Category Archives: Weapon Design

Is the edge or back of a blade stronger?

Posted on July 22, 2019 by

Well of course it depends on the blade. But if we’re talking about Japanese swords, we have an excellent source with both historic and scientific information. Just to make things interesting, let me translate an account by another Japanese swordsman. … Continue reading →

Posted in Weapon Design | 2 Comments

Ground vs Forged Fullers in Swords

Posted on March 21, 2017 by

The central grove, or groves, in a sword is usually referred to as a “fuller”. The reason for this is that they are normally made with a blacksmith’s fuller, a type of stamping tool, rather than by grinding away material. … Continue reading →

Posted in Backsmithing, Weapon Design | Tagged | Leave a comment

Buckler Handles from the Wallace Collection

Posted on March 5, 2017 by

Italy, Round, c. 1600, 21” Italy or France, Round, c. 1550 – c. 1560, 15.5” Italy, Rectangular, c. 1540, 14” x 13” (top) 9” (bottom) Italy, Rectangular, c. 1540, 10” x 10” (top) 8” (bottom) Click on the images for … Continue reading →

Posted in Sword and Buckler, Sword and Large Buckler, Sword and Targe, Weapon Design | Leave a comment

Hand Protection in Meyer’s Dussack

Posted on January 17, 2016 by

Some, though certainly not all, of the dussacks in Meyer’s 1570 text have protrusions of some sort that appear to offer extra hand protection.

Posted in Dusak, Meyer's Dussack, Weapon Design | Leave a comment

I.33, Blade Width, and Lugs

Posted on July 24, 2015 by

When researching Marozzo’s greatsword, we discovered that the lugs are very important in the thrust. The lugs effectively made the blade wider, allowing it to drive the opponent’s sword offline as we extended our own thrust. Looking at the blades … Continue reading →

Posted in Arming Sword, MS I.33, Weapon Design | 2 Comments

Meyer’s Pike – Equipment, Guards, and a Basic Drill

Posted on July 12, 2015 by

The hardest part about studying pike is actually finding a pike. During Meyer’s time, the late 16th century, a typical pike would range from 15 to 22 feet long. Even if something that long could be found, transporting it would … Continue reading →

Posted in Meyer's Pike, Pike, Weapon Design | Tagged | 2 Comments

Marozzo’s Greatsword – Falso Impuntanto and the Important of Equipment

Posted on July 12, 2015 by

Through many year and many clubs I’ve tried to learn Marozzo’s first assault for the two-handed sword. The very first action is a Falso Impuntanto, something that everyone seems to stumble over. A plain reading of the text suggests it … Continue reading →

Posted in Greatsword, Marozzo, Weapon Design | Tagged , , | 3 Comments