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Basic types of sword
The basic types of swords include the Sumerian bronze (also known as the "sickle-sword") and the proto sword (bronze dagger) of the Third millennium, the usual leaf-shaped Bronze Age swords (created in Mesopotamia & around the Mediterranean and Black Sea) of the Second millennium, the European swords, and lastly the East Asian swords.
The swords of Europe include:
Xiphos - the most common sword of Ancient Greece. It bears a resemblance to the iron sword used during the Persian Empire in the middle of the first millennium BC.
Gladius this sword, which measures roughly 60 centimeters in length, is one of the early weapons used by the Roman army.
Spatha the Roman Empire's most typical sword. It is lengthier than the Gladius sword. Spatha's form was sustained in use at some point in the middle ages.
Great sword this weapon is also known as the knight's sword and was used during the Middle Ages.
Long sword this type of sword comprises the bastard-sword.
Bastard sword - also referred as the "hand and a half sword". It is a two-edged weapon used single or double handedly.
Spadroon a specially designed sword for cutting and thrusting.
Zweihnder a 16th century German sword. It is large and used double handedly.
Estoc a piercing sword created during the 16th century.
Schiavona a wide sword from Italy's Renaissance era.
Rapier this weapon, which is specially designed for thrusting, is a dueling sword.
Small sword - the successor of the rapier sword and was frequently used in court houses all throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.
Claymore this sword's name came from the Gaelic word claidheamh which literally means "great sword". It is one of Scotland's most famous swords and was specially used against cavalry.
The swords of East Asia are the following:
Dao the English equivalent of saber or broad sword. This sword, which originated in China, has a curve figure.
Jian a very thin sword from China.
Saingeom a 35 inch ancient Korean sword from the Joseon dynasty.
Hwandudaedo created during the period of Korea's Three Kingdoms in 4th century. Prior to the 6th century, this type of sword was brought to Japan by migrants.
Katana one of Japan's samurai swords.
Kampilan a 40 to 44 inch single edged sword created in the Philippines. This sword has a crocodile jaw-shaped pommel. It also has a very sharp blade which resembles that of a Katana.
Barong his sword, which is designed for cutting, bears a resemblance to a stretched out leaf. It is made by the Tausug tribe who lived in Mindanao, Philippines.
Bolo an agricultural-based sword made in the Philippines. Its kinds include the Tabak sword (use for cutting) and the Tusok sword (use for thrusting).
Pinute a lengthy and straight Philippine sword from Cebu City. It is a slight modification of the agricultural-based Bolo sword.
Kris a 13th century Indonesian sword which was created by Javanese natives. It is also widely used in the Philippines and Malaysia as a Moro weapon.
Korambit it is thought that this sword originated either in the Philippines or Malaysia. However, local Asian scholars believed that it was first produced in Indonesia.
Talibon the Philippine's foremost Christian sword. Its handle is made out of wood. It also has a cane strap wrap around the sword's grip.
Other types of swords according to their sourced areas include the African (Takouba, Flyssa, Kaskara, and Shotel), Ancient (Kopis, Khopesh, Makhaira, and Xiphos), Middle East (Scimitar, Katar, Yataghan, Shamshir, Shashqa, Kilij, Saif, and Kindjal), and South Asia (Tulwar, Pulwar, Parang Pandit, & Campilan).
The Type X sword, also known as the Oakeshott X, is a sword which originated in the latter part of the Viking era. It stayed in use until the 13th century. This kind of sword has a wide and leveled blade. It also measures about 80 centimeters in length. Its point is usually spherical and the hand grip is as of the same length as the early Viking swords roughly around 9 centimeters. However, it is slimmer and longer than the usual Viking swords. The Norsemen of the 10th century called the Type X sword as the gaddhjalt which literally means spike hilt. The Xa subtype was launched in 1981.
The Type XII sword, which has a decreased fuller, was first introduced in the Middle Ages. The XIIa subtype, also referred as the XIIIa, was launched in the middle part of the 13th century. This kind of sword is longer and heavier that the other sword types. The famous handler of the Type XII sword is no other than Archangel Michael; as portrayed in the statue of Bamberg Cathedral.
The period of the Crusade created the Type XIII sword. This kind of weapon has a long and broad blade. Its hand grip measures about 15 centimeters allocating the two-hand use. The pommels are formed like a Brazil nut. The XIIIa subtype has longer blades and wider hand grips. It was first created at around 12th century and stayed until the 15th. The famous portrayal of XIIIa subtype sword is the Apocalypse according to St. John's document.
The Type XIV sword was illustrated by Ewart Oakeshott as The grip is generally short (average 3.75") though some as long as 4.5"; the tang is thick and parallel-sided, often with the fuller extending half-way up it. The pommel is always of "wheel" form, sometimes very wide and flat. The cross is generally rather long and curved (very rarely straight)."
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