this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2024
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Swords that're meant to be able to be held with that kind of grip usually have an unsharpened bit for that purpose. Alternatively, if you're armored from head-to-toe, just make sure your gauntlets are on tight.
I suppose the point of a longsword is less "wickedly sharp razor blade to slice and dice with precision" and more "wedge shaped heavy piece of metal to drop on people with the hope of finding a gap in their armour"
If you want slicey-dicey, get a super-sharp katana or a saber. If you want fast and pokey, get a rapier. If you want a beating stick that's 80% sharp edge, grab a broadsword.
Swords historically have a ricasso. That’s the base part of the blade, and it generally isn’t sharpened, specifically to be able to use half-swording (having one hand on the grip and one on the blade). The hand on the blade is often at like 1/3 of the blade tho. It was used to stab into weak points of an armor with precision (since swords were pretty bad against armored foes). But also, half-swording is done by "pinching" the flat of the blade betweend the palm and the fingertips, in a way that prevents touching the sharpened thread. It isn’t shown on this (very historically accurate, if i may say so) image
You can also turn it around and use it as a bonk hammer
Why didn't we ever have something that is half grip/pole and half sword? Any disadvantages to that?
Edit: right, weight of the sword on the longer grip and can't really cut with it. What was i thinking?
We do. It's called a Glaive, it's a polearm with a blade. Or if you mean like more 50/50 grip/sword - the Nodachi would be what you are looking for.
Swordstaff says hi! As do nagamaki! Usually, though, it's that half-and-half is generally a bad ratio. If you can grip the sword along the blade, then why is the longer grip needed? You've got a multi-purpose grip right there in your armored hands.
Alternatively, if you have a long grip, why do you need the extra weight of a long blade? That extra weight would make any potential slashing motions unwieldy, so generally a shorter blade is preferred.
... you mean a spear?
Nope, half/half.
Oh, then you mean a naginata. Or a glaive. (The non-Krull kind.) A single-edged polearm.
Exactly, thanks.