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The longsword is a heavy, double-edged sword with a cross-shaped hilt and a sharp point. It was popular in medieval Europe and designed for chopping and slicing cuts. The sword evolved to cope with armor, and training required great strength and control. With proper training, the longsword could be used effectively and gracefully.
A longsword is a category of sword that can range in length from approximately 47 to 60 inches (approximately 120 to 150 cm) with a cross-shaped hilt, double cutting edge, and sharp point. Popular in late medieval and early renaissance Europe, this type of sword is similar to a drawing sword, but is generally longer. This design is also sometimes referred to as a “sword” and numerous examples can be seen on display in museums dedicated to swords and the history of combat.
As the name would suggest, this sword is long, but that’s not the only distinguishing feature. It also has a distinctive cross-shaped hilt and a double-edged blade. The whole design is quite heavy and can be handled with two hands. Classically, the hilt has a long grip so there is room for both hands and the base of the blade is blunt, allowing people to use a longsword for half-sword combat, where one hand is held on the blade to balance and control.
This long, heavy design was customized for chopping and slicing cuts intended to kill or severely disable the enemy. A strong soldier could severely damage or destroy armor with a longsword, and the point of the sword could be used in thrusting strikes designed to get under the armor. Every part of the longsword is designed as a weapon, from the hilt, which can be used for blunt impact wounds, to the very sharp point.
Originally, these swords had very simple diamond-shaped blades that tended to be thin. Over time, more complex designs including channels down the center of the blade were developed and the overall thickness began to increase. The longsword became a formidable weapon as the use of armor increased, as swordsmiths had to respond to the rise of armor with a weapon that could cope with it. Training with a longsword required great strength and control to ensure the blade was used effectively.
Although longsword matches are sometimes described as clumsy and shapeless, these swords could actually be used very effectively and gracefully, with the right training. People usually started with wooden swords for practice to learn proper shape and get used to the length, moving up to metal swords as they learned the basics so they could familiarize themselves with the weight. A number of sword fighting techniques could be used with this type of sword, and a skilled fighter devises innovative variations on the basic techniques to make the longsword a very useful weapon.
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