Questions tagged [sword]
A sword is a blade weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting.
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What historic examples are there of swords being used a primary weapon in history? [closed]
Before anybody says anything I've already heard it all before
"Swords were historically sidearms."
"Swords aren't meant to be primary weapons."
and all other such things.
I ...
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Is the sword stance in Like a Dragon: Ishin where swordsmen place their palm flat against the hilt a style of Tennen Rishin-ryū? [closed]
In the video game Like A Dragon: Ishin, a major plot point is finding information about the Tennen Rishin style practiced by members of the Shinsengumi during the Bakumatsu period (1853-1867) in Japan....
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Who manufactured US 10th Cavalry Saber?
My grandfather - Henry Abbey Jr. was a Lt. in the US Army 10th Cavalry out of Fort Huachuca in AZ. I have photos of him - and there is one in the Fort Museum - and I have his saber/sword. I'm ...
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Is this a case of “cut and paste” of two different weapons?
I recently inherited a sabre and two daggers that we assume belonged to a gg uncle who was born in 1870.
I tried searching images to identify to sabre but became confused as it has a ruby-eyed lion ...
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When would one carry a sword on a shoulder with grip upwards?
Usually, swords are depicted as being kept in scabbard on the back or by the hip - like this or this.
It got me curious when I saw videos of swords carried on a shoulder and held by the blade - with ...
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Was swordsmanship important in the American Civil War?
I know swords were issued and I think they were used but my impression was that men on horseback (officers?) would simply slash at men on foot. Was swordsmanship actually studied with the idea of ...
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Help on finding out about a sword
After my mother passed away, I found this sword. I'm trying to get any information on it. It's one-piece, and appears to be brass under all the erosion but I could be wrong about the metal. I think it'...
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How historically accurate Is this replica "15th century hand and a half" sword?
Sorry, not a plug, but this sword at this shop called The Medieval Store has a 15th century hand and a half sword and I am curious the historical significance of it. What makes it 15th century? Can ...
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How to find out if this sword is real or just a souvenir?
I received an old looking sword as a gift. The giving party has no information on the piece whatsoever, as it was bought online, on our local version of craigslist.
The blade is very blunt. So blunt ...
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What did a tournament sword made of whale bone (baleen) look like?
I accidentally found this information from the Wikipedia page Boiled leather:
The word cuirass for a breastplate indicates that these were originally made of leather.[11] In the Late Middle Ages, ...
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Why did officers fire revolvers with just one hand, while wielding a sword in the other hand despite being too far away to use swords?
Please see screenshots below, the officers marked by my green arrows at 32:35, 1:04:23, 1:07:52.
In both scenes, both officers are obviously too far from the enemy to use their swords. Why didn't ...
user8309
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What language is this and what does it say? [closed]
It looks like japanese but I'm not sure. It's inscribed on my sword
(https://i.stack.imgur.com/jWo97.jpg)
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How did samurai keep their blade effective when away from any sharpening tools?
I was wondering, regardless of the type of blade, how did samurais keep their blade effective when they are away from any sharpening tools / professionals.
Coming from daily using a Japanese chef ...
bluesummers
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Can anyone identify these swords with carved ivory grip and narrow guard
(click for full size)
My dad found these two swords while working on a millionaire's home. The past home owner had been a sword collector and my father found it under the floors. I have no ...
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Can someone help me identify this sword?
It looks like a wide hacking blade, obviously a short sword. But because the tang isn't real wide and the way the handle fits, it looks like it was ceremonial or even ornamental.
The blade itself is ...
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Why did certain swords have the weird curves that they did? [closed]
I don't know if this belongs in history because it talks about pre-modern weapons or if it belongs in like physics or engineering, but in looking at references of swords, I noticed they have a large ...
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Identifying a sword engraved with "66. A. E. 1. 61"
Found this sword in my father's basement but need help with ID.
Can’t find any info on sword or its markings. The blade itself is 18”
from tip to top of hilt and 25” overall.
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At what point in England did use of swords to settle impromptu arguments become unusual?
In a peacetime, urban, non-military context, how often were swords drawn in an unpremeditated context? Ignore any context in which an individual is directed to draw a sword, or contexts like a duel ...
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How was the hilt attached to a medieval sword?
Modern swordsmithing seems to make use of drilling and boring the Pommel and handle to fit the tang. But drill presses didn't exist in those days. How was a sword's handle (and pommel) attached to a ...
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Help identify this (probably Confederate) sword?
I inherited this sword from my uncle.
It is by S & K (Schnitzler & Kirschbaum) with the inspector stamp of 'F.C' although the 'F' is not clear to me.
Is it a copy?
Measurements are:
Blade is ...
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Can anyone help me identify these swords?
I'm not entirely sure what they are, but I don't want to give them up. They look really neat!
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Can anyone identify this sword?
It's been around for years in the attic and I would love to find out where it's from. Thank you.
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Can anyone tell me more about this ... sword?
I am new here. I came here to ask about this small sword I found a couple of years ago. I think it used to belong to my father.
The scabbard seems to be made of lead and the sword is currently stuck ...
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Where and when is this sword from?
I got it from a friend who said their brother got it in Japan, but I'm not sure. I'm also not sure if this is a old sword or just made to look that way. I would love to know where it is from and what ...
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Can anyone tell me anything about this sword?
Can anyone tell me anything about this sword? It hangs in my husband's great grandmother's house for as long as he can remember.
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What is this sword?
I've been trying to identify this sword/knife (it's quite short) for sometime and no one has been able to tell me anything about it. A friend brought it home from Indonesia and gave it to me, I think ...
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How much did a good sword cost in Medieval Western Europe?
I realize the title is probably too broad to answer, so I'll narrow it down a bit:
Sword types: Viking swords, and/or Arming swords
Quality: Pattern welded iron/steel, crucible (or pseudo-crucible) ...
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Why were swords used in battle?
I hope this isn't too general, but I am talking about any warfare before the invention of firearms. In a one vs one duel between sword and pole arm, it seems like the pole arm has significant ...
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Can anyone tell me what style of sword this is?
Can someone please tell me what style of sword we are looking at here?
Such as Sumerian? Philippine? Middle Eastern? etc..
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Is there a citable reference of druids using curved swords?
Pliny writes of druids using sickles to cut mistletoe,
and there are curved swords (coined Falcata in the 19th century) from the pre-Roman Iberian peninsula.
Are there any references to druids ...
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Did cavalry in China use spears instead of swords?
In Japan, yaris (spears) seem inferior to katanas. In Shogun: Total War, for example, spear-wielding troops are "cheaper" than samurai. The spear-wielding troops are peasants. The samurai are members ...
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When did cavalry soldiers unsheathe swords?
Most movies depict cavalry's unsheathing of swords before a cavalry charge, far before their swords can ever be used. Is this authentic?
The Young Winston (1972) exemplifies the above, but bizarrely....
user8309
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What does the inscription on this sword mean?
The British Library has a 13th century sword with unknown inscription. They recently started a call to arms to translate the inscription.
The inscription reads:
NDXOXCHWDRGHDXORVI
Its meaning is ...
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What is known about how many Ulfberht swords exist?
For those who don't know, the Ulfberht sword was a Viking weapon of the finest quality, made with exquisite skill from the best materials available. They were produced between 800 and 1000 CE in ...
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Can anyone identify this sword guard?
I dug this sword guard while I was metal detecting at a Revolutionary War site. I have been researching for days and asking for assistance on other forums but I have not had any success. I would ...
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How would a 16-17th Century European Rapier have been made?
I've done a little reading on sand and permanent casting but a rapier seems like it may be thin for that kind of manufacture.
What methods and tools would have been used to make it?
(Please provide ...
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Identify this sword!
Anyone know anything about the markings on this sword?
This is a set of photos from a student I work with. Her grandfather gave it to her and said that his grandfather gave it to him. Unfortunately ...
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Searching for a very powerful Indian sword [closed]
This question is about history of India.
I have heard that a gentleman of Indian origin living in London did research on Indian history for 16 years and then he wrote a book, in his book he mentions ...
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How long would the average sword last in the middle ages?
Assuming normal wear and tear, how long before a knight had to replace his sword?
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Which came first, the shield or the sword? [closed]
According to the history stated in Wikipedia:
The oldest form of shield was a protection device designed to block
attacks by hand weapons, such as swords, axes and maces, or ranged
weapon sling-...
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When did the Romans begin using the sword, as opposed to the axe, for decapitation?
According to this article, the Romans first used the axe for decapitation, and then moved to using the sword later. The article states:
[B]eheading, a mode of executing capital punishment by which ...
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How were small swords worn in the 18th century?
Quick summary:
How was the small sword (or dress sword) fastened to the body?
What are the different ways of wearing it?
Looking at many drawings from this period, a good bunch of them depicts men ...
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In the Medieval period, how long would an average swordsmith need to forge an average sword?
Based on this question over in RPG, I'm trying to figure out how long it took to forge a sword in the Medieval/Renaissance smith to make swords. I am recalling a figure of about 9-12 months per sword,...
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How do Tamahagane, Damascus, and Toledo Steel compare?
Has a comparison been made of the qualities of Samurai (Tamahagane), Damascus and Toledo steel (rather than the swords)? I've seen claims for each being better than the others.
If it's on topic, I'm ...
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Master title for fencing
When and where did the practice of calling either a fencing teacher or a great swordsman "master" originates from? I am interested mainly in European primary sources, the older the better.
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Are the swords in the Oath of Horatii all Roman?
In looking at the Oath of Horatii image
I can see three swords in the hand of the father, I see what looks to be a gladius in the center, but the two swords on either side of it do not look to be ...
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When were swords last used in European warfare?
Specifically, I'm interested in the last documented occurrence of swords (of any sort) being used as a primary weapon by infantrymen or cavalrymen in Western warfare. That is, when did any European or ...
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Evidence of cross contamination between Japanese and Western sword fighting styles?
Are there any documented cases of cross pollination between western sword fighting techniques and Japanese ones? Such cross contamination could have happened during the Sengoku-jidai. This period ...
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When did blade fuller appear?
A fuller is the rounded or beveled groove or slot in the flat side of a blade which make the blade lighter -- not as some suggest a blood groove. When did the practice start? I suspect it was a ...