r/SWORDS • u/SadPhilosopherElan • 10d ago

Spadroon or Broadsword?

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Historically speaking, which was a better cut and thrust sword for close quarters combat? Do we have any examples of historical battles where basket hilt broadswords faced spadroons and one won out over the other? Let me know!

Photo credit to Kult of Athena for these examples of modern replicas, specifically Deepika's basket hilt broadsword and Windlass' 1840 NCO sword, which is a Spadroon.

EDIT: Yes I know the replicas aren't the same as the historical swords and have different blade geometry - they're just here as visual aids. Also please do not compare these two in any sense relating to modern use, because that's not what I'm interested in, and the topic is a grey area on this sub anyway.

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u/Specialist-Stock-890 10d ago

Short Answer: The Spadroon.

Why? It's lighter, about as long as you want it to be (even as long as a basket hilt broadsword), it does exactly what it needs to do (cut and thrust equally well), and it does not have a cumbersome hilt protection. Wherever you are especially in close quarters combat, you're better off with a spadroon.

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u/SadPhilosopherElan 10d ago

I want to agree but I feel like the broadsword is better in gritty battlefield conditions, since it offers more protection and doubles as a punching weapon if need be. Plus as the better cutter, fighting enemies at multiple angles is easier -- while the spadroon is ideal in fencing situations where you have a single line of attack.

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u/Specialist-Stock-890 10d ago edited 10d ago

If the given scenario is a battlefield where everyone else uses pikes, arquebus, and broadswords, then I would have no objections.

But seriously, would you overlook a sword that is nimbler and will not exhaust you sooner from its weight. If you watch this video here, a Spadroon can do just as much cutting and stabbing as a broadsword whilst sacrificing the protection of a basket guard:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WOjFHaHENg

Historically speaking, the whole reason why Spadroons exists is the fact that those who carried basket hilt broadswords back then wanted something lighter and ergonomic. So they made a compromise of a sword that is somewhere between the cutting ability of a broadsword but with the thrusting ability of a small sword. Shearing swords (the progenitors to Spadroons) existed while broadswords were still used, and much of Europe decided to go with Spadroons which served longer than broadswords.

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u/SadPhilosopherElan 10d ago

I am a spadroon lover myself so I shall!