Typology of a Medieval Sword

Timo Nieminen · 2nd April 2014, 12:16 AM

At first glance, it looks like mid/late 20th century. Maybe not strictly a replica; it might be a masonic sword or similar rather than a replica Medieval sword.

Apart from looking far too new, it isn't in the style of Medieval swords, but has lots of features found on older modern replicas.

As for keys, the best thing I wrote about them is http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/1...37270801919875 but there isn't a free online version (I can send a copy by email). An earlier version, which is freely available, is at http://www.aare.edu.au/data/publicat...2/cho02101.pdf

Those are about classifying behaviour, not arms. For a nice example with arms, see R. Shelford, "A Provisional Classification of the Swords of the Sarawak Tribes", The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland 31, 219-229 (1901), http://www.jstor.org/stable/2842798 (alas, not free).

The classification system used in Zonneveld, "Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago", http://www.amazon.com/Traditional-We.../dp/9054500042 is nice - has good visual aids.

2nd April 2014, 12:16 AM	#4
Timo Nieminen Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 422	At first glance, it looks like mid/late 20th century. Maybe not strictly a replica; it might be a masonic sword or similar rather than a replica Medieval sword. Apart from looking far too new, it isn't in the style of Medieval swords, but has lots of features found on older modern replicas. As for keys, the best thing I wrote about them is http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/1...37270801919875 but there isn't a free online version (I can send a copy by email). An earlier version, which is freely available, is at http://www.aare.edu.au/data/publicat...2/cho02101.pdf Those are about classifying behaviour, not arms. For a nice example with arms, see R. Shelford, "A Provisional Classification of the Swords of the Sarawak Tribes", The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland 31, 219-229 (1901), http://www.jstor.org/stable/2842798 (alas, not free). The classification system used in Zonneveld, "Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago", http://www.amazon.com/Traditional-We.../dp/9054500042 is nice - has good visual aids.