Sword Catalog
(By era and region)
Early history
(BRO-101) Bronze Age sword
17th century BC, in the Black Sea region and the Aegean, evolving out of the dagger. Typically range from 20 to 35 inches in length (the maximum length feasible for such material), but with some longer exceptions.
(KHO-102) Khopesh (Egyptian)
(Vocalized as khepesh) is the Egyptian name of the Canaanite "sickle-sword". Its origins can be traced back to summer of the third millennium BCE. A typical khopesh is 2024 inches in length. This blade was designed for hooking an opponent's shield or disarming them.
(CEL-103) Celtic sword
Appear from the Early Iron Age (12th century BC), but do not become widespread before the 8th century BC.
(ACI-104) Acinaces (Persian short sword)
A type of dagger or short sword used mainly in the first millennium BC in the eastern Mediterranean region. The Acinaces is of Scythian origin, but was made famous by the Persians, and rapidly spread throughout the ancient world.
(GLA-105) Gladius
Was one Latin word for sword (shorter than a Spatha, 2532 in), and is used to represent the primary sword of Ancient Roman foot soldiers.
(SPA-106) Spatha
A type of straight and long sword, measuring between 30 and 39 inches. Used throughout first millennium, AD, in Europe, and in the territory of the Roman Empire until about 600 AD. The spatha was used in war and in gladiatorial fights.
Middle Ages
(ARM-207) Arming sword (high medieval knightly sword)
A type of European sword with a single handed cruciform hilt and straight double edged blade of around 27 to 32 inches. In common use from the 11th to 16th centuries. It is a common weapon in period artwork, and there are many surviving examples in museums.
(LON-208) Long sword (late medieval)
A type of European sword characterized as having a cruciform hilt with a grip for two handed use and a straight double-edged blade of around 3948 inches. Used mainly during the late medieval and Renaissance periods, approximately 1350 to 1550 with early and late use reaching into the 13th and 17th centuries.
(CLA-209) Claymore (late medieval Scottish)
(From Scottish Gaelic meaning "great sword") refers to the Scottish variant of the late medieval two-handed long sword. It is characterized as having a forward-sloping cross with quatrefoil ends. It was in use from the 15th to 17th centuries.
(RAP-210) Rapier (17th century development of the Spanish type)
A slender, sharply pointed sword, ideally used for thrusting attacks, used mainly in Early Modern Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries.
(SAB-211) Sabre (adopted in 18th century cavalry)
A kind of backsword that usually has a curved, single-edged blade and a rather large hand guard.
Modern fencing (sport equipment)
(FOI-312) Foil (fencing)
The modern foil is descended from the training weapon for the smallsword, the common sidearm of 18th century gentleman. Near Eastern sword ("scimitar")
All of the Islamic world during the 16th to 18th century, including the Ottoman Empire, Persia and Mughal India, were influenced by the saif or "scimitar" type of single-edged curved sword.
(PUL-413) Pulwar (Afghanistan)
A single handed curved sword from Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is the traditional sword of the Pashtun people.
(SHA-414) Shamshir (Persia)
A type of sabre with a curve that is considered radical for a sword: 5 to 15 degrees from tip to tip. The name is derived from Persian, which means "sword".
(TAL-415) Talwar (North India)
A type of curved sword or sabre from the Indian sub-continent, and is found in the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The Talwar was used by both cavalry and infantry. The grip of the Talwar is cramped and the prominent disc of the pommel presses into the wrist if attempts are made to use it to cut like a conventional sabre. These features of the Talwar hilt result in the hand having a very secure and rather inflexible hold on the weapon, enforcing the use of variations on the very effective "draw cut".
(SHO-416) Shotel (Ethiopian scimitar)
A curved sword originating in Abyssinia (ancient Ethiopia). It looks very much like the Near Eastern scimitars. The curve on the Shotel's blade varies from the Persian shamshir, adopting an almost semicircular shape. The blade is flat and double-edged. The blade is about 40 inches in total length and the hilt is a simple wooden piece with no guard. The Shotel was carried in a close fitting leather scabbard Far Eastern swords
China
(CHA-517) Chang dao ()
(Literally meaning "long knife") was a type of anti-cavalry sword used in China during the Ming Dynasty. Sometimes called Miao dao (a similar but more recent weapon), the blade very much resembles a Japanese dachi.
(HOO-518) Hook sword ()
Also known as Hu Tou Gou (tiger-head-hook) is an exotic Chinese weapon traditionally associated with Northern styles of Chinese martial arts, but now often practiced by Southern styles as well.
Japan
(BOK-619) Bokken ()
A Japanese wooden sword used for training. It is usually the size and shape of a Katana, but is sometimes shaped like other swords, such as the Wakizashi and Tant.
(KOD-620) Kodachi
The exact use of the Kodachi is unknown; it may have been a sword for an adolescent.
(CHO-621) Chokut ()
A straight uncurved Japanese sword that was produced prior to the 10th century. Chokut were used on foot for stabbing or slashing and were worn hung from the waist.
(KAT-622) Katana (; )
One of the traditionally made Japanese swords that were worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan, also commonly referred to as a samurai sword.
(NAG-623) Nagamaki ()
A type of traditionally made Japanese sword in the form of a pole weapon used by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The way to hold a Nagamaki is very specific. It is held with the two hands in a fixed position in the same way a katana is held. The Nagamaki is designed for large sweeping and slicing strokes. Traditionally the Nagamaki was used as an infantry weapon. Warriors used the weapon against horsemen.
(SHI-624) Shikomizue
A straight, single edged sword disguised as a common object. Usually something carried every day (Cane, staff, or umbrella)
(TAC-625) Tachi
Originally a cavalry weapon, primarily used on horseback, where it was able to be drawn efficiently for cutting down enemy foot soldiers and that on the ground it was still an effective weapon. Averaged 2731 inches in cutting edge length.
(TAN-626) Tanto
A short blade used by samurai. Similar to a dagger, the Tanto had an average blade length of 6-12 inches. The Tanto was widely used in the Seppuku ritual. (Seppuku meaning "stomach-cutting") is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai part of the samurai bushido honor code.
(WAK-627) Wakizashi
Meaning "side inserted sword. The Wakizashi has a blade between 12 and 24 inches. The Wakizashi being worn together with the Katana was the official sign that the wearer was a samurai or swordsman of feudal Japan.
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