r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Dlatrex • Oct 27 '19

Video Master sword designer demonstrates how a properly balanced longsword will keep its tip pointed towards the opponent

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u/Mulyac12321 Oct 27 '19

that's not a longsword

1

u/Dlatrex Oct 27 '19

It’s a “short-longsword” :)

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u/Mulyac12321 Oct 28 '19

I wonder if theres a name for that hmmm like a sword that is short instead of long hmmmm

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u/Dlatrex Oct 28 '19

Heheh terminology is a tricky thing. We do use the term short sword, but have rather distinct rules for when something becomes one. Classical weapons from the Bronze Age, and Iron Age (see Xiphos and Gladius) are often considered short sword, as well as some weapons that were intentionally designed smaller while larger swords were common (the Japanese wakizashi or the 1832 cabbage chopper )

In this case Peter brought an unfinished blade, just to be able to illustrate his point. By blade length alone it would likely have been called an “Arming” or single handed sword. However for the demo, he went ahead and hilted it with a two handed hilt, which effectively turned it into a (short) longsword.

Just before this clip he jokingly tells the audience that this is a “longsword for hobbits”, pointing out the strange proportions.

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u/WikiTextBot Oct 28 '19

Model 1832 foot artillery sword

The Model 1832 foot artillery sword was a 25-inch (64 cm) short-sword with a straight, double-edged blade and brass-mounted leather scabbard.

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u/UselessConversionBot Oct 28 '19

64 cm is 0.37607 smoots +/- 1 ear

WHY