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Originally Posted by ariel
the Roman Gladius Hispaniensis was a purely stabbing weapon and that Roman soldiers were forbidden to use it for slashing. Gladius was a double-edged sword; if it was intended to use as a purely stabbing weapon, what was the purpose of sharp edges?
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Katana is a purely slashing weapon but still has a Kissaki (point).
Romans were trained to avoid to slash IN THIGT FORMATIONS as they usually fought. It's not so unbelivable to think that they were forbidden in such an action WHEN STILL IN THIGHT FORMATION even if i've no evidences of such. Another world is in the heat of the caos. I believe that no army ever had definitive rules in such a carnage, Samurai included.
Japaneses almost abandoned the Naginata (a slashing halberd) in favour of the Yari (a piercing spear) because of the change to tight formations tactics.
Limbs of your side fellows aren't a valid target.
Seems strange to me you aren't able to see the obvious advantages of sharpened edge on a purely stabbing weapon.
An armor piercing arrow bounce away from a multi-layer (padded enough...)
vest but a stabbing sword with sharpened edges pierce it easly. This is the reason because of thick padded vests were worn ON chainmail, NOT under.
The vest stops the arrow enough to permit the chainmail to easily stop it. Sharp edges helps you in the piercing of targets not strong as chainmail.
It's a matter of how phisics act and which type of target you have.
Every japanese spear I've seen (and are not few) has sharpened edges,
even if with very short triangular blades (obviously as sharp as such a geometry allows...). The same for the very short and thick "Yoroidoshi"
japanese armor piercing daggers so thick to have a triangular look.
Still sharpened on the edge.
You mentioned Shamshir... I've seen some with double edge on the point.
I wonder how much it is intended for armonic balance and to fix COP instead
of purely for cutting purposes. Thinking about the purpose of sharpened edges in a wider manner might be useful.