History of Sword
Planet Trading Co offering Medieval Sword, Rapier Sword, Norman Sword, Greek Sword,Antiqye Sword.A sword is a long-edged piece of metal, used as a cutting, thrusting, and slashing weapon in many civilizations throughout the world. The word sword comes from the Old English sweord, cognate to Old High German swert, Middle Dutch swaert, Old Norse sverð (cf.Danish sværd, Norwegian sverd, Swedish svärd) Old Frisian and Old Saxon swerd and Modern Dutch zwaard and German Schwert, from a Proto-Indo-European root *swer- "to wound, to hurt".
 A sword fundamentally consists of a blade and a hilt, typically with one or two edges for striking and cutting, and a point for thrusting. The basic intent and physics of swordsmanship have remained fairly constant through the centuries, but the actual techniques vary among cultures and periods as a result of the differences in blade design and purpose. The names given to many swords in mythology, literature, and history reflect the high prestige of the weapon.
Types of Swords
- Falcata Sword :
The Falcata sword handle is solid brass. Falcata is a fully functional sword. The single edge blade is made of high Iron steel, 20.5 in. in length and 2in. wide. The overall length of the Falcata is 20.5 in. Falcata comes complete with a scabbard.
The origin of the comes from the most ancient Spanish customs. More than 2,000 years ago, in the 5th century B.C. , Iberian blacksmiths already forged swords known as Falcata. which had an iron blade inside and a special design made to increase the bluntness of the slash. The Falcata is a unique sword created for its superior slashing motion; it is a specialized cutting sword. This ancient sword was specifically fashioned to provide optimum slash for the warrior's efforts. Its interesting designed made it a force to contend with and fear. It was described as one of the mot devastating swords the Romans ever fought against. This is a true historical replica of the original.
Rapier Sword
This rapier sword proves maximum protection with its cup hilt designed to fully protect the hand and wrist.
Scottish Claymore Sword
This 49.5" highlander sword brings images of the fierce warrior William Wallace battling Longshank's army on the field at Falkirk. William Wallace, a giant of man for the time standing 6' 7" tall, was armed with a education in religion and languages, and had a mercurial temper. Wallace waged a 13th Century version of guerrilla war against the English until his final capture, torture, and dismemberment in 1305. This impressive replica sword features a twisted wood handle, brass hand guard and pommel. Blades are not full battle worthy and cannot be sharpened.
Norman Sword
Norman sword is inspired by 11th century styles. Well balanced and tempered, this fully functional battle sword has exceptional handling characteristics. The Norman Sword could be easily wielded on foot with a shield or with it's 30.5” blade length and its overall length 38”. this sword would be ideal to use from horseback. Has Steel pommel with guard.
Medieval Sword
The Medieval Swords were the knightly weapons par excellence. During the history of mankind, no other weapon carried so many symbols as the sword, and, in this context, the Medieval swords are a special case. The Medieval swords are the symbols of honor, courage, faith, and religion, which are the pillars of Knighthood itself. The swords are indissolubly related to the most solemn ceremony of Chivalry, the Consecration of the Knight.
The various parts of a sword should perhaps be mentioned before proceeding to a chronological description.
The two essential parts of the Medieval swords are the blade and the hilt. The prolongation of the blade which fits into the handle is the tang; the upper portion near the hilt is the ricasso. The essential portions of the hilt are the quillons, which cross at right angles between the blade and the handle to protect the hand; the grip, which is self-explanatory, and the pommel, the expanded piece at the end of the grip.
During the Pre-Norman Period, the Medieval swords in use throughout Europe were of the Scandinavian type, and may be divided into three classes:
(1) those having the character of a broadsword, with parallel sharp edges and an acute point, and the tang only for a grip; (2) a similar variety having a cross guard; and (3) a sword with the blade slightly curved.
From the Norman Conquest till the end of the 12th Century, the grip was usually of wood, covered with skin, but sometimes of bone. The cross-guards began in a simple projection, but increased as time went on; together with the pommel, they were at times highly ornamented, inlaid with precious stones. The sheaths were usually of leather, stiffened with a wood framing.
The blade was always two-edged, and about forty inches in length; the quillons were generally straight, in other cases curved towards the blade, as in the Great Seal of King Henry II; the grip varied perhaps more than any other part, being at times almost double handed. The shape of the pommel takes many forms, as round, hemispherical, square, lozenge, trefoiled or cinquefoiled.
In the 13th Century, the Medieval swords resembled those of the preceding century. The blade was straight, broad, double-edged, and pointed. The type is well shown in the Second Seal of King Henry III. The cross-piece was usually curved towards the blade. Sometimes the curved guard threw out a kind of cusp in the middle. The crossbar was at other times straight. A variety of the straight guard forms also a cusp over the centre of the blade. The pommel of the sword during this century takes many forms: the round, the trefoil, the cinquefoil, the rosette, the lozenge, the conical, the pear-shaped, the square, and the fleur-de-lis, as in the Seal of King Edward I. The round is either plain or ornamented on its sides: in the latter case the ornament is usually a cross, or a shield of arms. The plain round pommel is generally wheel-formed; that is, it has a projection in the centre something like the nave of a wheel. The sacred symbol of the Cross is very frequently found on the circular pommel.
The sword-handle is sometimes of a highly enriched character. That of King John, on his monument in Worcester Cathedral, represents a weapon in which both pommel and cross-bar were inlaid with precious stones. The Sheath also occasionally exhibits enrichments. These are either metal harnessing of Gothic patterns, similar to the architectural designs of the day, or the scabbard is embellished from end to end with a series of shields of arms.
In the 14th Century, the Medieval swords were straight, broad, and acutely pointed, with a simple cross-piece for guard, thus retaining the characteristics of the previous century. The length of the blade was not uniform, there were blades of 2 feet and 8 inches, but also of 2 feet and 1 inch. The cross-piece was usually either straight, or curved towards the blade. More rarely it curves in the opposite direction, or has an angular form. The first kind has varieties in which the centre is cusped, or the extremities are molded into foils or volutes. The pommel offers great diversity of form. It is round, wheel-formed, trefoil, lozenge-shaped, angular, conical, pear-shaped. The pommel is sometimes charged with a cross, or contains an escutcheon of arms. The blades were often covered with Latin inscriptions.
The Medieval swords of the 15th Century maintained the same characteristics. The pear-shaped pommel may be considered as defining the type for this century.
Of a distinct category are the Medieval swords used mostly by the more humble soldiers.
The Falchion was chiefly used by archers and men-at-arms. It had a blade wide at the point; the edge was curved and convex, the back concave. The Cultellus was a short sword, and is not often mentioned or represented. It was designed especially for the use of foot soldiers when rushing upon knights who had been dismounted in a cavalry charge, or for the close encounter of infantry against infantry.
Among the Medieval swords, the Anelace was very popular with the civilians. It was a long dagger which was secured to the person by a chain. It is often represented upon effigies and brasses of civilians in the 14th and 15th centuries, and at times assumed very large proportions. The handle is as a rule made in the fashion of that of the cinquedea, from which it was probably derived. The latter is a dagger or short sword which had its origin in Italy; the blade is generally of the width of five fingers at the hilt (whence the name); the quillons always bend towards the blade; it was two-edged, and averaged from eighteen to twenty inches in length.
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