The Swords of the East and the West
The sword has been used as a weapon of combat for almost since the dawn of History and the advent of the Iron Age.
It was a weapon of combat and was also used by the cavalry and the Infantry.
It was also a weapon used for duels between two opponents.
The sword was made of steel and great care was taken to make its hilts which had a distinctive mark for individual warriors.
However the swords of the East and the West differed.
It is worth comparing the two types of swords that were the main stay of the Armies and warriors of ages down the lane of History.
The European soldiers used what is called the broad sword.
It had a double edge, in that the cutting edge was on both sides of the sword.
In addition the sword was broad and had a straight shape.
The double edge made it a lethal weapon as the sword could be used both ways and also with a two handed grip.
The Oriental sword on the other hand had a curved shape and had an edge only on one side.
Its edge was on the outer curve.
It was slimmer than the broad sword and also much lighter.
Warriors who used the broad sword carried a bigger shield, while the Oriental warriors used a lighter shield which was smaller in size and was strapped to the left forearm.
The Oriental sword was more aerodynamic and was thus easier to handle.
It however had to be used with one hand and swished through the air with minimal resistance.
The cavalry in particular found it a lethal weapon and the British incorporated it for their regiments.
The saber of the British and French Cavalry has its origin in the Oriental curved sword.
The differences in the two swords is highlighted by an incident attributed to a meeting between Richard the Lion Heart, King of England and the Moslem warrior Saladin, who faced each other during the crusades.
Richard is reported to have broken an iron lance with one blow of his broad sword, while Saladin used his curved sword and sliced a cushion! This aptly sums up the differences between the two swords.
The broad sword required greater strength to use, while the curved sword being lighter could be used by a man of lesser strength.
Both swords served their purpose, but the Oriental sword certainly had the edge.
With a low drag coefficient it was more lethal than the broad sword.
The swords continued as weapons into well nigh the nineteenth century before their use petered out with the advent of the Musket.
But these swords which are now kept in museums do remind us of a golden age when the sword ruled supreme as a weapon of war.
It was a weapon of combat and was also used by the cavalry and the Infantry.
It was also a weapon used for duels between two opponents.
The sword was made of steel and great care was taken to make its hilts which had a distinctive mark for individual warriors.
However the swords of the East and the West differed.
It is worth comparing the two types of swords that were the main stay of the Armies and warriors of ages down the lane of History.
The European soldiers used what is called the broad sword.
It had a double edge, in that the cutting edge was on both sides of the sword.
In addition the sword was broad and had a straight shape.
The double edge made it a lethal weapon as the sword could be used both ways and also with a two handed grip.
The Oriental sword on the other hand had a curved shape and had an edge only on one side.
Its edge was on the outer curve.
It was slimmer than the broad sword and also much lighter.
Warriors who used the broad sword carried a bigger shield, while the Oriental warriors used a lighter shield which was smaller in size and was strapped to the left forearm.
The Oriental sword was more aerodynamic and was thus easier to handle.
It however had to be used with one hand and swished through the air with minimal resistance.
The cavalry in particular found it a lethal weapon and the British incorporated it for their regiments.
The saber of the British and French Cavalry has its origin in the Oriental curved sword.
The differences in the two swords is highlighted by an incident attributed to a meeting between Richard the Lion Heart, King of England and the Moslem warrior Saladin, who faced each other during the crusades.
Richard is reported to have broken an iron lance with one blow of his broad sword, while Saladin used his curved sword and sliced a cushion! This aptly sums up the differences between the two swords.
The broad sword required greater strength to use, while the curved sword being lighter could be used by a man of lesser strength.
Both swords served their purpose, but the Oriental sword certainly had the edge.
With a low drag coefficient it was more lethal than the broad sword.
The swords continued as weapons into well nigh the nineteenth century before their use petered out with the advent of the Musket.
But these swords which are now kept in museums do remind us of a golden age when the sword ruled supreme as a weapon of war.