Medieval Collectibles Catalog : Swords : Renaissance Swords : Long Swords
Long Swords from Medieval Collectibles
Long swords were weapons used mainly during the middle and late Medieval period. Long swords are both an offensive and defensive weapon and can be used for parries and deflections, as well as, cuts and thrusts. Cuts with a long sword are delivered either as slices or as extremely powerful chopping blows. Although it is primarily used with two hands, a long sword is still capable of being wielded with a single hand, allowing the off hand to be used for grappling, punching, and grabbing an opponent or his sword. Advances in armor technology toward the end of the Medieval period, specifically plate armor, decreased the protective need for a shield and thus freed up the off hand. Because of this, special techniques called half-swording were developed. Half-swording generally involves holding the blade of the sword in the second hand, which enables greater point control and increased thrusting power. This in turn enables the long sword to puncture heavy armor and stab into the joints and gaps between plates. Long swords were also known as war swords of the 14th and 15th centuries.