Swords and aesthetics

>Spatha
was for cavalry predominantly, gladius for infantry

and yet the late roman infantry used spatha rather than gladius despite it being the more costly to manufacture.

It became the main sword of Roman foot soldiers later on.

Presumably because they were better for fighting in smaller formations that the later Roman army used on the frontier. The short stabbing gladius was useful in massive legionary formations against massed ranks of heavy infantry, but less useful against spear wielding Germans.

you've never done any of that or even held them

The Gladius came into use when their main enemy was barbarians

I like sexy sabre curves

this

forgot pic

>The Gladius came into use when their main enemy was barbarians

No the gladius came into use when their main enemy was other Italians, Greek hoplites, Carthaginian mercenaries etc. They fought pitched battles. Making short-scale punitive actions across a frontier zone demands a different type of sword.

Ammianus Marcellinus talks a lot about how the late Roman army fought compared to the Republican one. They ambushed more, they fought in tiny detachments, used a shit ton of artillery etc.

The Gladius is beautiful in its simplicity. It's a stubby fat evicerating tool meant to be used in repetitive, aggressive motions, it's a testament to the raw vigor of the legionaire that chops and stabs his way into a human tide crashing against him. It doesnt parry or block, only attacks.

It originates from spain doesnt it?

The real name is gladius hispaniensis, gladius in latin just means sword.

So both the Gladius and the Scutum came from Spain, as well as the Pila, interesting

The falcata

so sexy

>No the gladius came into use when their main enemy was other Italians, Greek hoplites, Carthaginian mercenaries etc. They fought pitched battles. Making short-scale punitive actions across a frontier zone demands a different type of sword.
No, they literally adopted it from Iberians while fighting Iberians. Their main enemy was Carthage however the main troops they actually fought were Iberians, Celts and Libyans.

It's all pointless because before they adopted the Gladius they just used the Greek Xiphos which basically fills the same role, it's short, cutty and stabby.

The late Roman army doesnt matter when we're talking about the Gladius

Actually the Pila is native. While the Iberians did use similar long shanked javelins, so did the Etruscans, Samnites, other people in Italy and probably the Romans. Archaeology supports this and i know because i once argued the same as you and got BTFO.

...

The Gladius was Iberian, but the Scutum was of Italian origin.
The Iberian "Scuta" probably came from Gallic shields as before they became widely adopted, the common shield in Iberia was the buckler-like Caetra, larger round shields existed too.
Broadly speaking the Pilum was probably a common design throughout the western mediterranean. A long, thin head that could pierce and get stuck in a shield was commonplace. From Italy through Gaul and into Spain, where the all-metal Soliferrum was the most extreme version.

Seax master race.

>Caetra

Is that the origin of the Cetratus oval shield? It looks more like the Parmas of the cavalry

Best aesthetics coming through.

Are the Kopis and the Falcata related?

how can any other wepon compete with saber?
>most beautiful
>most practical
>non meme

I like sabres as well, whether they have only a minimal curve or a more substantial one, but personally it bugs me (even though it's even experts do that) that single-edged swords that are just tiny little bit curved (like in that picture, even katanas are more curved) are lumped with properly curved sabers, or worse yet sometimes 100% straight swords are called sabers just because of the hilt type.

nobody knows. they might be, but it's just as possible that they've evolved completely separately since it's practical and pretty universal design.

>What makes a sword look cool/beautiful or ugly, in your opinion?
Longer swords look best to me. Two handers like the danish proto-zweihander with that long ass hilt make my dick hard. I don't really like complex hilts, a handguard is fine but a basket tends to be too much. It helps that you can't really have basket hilted two handers.
Shit on the blade looks ugly. Those pseudo handguards on swords meant for putting one hand on the blade are ugly, and even uglier are "flaming" blades.

Do knives count as swords?

Compare that saber, this saber and a straight backsword. The "real" saber with the substantial curve, of course.

WTF, a sentence disappeared somewhere. I meant to ask rhetorically, which weapon is the outlier.

if they're long enough

That sabre is actually two-handed, it's the size of a longsword.

I also like the plain arming sword look.

>posts his saber
>doesn't talk about it
>doesn't explain whether you collect, hema, re-enact or so on
Wew lad. You don't even deserve the (you)

Eh. I'd prefer a different approach to the leather. Like having it wrap straight across using bare stitching to hold it on rather than wrapping the leather around it in thin strips.
Plus the depression on the blade is a little too pronounced for my taste.

Otherwise yeah, I love that style of sword.

What kind of swords did the Romans/ Byzantines use after the Gladius and the Spatha?

more spathas

Not a huge fan of most two-handers, but this at least looks gorgeus.

that's just a table leg with a blade at the end

I'm a fan of heavy chopping swords.

dats tite

how many people alive do you think have, you retard?

>you've never done any of that
You're right, he probably wasn't a Roman Legionnaire!
HOW OBSERVANT OF YOU

no

this is a knife

That is ugly as sin.

That's a sword a mother couldn't love.

That sword was made from iron that came out of the ugly mountain; forged with an ugly hammer and then to add insult to injury, someone screwed a cast iron doorknob to the base of the hilt.

I believe messers are technically very log knives

Messers are literally knives

In fairness, the gladius was just a typical standard issue weapon for a professional soldier, rather than a member of some sort of warrior caste.

pic related is of a sword belonging to a warrior caste, it's a Sudanese Kaskara. I like weaponry with engravings on the blade as well as hilts with engravings, it just makes the sword more interesting and, in a way, mysterious.

Does this make me gay?

(more of the sword)
antiqueswords.com/product/BQ2289/A-Fine-19th-Century-Mahdist-Revolt-Period-Sudanese-Kaskara.html

>That is ugly as sin.

I like it. It's a big cleaver. It doesn't have to look elegant. It has its own charm.

more of the same

sword-site.com/thread/917/sudanese-kaskara-19th-century

So very German.

...

>messers

My nigga.

>that filename
That is simultaneously the ugliest yet coolest sword yet.

Obviously being based on a Shakespearen play and being a stylized film, it's not going to be very historically accurate, but can anyone tell me what kind of sword Macbeth is supposed to be carrying on his back? It seems like he carries some kind of arming sword as his primary weapon, but there's a shorter sword he has on his back and sometimes uses as well. Is this a particular type of sword or just something made for the movie?

Also, semi-related question, but is there any evidence that people in Europe in the early to high middle ages actually carried swords on their backs opposed to simply on their side or on a horse/baggage train if they're too unwieldy to carry?

All the better for killing

this is a /k/ thread.

Gladius is the best sword, faggot.

>stylish pommel
>wide to warn of its inherent deadliness
>long point for extra killyness

you'd sooner bludgeon them to death hah

The broad bit at the bottom half of small swords has always made me gag. eck.

>I like sexy sabre curves
>Doesnt post the sexiest curve of all, the 1796 LCS

It's pronounced "Kopis" you filthy Iberian scum

>iberian
>barbaric
they were the core of the roman army

no this is a knife

and here it comes

no and carrying anything on back you want to fight with is dumb

That's beautiful

>not greek
>not roman

idk user that sounds pretty barbaric to me

"messer" is a german word for kife of any length

it's pronounced machaera Hispana actually.

Falcata is a made up name

the only thing that i don't like about this design is the odd, not very protective basket, otherwise, the long, needle-like blade of rapiers are my love.

you only need a little push.

It's pronounced "Kopis" you barbarian

...it's like you didn't even read my post, shitter

I have a thing for Chinese sabers.

This is "shashka" (Шaшкa). It is used by cossack and circassian people. It is very light in weight, fairly long, very maneuverable because of handle of style type. It chopping weapon and can be used by stabbing too. One can also grip handle it in style like holding spear, "spearing" if necessary.

Shashka most best and versatile sword cavalry yes!

Is very sexy yes

No. Seneca said it.

Honestly the second sexiest weapon after.

...Seneca must be a stealth-barbarian, it's clearly pronounced "Kopis"

>been to the Wallace collection this weekend
>spent hours in the armoury
>spent a nother few houndred £ in the bookshop
>see this thead

They used long spathas, somewhat similar to longswords. They generally used them one-handed with large shields and spears.

No estoc? Shame on y'all.

It looks nice but the blade looks blunt as fuck.

You could have bought an actual sword for that money.

If they used them generally one-handed with shields, how were they similar to longswords? Or are you using D&D terminology?

Longswords can be used with one hand. The Normans used one-handed longswords with kite shields.

Sure they can, but they are primarily meant for two-handed use. If they used them mostly in one hand then why use longswords, rather than swords specifically designed for one-handed use? Longswords are primarily defined by the longer handle, although the blades are typically longer as well.

I didn't say it was a longsword, I said it was similar to a longsword. The blade and handles on later spathas were longer.

I have about 2 dozen swords, but literature on antique arms is fuck expensive, and it only goes up in price. I got books which I paid £90 for and now go for £1200. Wouldn't sell them, they are invaluable if you are into collecting.

>one-handed longswords
There is no such thing darling, the definition of a longsword is that it has a handle for two hands, blade-length is not that important.

>the definition of a longsword is that it has a handle for two hands, blade-length is not that important.

Yeah, longswords really should be called "longhandlers".

Has a beautiful curve.
I think Shashka and szabla are more pracrical than katanas in mounted combat.

When it comes to weapon combinations, I find rapier and dagger very cool and aesthetic. Two cut & thrust swords looks nice as well, but two rapiers on the other hand looks really stupid for some reason.

youtube.com/watch?v=1dvkjp_ApbM

Literally the prettiest sword

>implying a Schiavona is not sexier in every single aspect

>that katana

Looks like even ancient Japan had edgelords.

Two swords in general is a ridiculous idea, It's actually really hard to coordinate your hands independetly. Someone with just one sword could probably beat one of them.