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Longsword in the Royal Armouries (Read 1710 times)
Thearos
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Longsword in the Royal Armouries
Dec 27th, 2019 at 11:48am
 
For no reason (and I don't know how many HEMAists are still here), I leave this pic of a C15th longsword here

https://collections.royalarmouries.org/object/rac-object-26.html
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joe_meadmaker
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Re: Longsword in the Royal Armouries
Reply #1 - Dec 27th, 2019 at 8:58pm
 
I'm not in HEMA, but I do collect swords.  And occasionally do some (very bad) backyard cutting. Smiley

That's a real nice looking sword.  But 2.45 kg, that's a bit too hefty a blade for me.  The longsword is my favorite general style, but I much prefer them under 3.5 lb.

Have you been involved with HEMA long?
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Thearos
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Re: Longsword in the Royal Armouries
Reply #2 - Dec 27th, 2019 at 11:57pm
 
You're right, actually-- 2.45 kg is pretty monstrous, really massive !!!
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Kick
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Re: Longsword in the Royal Armouries
Reply #3 - Dec 28th, 2019 at 4:16am
 
I don't own any swords (I don't think a kukri quite counts) and I don't practice HEMA but I watch a lot of "sword" channels on YouTube and find the history of weapons fascinating (which shouldn't be a surprise considering how active I am on this forum Cheesy).
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You are a great guy Kick but also slightly scary at times. - Morphy
"Nothing matters, but it’s perhaps more comfortable to keep calm and not interfere with other people." - H.P. Lovecraft, in a letter to Frank Belknap Long, 7 October, 1923
 
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Thearos
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Re: Longsword in the Royal Armouries
Reply #4 - Dec 28th, 2019 at 2:33pm
 
Maybe it's a sword of office ?
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JudoP
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Re: Longsword in the Royal Armouries
Reply #5 - Dec 29th, 2019 at 5:04pm
 
I had one session learning how to fight with the longsword, it was pretty fun.

One day I will have one hanging over the fireplace...
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Curious Aardvark
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Re: Longsword in the Royal Armouries
Reply #6 - Jan 2nd, 2020 at 12:39pm
 
well for a 2 handed weapon an overall weight of 5 an a bit pounds is pretty good.

they tend to be used more as a sharp edged club, than in any actual fancy sword play.
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Do All things with Honour and Generosity: Regret Nothing, Envy None, Apologise Seldom and Bow your head to No One  - works for me Smiley
 
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Kick
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Re: Longsword in the Royal Armouries
Reply #7 - Jan 2nd, 2020 at 1:28pm
 
Curious Aardvark wrote on Jan 2nd, 2020 at 12:39pm:
well for a 2 handed weapon an overall weight of 5 an a bit pounds is pretty good.

they tend to be used more as a sharp edged club, than in any actual fancy sword play.


Matt Easton would disagree...
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You are a great guy Kick but also slightly scary at times. - Morphy
"Nothing matters, but it’s perhaps more comfortable to keep calm and not interfere with other people." - H.P. Lovecraft, in a letter to Frank Belknap Long, 7 October, 1923
 
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Thearos
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Re: Longsword in the Royal Armouries
Reply #8 - Jan 2nd, 2020 at 8:51pm
 
Yes longsword, as we can tell from manuals, is actually fast and subtle, whether in the German or the Italian traditions-- that's one of the things the last 25 years HEMA teaches us: you can do VERY fancy swordplay with them, and even the "common" fencing is pretty good. That was even debated on this forum (there was a man who practised longsword, an Irishman living in Scandinavia I think)

You also have, of course, play with actual clubs, with various parries and moves
https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Paulus_Hector_Mair#Peasant_Stick
[modified: click on "peasant stick", Bauerstannge, tab]
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« Last Edit: Jan 2nd, 2020 at 11:34pm by Thearos »  
 
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joe_meadmaker
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Re: Longsword in the Royal Armouries
Reply #9 - Jan 2nd, 2020 at 9:17pm
 
"Medieval Swords are neither unwieldably heavy nor all alike - the average weight of any one of normal size is between 2.5 lb. and 3.5 lbs. Even the big hand-and-a-half 'war' swords rarely weigh more than 4.5 lbs. Such weights, to men who were trained to use the sword from the age of seven (and who had to be tough specimens to survive that age) , were by no means too great to be practical."
~Ewart Oakeshott, Sword in Hand

I would also argue that even a heavy sword doesn't make a particularly good blunt force weapon.  Even with a heavy blade, most of the weight is near the handle.  If something is being used like a club, you're much better off to use a club, a mace, an ax, or other types of polearm weapons.  These would also be much more affordable than a sword.
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Kick
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Re: Longsword in the Royal Armouries
Reply #10 - Jan 3rd, 2020 at 4:17am
 
joe_meadmaker wrote on Jan 2nd, 2020 at 9:17pm:
Even with a heavy blade, most of the weight is near the handle.


This is key. Holding a hammer by the handle is very different to holding it by the head. It's why (well one of the potential reasons why) swords have pommels (for the most part), to act as a counterbalance.
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You are a great guy Kick but also slightly scary at times. - Morphy
"Nothing matters, but it’s perhaps more comfortable to keep calm and not interfere with other people." - H.P. Lovecraft, in a letter to Frank Belknap Long, 7 October, 1923
 
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