric.

Oops. If any mods are reading this can this thread please be moved?

 

[hong]

All swords are katanae, whether they know it or not.

 

[robberbaron]

Or cutlasses. Aaarr!

 

[Nyaricus]

Oops. If any mods are reading this can this thread please be moved?

Just report your own post, and ask it to be moved to General

 

[Jdvn1]

You can't report your own post--he could report someone else's post and do the same thing, though.

I've reported it already, anyway.

 

[Plane Sailing]

And lo, as if by magic, the thread moved to General...

 

[Hussar]

The best description of medieval swords I've come across was "sharpened crowbars".

AFAI recall, medieval swords were all slashing weapons, relying on weight and impetus to batter a foe down - the european weapons, anyway. I have a vague recollection of the bastard sword being a hand-and-a-half weapon designed to be thrust through armour (or, perhaps, between plates of armour), but it is vague.

Also, it depends upon your definition of 'middle ages'.

Osprey Books have always been an excellent source of info and there will doubtless be several for the period you are interested in.

This is pretty much entirely wrong. Check www.thearma.org for the best information regarding middle ages and later European weapon stuff.