| The Longsword is a type of European | | | | small blade length in relation to hilt |
| sword used during the late medieval and | | | | length, gave the sword a very precise |
| Renaissance periods, approximately 1250 | | | | and reactive nature that served well for |
| to 1550. Longswords have lengthy | | | | cutting or thrusting, much like a |
| cruciform hilts with grips over six | | | | side-sword.[9] The form of the bastard |
| inches (15.25 cm) in length, straight | | | | sword began very much like that of the |
| double-edged blades often over | | | | greatsword, based in the beginning of |
| thirty-five inches (89 cm) in length, | | | | the 15th century off transition swords |
| and weigh between 2 (0.9 kg) and 4.5 | | | | evolving from the spatha. Like the |
| pounds (2 kg).[1] | | | | transition swords, the first bastard |
| The longsword is commonly held in combat | | | | swords featured a plain or cruciform |
| with both hands, though it may be used | | | | cross and a round or wheel pommel.[8] |
| single-handed. Longswords are used for | | | | Later development of the weapon, |
| striking, cutting, and thrusting. The | | | | however, saw the inclusion of curved |
| specific offensive purpose of an | | | | quillions, ring guards, and compound |
| individual longsword is derived from its | | | | hilts similar to those on baskethilts |
| physical shape. All parts of the sword | | | | (swords like the schiavona that nearly |
| are used for offensive purposes, | | | | enclosed the entire hand in a protective |
| including the pommel and crossguard. | | | | guard).[10] These served to provide |
| Contemporary terminology includes the | | | | increased protection for the wielders |
| Dutch grootzwaard, German Langschwert, | | | | hands and may have also positively |
| Italian spadone and Portuguese montante. | | | | affected the balance of the weapon. |
| The French espée bastarde references | | | | Such swords with compound hilts include |
| the bastard sword, a type of longsword. | | | | the German Reitschwert, a form of |
| The terms "hand-and-a-half sword", | | | | cavalry sword, and the "Degen" or |
| "greatsword", and "bastard sword" are | | | | "Knight's Sword". It is possible, |
| used colloquially to refer to longswords | | | | however, that these swords are in fact a |
| in general. | | | | single-handed manifestation of the |
| History | | | | estoc.[9] |
| The evolution of the sword before and | | | | Form |
| after the development of the longsword | | | | While nearly every longsword is in some |
| was not entirely linear. Swords of an | | | | way different from another, most contain |
| older type may have coexisted with newer | | | | a few essential parts. The blade of the |
| variants for quite some time, making it | | | | sword forms the cutting portion of the |
| difficult to trace a single path of | | | | weapon and is usually double-edged. |
| sword evolution. Instead, the course of | | | | Blades came in a variety of shapes and |
| sword development is layered with some | | | | sizes. Broad and thin blades are more |
| swords evolving from a previous type of | | | | effective for cutting-oriented |
| sword, acting as its able contemporary, | | | | longswords while thick tapering blades |
| and eventually being abandoned while the | | | | are found on varieties more effective at |
| original design continued in use for | | | | thrusting. However, all longswords were |
| some time afterward. Similarly, variants | | | | effective at cutting, slicing and |
| of a particular type of sword may have | | | | thrusting and variations in form made |
| come about not to replace it, but to | | | | only minor alterations in use. The hilt |
| simply coexist with it until a new | | | | comprises the portion of the sword that |
| evolution brought a close to both older | | | | is not the blade - essentially |
| types of weapons. Such situations | | | | everything else. Like the blade, hilts |
| present both the path of sword | | | | evolved and changed over time in |
| development as a whole and the | | | | response to fashion and as the swords |
| encompassed rise and fall of the | | | | were designed for different specific |
| longsword as chronologically nebulous | | | | purposes. |
| and confused by broad definitions, both | | | | The blade of the medieval longsword is |
| modern and contemporary. | | | | straight and predominantly double edged. |
| The relatively comprehensive Oakeshott | | | | The construction of the blade is |
| typology was created by historian and | | | | relatively thin, with strength provided |
| illustrator Ewart Oakeshott as a way to | | | | by careful blade geometry. Over time, as |
| define and catalogue swords based on | | | | is evidenced in the Oakeshott typology |
| physical form, though a rough sense of | | | | and other similar systems, the blades of |
| chronology is apparent. This typology | | | | longswords become slightly longer, |
| does not set forth a prototypical | | | | thicker in cross-section, less wide, and |
| definition for the longsword, however. | | | | considerably more pointed. This design |
| Instead, it separates the broad field of | | | | change is largely attributed to the use |
| weaponry into many exclusive types based | | | | of plate armour as an effective defense, |
| on their predominant physical | | | | more or less nullifying the ability of a |
| characteristics including blade shape | | | | sword cut to break through the armour |
| and hilt configuration. The typology | | | | system. Instead of cutting, long swords |
| also focuses on the smaller, and in some | | | | were then used more to thrust against |
| cases contemporary, single-handed swords | | | | opponents in plate armour, requiring a |
| like the arming sword. | | | | more acute point and a more rigid blade. |
| The longsword, with its longer grip and | | | | However, the cutting capability of the |
| blade, appears to have become popular | | | | longsword was never entirely removed, as |
| during the 14th century and remained in | | | | in some later rapiers, but was |
| common use, as shown through period art | | | | supplanted in importance by thrusting |
| and tale, from 1250 to 1550. The | | | | capability. |
| longsword was a powerful and versatile | | | | Blades differ considerably in |
| weapon, but was not considered the only | | | | cross-section, as well as in length and |
| weapon needed for learning the arts of | | | | width. The two most basic forms of blade |
| war. Sigmund Ringeck, an influential | | | | cross-section are the lenticular and |
| Fechtbuch (combat manual) author, writes | | | | diamond. Lenticular blades are shaped |
| that young knights should learn to | | | | like thin doubly convex lenses, |
| "wrestle well, (and) skilfully wield | | | | providing adequate thickness for |
| spear, sword, and dagger in a manly | | | | strength in the center of the weapon |
| way." It is apparent that even to a | | | | while maintaining a thin enough edge |
| master swordsman, other weapons and | | | | geometry to allow a proper cutting edge |
| techniques are of great importance for | | | | to be ground. The diamond shaped blade |
| battle. For close personal infantry | | | | slopes directly up from the edges, |
| combat, however, the longsword was | | | | without the curved elements of the |
| prized for its versatility and killing | | | | lenticular blade. The central ridge |
| capability. | | | | produced by this angular geometry is |
| It is in the Types XIIa and XIIIa that | | | | known as a riser, a the thickest portion |
| the first early variants of the | | | | of the blade that provides ample |
| longsword arise as simply longer | | | | rigidity. These basic designs are |
| versions of the single-handed sword. | | | | supplemented by additional forging |
| There are rare archeological findings of | | | | techniques that incorporated slightly |
| swords of this type from as early as the | | | | different variations of these |
| late 12th century.[6] Boasting both | | | | cross-sections. |
| increased grip length and increased | | | | The most common among these variations |
| blade lengths, these weapons would have | | | | is the use of fullers and hollow-ground |
| been powerful hewing swords, perhaps | | | | blades. While both of these elements |
| developed to further combat the | | | | concern themselves with the removal of |
| prevalence of mail and plate armour. | | | | material from the blade, they differ |
| These weapons also firmly fit the modern | | | | primarily in location and final result. |
| colloquial term "hand-and-a-half sword", | | | | Fullers are grooves or channels that are |
| as Oakeshott notes, because they do not | | | | removed from the blade, in longswords, |
| provide a full two-hand grip as do some | | | | usually running along the center of the |
| early extant specimens and the 16th | | | | blade and originating at or slightly |
| century bihänder. | | | | before the hilt. The removal of this |
| Bastard swords | | | | material allows the smith to |
| The bastard sword, or contemporary | | | | significantly lighten the weapon without |
| espée bastarde, is a type of sword | | | | compromising the strength to the same |
| dating from roughly the early 15th | | | | extent, much as in the engineering of |
| century. These weapons featured longer | | | | steel I-beams. Though colloquially |
| grips similar to those found on the | | | | called "blood-grooves", fullers were not |
| longswords. The extra space was not | | | | designed, nor do they function, to allow |
| enough to allow both hands entirely, | | | | blood to flow out of a wound more |
| however, but was enough to provide for | | | | easily, nor to run off the sword. |
| the use of a couple of fingers or a part | | | | Fullers differ in number and thickness |
| of the palm, providing some extra | | | | on swords, with some incredibly broad |
| leverage.[8] The grips of bastard swords | | | | fullers spanning nearly the entire width |
| often feature a "waisted" appearance, as | | | | of the weapon while smaller more |
| in the Oakeshott Type XVIa.[9] The | | | | numerous fullers are usually thinner. |
| bastard sword, more so than the great | | | | The length of fullers also displays |
| sword, plays into the "hand-and-a-half | | | | variation - on some cutting blades the |
| sword" classification, as some great | | | | fuller may run nearly the entire length |
| swords provided considerably more than | | | | of the weapon, while the fuller stops |
| an extra "half" hand for gripping. | | | | one-third or half-way down other blades. |
| Similarly, the shorter length of the | | | | Hollow-ground blades have concave |
| weapon at roughly 45 to 55 inches | | | | portions of steel removed from each side |
| (115-140cm) put the sword halfway | | | | of the riser, thinning the edge geometry |
| between the shorter single-handed sword | | | | while keeping a thickened area at the |
| and the larger (and occasionally fully | | | | center to provide strength for the |
| two-handed) great sword.[10] | | | | blade. |
| Like all other types of swords, the | | | | A variety of hilt styles exist for |
| bastard sword existed in a number of | | | | longswords, with the style of pommel and |
| configurations, generally tending | | | | crossguard changing over time to |
| towards a strongly tapered and thicker | | | | accommodate different blade properties |
| blade as time went on. This | | | | and to fit emerging stylistic trends. |
| manifestation, along with a relatively | | | | |