The evolution of the knightly sword ultimately led to its division into two directions of development; the first half included the broadsword, a long and heavy piercing and chopping weapon. The second direction was the rapier and sword; at the time of its appearance, the combat sword did not even approximately resemble its elegant heirs from the 18-19 centuries. The main difference between a combat sword and a broadsword was the weight and width of the blade; in addition, the broadsword was used mainly for slashing, while the sword was intended for piercing.
But at the same time, one should not miss the fact that both the broadsword and the sword could both chop and stab. It was a long and narrow sword, the reason for its appearance was the presence of plate armor and the appearance of joints and holes in them, into which the narrow blade fit simply perfectly. In addition, the sword, unlike the sword, gave the owner more possibilities in battle than heavier types of edged weapons. After its appearance, the sword took its place on the belt of the noble and officer class for four centuries of almost continuous wars.
Sword device
The sword, like other bladed weapons, consisted of two main parts: the blade and the hilt. The blade is straight and flat with a double-sided sharpening with a fuller or two, smoothly tapering to the tip. The length of the blade was about 1 meter, but later it decreased to 700-800 mm.
The blade itself, in addition to its flat shape in cross-section, could be square, rhombic or oval; in this case, the cutting edges remained only at the tip.
- This is a piercing weapon with a long faceted blade with ribs.
The weight of the sword was about 1.2-1.6 kg. Sometimes the question arises, how much did a musketeer’s sword weigh? The answer to this question is in the museums of France. The sword of those times weighed about 1.5 kg.
The sword hilt consists of the following parts:
- the sword handle is usually made of wood and metal and is braided or grooved for comfortable grip;
- crosshair, a protective device at the transition between the blade and the hilt, straight or inclined;
- bow, a protective device that protects the fingers, in the form of a strip of metal from the cross to the pommel of the handle;
- the pommel, a metal apple that completes the handle and serves for balancing, was made in the form of a metal ball or cap;
- the guard, the protection of the hand, consisted of protective rings with fastening to the crosshairs, and shields or a developed basket made in the form of a solid or patterned metal strip that completely covered the hand.
The hilt of the early samples was a regular crosspiece with a bow, sometimes supplemented with a protective ring. A balancing apple was attached to the top of the handle.
Later hilts received a basket guard on top of a developed crosshair, and the number of arms increased to 2-3, or a solid strip of a figured shape covering the hand.
The handle could have a round, round or rectangular cross-section; it was mounted on the shank of the blade and firmly fixed. The material for covering it was code or fabric. Often the sword handle was braided with metal wire in several rows.
Blade guards largely depended on the fencing school, so Spanish fencing masters preferred completely closed guards, while in fencing they worked with the hand from the forearm, French school preferred light guards, since the wrist technique was more developed.
According to the modern Oakcott classification, guards are divided according to the degree of closure of the hand into fractional quarter numbers. Depending on the type of guard, swords are divided into types that have pronounced properties characteristic only of this type of weapon:
- “Spanish” bowl, a deep bowl in front of the crosshair with a pair of rings inside it, in battle the sword is held by them, or by the hilt itself;
- Bilbo, a more secure variety of the “Spanish bowl”, with an additional arch and a larger bowl;
- Papenheimer, a developed guard with a cup and hand protection in the form of a complex weave of arches;
- Flemish guard, in the form of a crosshair with rings or shields, without an arch;
- cavalry, development of the Flemish, but with the presence of one or more arches covering the hand.
Later, when the combat sword passed into the rank of court decoration and ceremonial weapon, the hilts began to be decorated precious stones, their weaving was a work of art. While the crosshair has almost completely disappeared.
The combat swords of this time were simplified designs with a small crosshair, a bow and two shields to the right and left of the blade. Various types of decorations or awards could be placed on the apple. The overall length of the sword depended on the craftsman who forged it and on the fencing school of the owner.
Features of the sword
When the sword was distributed, it was clearly accepted as a noble weapon. This was facilitated by both combat and specifications this type of bladed weapon.
Unlike inexpensive broadswords and sabers, the soft metal of the blades, which could be compensated by the weight and force of the blow, the sword is a weapon of technology and high-quality metal.
A thinner blade required elastic and hard steel.
In addition, its focus on thrusting made the sword an even more demanding weapon in terms of production quality. For this reason, the sword became hallmark nobility, less wealthy financial means classes preferred cheaper sabers and swords.
In addition, owning a sword required certain skills that only warriors, who were originally nobles, could have.
After fencing became a science, national schools of using these weapons gradually began to develop.
They largely depended on the characteristics of the guard and blade. Italian swords, for example, are designed for piercing blows, and practically do not use chopping and cutting, with a pull, blows of the blade. Accordingly, the handles and hilts of Italian bladed weapons are designed specifically for thrusting; chopping with them is not particularly convenient.
Also interesting is the French school, also designed for thrusting; the French type sword has a light Flemish or cavalry type guard and usually a faceted blade. Therefore, musketeer swords have a relatively short blade and an open guard.
The German school, on the contrary, uses a full range of strokes. Chopping, piercing and cutting, as well as stunning, with a flat blade. It was in the German principalities that the tactics of fighting with a dagger for the second hand - the daga - appeared.
Distreza, the Spanish school of fencing involved a whole science, including the philosophy of blade fighting. But at the same time, unlike the developing French and Italian schools, it was more conservative.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that nowadays fencing is increasingly becoming a thing of history. But all his methods were transferred to sports fencing, the fastest and most dynamic sport.
It is also worth noting military-historical fencing, which involves the use of products identical to combat samples. Moreover, in childhood, everyone was sick of the adventures of Athos, Porthos and Aramis, after watching movies or reading books by Dumas.
Hence the musketeer cloaks, wooden sabers in childhood, and steel and aluminum blades in adulthood. It is worth noting that you should not use a sword or other bladed weapons as a means of self-defense; it is illegal.
But the sword as a sign of honor and valor of an officer and nobleman has already become a household item. “Sell your sword” - this phrase came from German mercenaries and means to sell your knowledge and experience. To break a sword means to deprive one of honor. So these outdated edged weapons entered our daily life.
Video
) bladed bladed weapons (cm. STEEL ARMS), serving to protect the hand from being hit by an enemy weapon.
The term "guard" is more often used in relation to long-bladed weapons (sword (cm. SWORD), foil (cm. RAPIER)). For short-bladed weapons (daggers) (cm. DAGGER), dirk (cm. DIRK)) a similar part is called a limiter. The main types of guards: cross, bow (arc), shield, half-basket, basket, half-cup, cup (bowl). In weaponry, combinations of different types of guards are often used.
encyclopedic Dictionary . 2009 .
See what “GUARD (part of the hilt)” is in other dictionaries:
- (French garde, the main meaning is protection), part of the hilt of a bladed weapon, which serves to protect against a blow from the hand... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Garda: Garda (Lago di Garda) is the largest lake in Italy; Garda (Isola di Garda) is the largest island on the Italian Lake Garda. Garda is a commune in Italy, a climatic resort on the shores of Lake Garda; Guard or guard part of the hilt... ... Wikipedia
Y; and. [French garde protection] A metal shield to protect the hand, located between the blade and the handle of a bladed weapon (sword, rapier, etc.) or a bow on the handle of a saber. * * * guard (French garde, main meaning guard), part of the hilt ... encyclopedic Dictionary
hilt (from German Gefass), part of a bladed weapon (see EDGE WEAPON) with a long blade (see BLADE), combining the handle and guard (see GUARD (part of the hilt)). The hilt may not have a guard... encyclopedic Dictionary
SABER (from Hungarian szabni to cut), a chopping bladed weapon. It consists of a curved steel blade (see BLADE) with a blade on the convex side and a handle (hilt). Appeared in the East in the 6th and 7th centuries, later in Rus' and others European countries. Combination... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
AND; and. [ital. spada] Cold piercing weapon with a straight, narrow and long blade of triangular, tetrahedral or hexagonal shape. Sword hilt. Ancient highway Sportivnaya highway Fight, fence with swords. Draw your swords (pull them out of their scabbards,... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
A; m. [from Hung. pallos] East. A bladed weapon similar to a saber, but with a straight and wide single-edged (double-edged towards the end) blade (was in service with Russian cuirassier regiments until the end of the 19th century). Chop with a broadsword. * * * broadsword (from Hungarian pallos), chopping… encyclopedic Dictionary
A; m. 1. An ancient edged weapon in the form of a double-edged long straight knife with a handle. Broad sword. Swing and slash with your sword. Sword scabbard. 2. High. About who or what is punishing, punishing whom. Sword of justice. Sword of the law. Punishing sword. ◊… … encyclopedic Dictionary
- (German: Spadon), edged weapon (see EDGE WEAPON), two-handed sword(see SWORD), used in the 15th-17th centuries in Germany and Switzerland. Spadon reached the size of a man, his blade (see BLADE) was double-edged, wavy or flaming... encyclopedic Dictionary
A; m. [French] espadon] Sports. Sports saber. Fencing on espadrons. ◁ Espadron, oh, oh. E. blade. * * * espadron (from the French espadon large sword), see Sports saber. * * * ESPADRON ESPADRON (French espadon, from Italian spadone from ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
It so happened that the names of the components of bladed weapons, including swords, are given by the authors of the books to the extent of their promiscuity. Some names have multiple meanings. Namely: the “apple” is a spherical part at the top of the handle of a sword, and maybe the combat part of a mace, although the combat part of a mace has its own name: “beat”. This confusion can be explained by the fact that the apple of a sword can also cause serious blows. There is also a contradiction between the definitions “hilt” and “hilt”; I believe that these are synonyms, but often only the part of the sword by which the sword is held is called the hilt. I think that this part is called “cutting,” the old Russian word “cutting” is also suitable. There is also a slight confusion with the crosshair of a saber and the crosshair of a sword; “crosshair” is not a synonym for the word “crossguard”. But you will read about everything in order further, the new definition is marked with an asterisk “*”, when you click on it you will be taken directly to its definition, if you want to return to the previous block, then click the “back” button in the browser.
Sword samples:
Handle handle
End of the cross
Explanations
Sword- a bladed weapon with a straight, long, wide blade and a simple guard, usually consisting only of a cross. The massive head of the sword hilt served to some extent as a counterweight to the blade.
Handle head, hilt (pommel, knob, apple) - the upper part of the handle of a bladed weapon. It can have a wide variety of shapes. The head was riveted or screwed onto the shank of the blade and served as an element fastening the hilt. For some types of bladed weapons (swords), the massive head of the handle served as a counterweight to the blade.
Cutting(black) - part of the handle (hilt) of a bladed weapon, attached to the shank of the blade and intended to be grasped by the hand. It is a wooden tube or consists of two wooden or horn plates - cheeks. The tubular handles were usually covered with leather and wrapped with wire.
Handle(hilt , kryzh) - from the German “Gefass” - an integral part of a bladed weapon, which is a combination of the handle, head and guard. In many cases (Caucasian and Asian checkers, various knives, etc.) the handle consists of only one handle and in this case it is called a handle.
Shank(rod, stem) - a steel strip or rod extending from the heel of the blade on which the handle of a bladed weapon is mounted.
Cross(flint) - a narrow metal faceted or flat bar located between the handle and blade perpendicular to them. One end of the crosspiece in many types of bladed weapons passes into the front bow, connected to the head of the handle. The cross is often called a stopper.
Dol(lobe, groove, bloodstream) - a longitudinal groove on the blade that serves to facilitate it. The blade may have one or more fullers or slices of different lengths and widths.
Blade- sharpened edge of a blade, spear or axe.
Blade(strip) - the main part of a bladed weapon in the form of a straight or curved steel strip with single- or double-edged sharpening, or a faceted rod. The cross-section of the blade could be very diverse: hexagonal or diamond-shaped (swords), wedge-shaped (sabers), etc. The outdated term “blade” is sometimes used to designate the plane or side of the blade.
Blade Edge- (shank) part of the plane of the blade, limited by two ribs or an edge and a blade.
tip- the piercing end of the blade, the point of connection between the lines of the butt (or the bevel of the butt) and the blade.
Blade Shoulder(heel, base) - the upper, unsharpened part of the blade, directly adjacent to the handle. Stamps were usually placed on the heel.
Garda(guard, lattice, flint) - from the French “garde” - a set of protective elements of the hilt of a bladed weapon. May consist of a cross, arches, cup. Guards with a large number of intersecting arms are sometimes called basket or lattice guards.
One-and-a-half-handed sword- a type of sword with a long blade, the handle of which could be grasped with one or two hands.
Stiffening rib- a protrusion on the blade strip necessary to increase the strength and rigidity of the blade.
Strong part of the blade(forte) - here the blade is thicker, here, near the guard, there is better protection. This is the part of the blade that is recommended to parry blows.
Foible(foible) - the part of the blade at the tip, least suitable for parrying. The enemy can gain more control over our weapon if we parry with this part.
Sheath(sheath) - a metal, wooden or leather case for a blade, equipped with any devices for suspension (rings, hook, bracket, etc.). The scabbard is suspended from the waist or shoulder belt using so-called pass straps.
Estuary(upper tip, upper frame, upper holder) - the upper part of the metal device of a leather or wooden sheath of a bladed weapon, protecting the upper end of the sheath from damage. The mouth is sometimes also called the hole into which the blade is inserted when sheathed.
Scabbard tip(buterol) - the lower part of the metal device of a wooden or leather sheath, protecting its end from damage.
Sword- from the Italian “spada” - a bladed weapon with a long, straight, narrow or medium-width blade and a complex guard, consisting of a cup, one or more arches of various shapes and a cross, or only a system of arches and a cross.
Bow(braid, bigel) - an integral element of the guard of a bladed weapon. The front bow connects the head of the handle to the cross or cup. The side temples usually branch off from the front and connect to the cup or crosspiece.
shield- a wide, often patterned plate, an integral part of the guard.
Cup hilt- a flat or curved metal plate of various shapes towards the edge of the blade, mounted on a crosspiece and integral part guards.
Button- a semicircular or faceted protrusion on top of the head-pommel of the handle, for fixing the tip of the blade tang.
Ricasso- unsharpened part at the base of the blade of some two-handed swords and sword. It was activated by wrapping your fingers around the crosspiece and the base of the blade, therefore it was protected by the arms located under the crosspiece.
Blade- a large cone-shaped leather or fabric loop suspended from the waist belt, into which the sheath of a bladed weapon or bayonet was inserted.
Sheath device(frame, set) - metal lining on a leather or wooden sheath. Usually consists of a mouth, one or more nuts (holder) and a tip.
Saber- a bladed weapon with a long curved single-edged blade and a fairly simple guard; since the 17th century, sabers with complex guards have become common in Western Europe.
Yelman- expanded lower part of the blade, which has a double-edged sharpening. Found mainly in eastern sabers. In the 17th-19th centuries, blades with elmans were also made for some samples of European sabers.
Butt(butt, blunt, back, back) - the unsharpened edge of the blade, opposite the blade.
Crosshair(flint, kryzh) - semicircular or rectangular extensions or overlays in the middle part of the cross, located perpendicular to it. The crosshair served to capture the enemy's blade, as well as to hold the blade in the sheath.
Ring- a part of the sheath of a bladed weapon to which the belt's pass strap is attached.
Cheek- a plate made of bone, horn, wood, plastic, stone or other material, fastened to the shank of the blade with rivets or screws. The handle of a bladed weapon was formed by two cheeks.
Sleeve- (forging, bolster, nut) - a wide metal ring-shaped or faceted part on the handle of a bladed weapon, fixing the cheeks of the handle on the shank of the blade, and also preventing them from splitting.
O6ojmitsa(fitting, clip, clapper) - a wide figured metal lining in the middle part of the scabbard, having an eyelet with a ring for the belt's passing strap.
screw- a narrow metal plate that encircles the sheath and has an eyelet with a ring for the belt strap. Wide figured nuts were usually called cages.
Shoe(crest, scallop, mane) - a metal figured plate that protects the tip of the sheath from rubbing when dragged along the ground. Particularly chic was the attachment of a rotating wheel in the shoe, so that the saber or broadsword did not just touch the paving stones or asphalt, but rolled next to the owner. Such freedom, the fashion for which came from Germany, was allowed only by some officers of the Russian Guards cavalry regiments stationed in the capital.
Harness- from the French “porte-epee” - a system of belts for hanging and carrying bladed weapons.
Belt belts- short straps connecting the main shoulder or waist belt of a sword belt with the sheath of a bladed weapon. Threaded into rings or staples on a sheath.
Bracket- a curved rectangular or semicircular part at the mouth of the scabbard, designed for threading a short passing strap of a sword belt.
Plank- an oblong metal plate covering the back of the handle of a bladed weapon along its entire length.
Level of curvature and other geometric parameters
For bladed weapons: the total length, the length of the blade, the width of the blade at the base (if any - the width of the elmani, the width at the narrowing in the middle part) are measured; When weighing a weapon, the weight in the sheath and without the sheath is given. If the blade has a curvature, the curvature of the blade can also be measured. Usually, when this comes up, the authors propose the following method for measuring the curvature of the blade. An imaginary straight line is drawn between the tip of the blade and the point of connection between the butt and the hilt. A perpendicular is lowered onto it: a) from the extreme point of the arc of the blade (1st option), b) from the extreme point of the arc of the butt (2nd option). Then the distance from the point of connection of the perpendicular and the straight line to the tip is measured, and the maximum curvature of the blade is given as a fractional number, for example 65/280, in which the first number is the length of the perpendicular. The second measurement option does not objectively reflect the degree of curvature of the cutting edge of the blade - the blade. To be convinced of this, it is enough to look at some types of eastern bladed single-edged weapons, in which the butt of the blade is minimally removed from the straight line or even located on the other side of it, and the line of the blade is quite curved (kukri). Moreover, the curved blades of some oriental daggers do not have a spine at all. In this case, if the curvature indicator is displayed, the perpendicular falls to a straight line connecting the tip and the base point of the shorter blade.
The linear dimensions of the weapon are indicated in millimeters, weight - in grams.
V.N. Popenko. Edged weapons of East and West. Moscow. 1992.
Gerald Winland/ Swords Epee and Saber Desk book collector. M.: Trivium. 1991
Khorev V.N. Reconstruction ancient weapons/ V. N. Khorev. - Phoenix, 2006. - 249,
Emil Vollmer Werlag. Blanke Waffen.
Kwasniewicz Włodzimierz. Polish sabers. - St. Petersburg. Atlant Publishing House LLC 2005.
Kirpichnikov A. N. About the beginning of the production of swords in Rus' (Proceedings of the VI International Congress of Slavic Archeology. T.4. M., 1998. P. 246-251)
Kirpichnikov A. N. Old Russian weapons. Issue 1. Swords and sabers (M.: Leningrad, 1966)
So, the era of chivalry is a thing of the past. The warriors took off their heavy armor. Manual weapons were introduced into service firearms. And heavy long sword also underwent changes.
In this article we will look at gradual transformation of a sword into a sword.
To begin with, let us outline the main components of a long-bladed edged weapon: 
Ephesus, German Gefass (I)
consists of a pommel (1) , pens (3) , and guards, eng. hilt (2,4,5,6,7,8,9,11)
Blade (II)— parts of the blade: weak — at the tip; strong - at the guard.
pommel (1) , pommel fr. term from Latin “small apple”, serves as a counterweight, also for possible attacking actions.
Garda, fr. Garde, protective structure: a complex of loops, rings and stripes that completely covers the hand of the armed hand from the opponent;
Quillons (7,6,8) , fr. quillion, cross - crossbar between the handle and blade, as the initial stage of the development of the guard.
The guard of a typical medieval sword was a simple cross with straight or slightly curved ends. This was enough, because... the sword was almost never used for defense (parrying), and the hand was protected by a heavy metal glove. The heavy sword was designed to deliver powerful slashing blows.
With the lighter protective equipment, the fighter became more maneuverable. Similar requirements were also placed on the sword. The weight of the weapon was reduced, and options for protecting the hand were thought out, without using an uncomfortable plate glove.
Gradually, the crosspiece began to acquire additional elements. The first improvement of the sword was the appearance of a ring covering the index finger, placed behind the crossguard for more complete control over the weapon.
Then it was supplemented with a second ring, because the middle and thumb were also placed behind the crosspiece on the strong part of the blade, the protection of which also needed to be thought through.
As a result, the so-called padan was formed (4, 5) (pas d'ane, fr. literally "donkey's mark"), part of the guard that protects the fingers behind the cross. The part of the blade in this place is called the ricasso (10) (Italian ricasso), rounded (blunt) for comfortable holding with fingers.
The crosspiece also underwent changes - one end of it soon began to be bent towards the pommel to protect the knuckles, forming a knuckle guard. bugel (2)- protects the back of the hand, the outer sector). Subsequently, the bow was connected to the pommel.
Such protective structures would be sufficient if the weapon was used only for striking in the pronation (the back of the hand from above).
But for upward blows and thrusts in a supinated position (open palm), it was necessary to develop protection from the wrist. The edges of the padan on the inside were connected to the edges of the dushka using curved crossbars. All these additional developments can be attributed to the concept of counterguard (eng. counterguards) (9)
The sizes and proportions of all these components are also important.
Gradually, with the development of the guard, the hilt itself decreased in size, because the handle was designed for only one palm, middle and ring fingers grabbed the handle, the rest were behind the cross.
It is very important for a professional fencer to develop a “Weapon Sense” (blade), sentiment du fer(French).
This is the feeling of the opponent's blade, obtained in conjunction with him through various movements of the blades.
This skill allows you to perceive the slightest change in the position of your opponent’s body, thereby predicting his intentions, which gives complete control over his weapon.
