Shortsword
Encyclopedia
Shortsword may refer to a number of weapons intermediate between the sword
and the dagger
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
and the dagger
Dagger
A dagger is a fighting knife with a sharp point designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon. The design dates to human prehistory, and daggers have been used throughout human experience to the modern day in close combat confrontations...
- short Iron Age swordIron Age swordSwords made of iron appear from the Early Iron Age , but do not become widespread before the 8th century BC....
s- GladiusGladiusGladius was the Latin word for sword, and is used to represent the primary sword of Ancient Roman soldiers. Early ancient Roman swords were similar to those used by the Greeks. From the 3rd century BC, the Romans adopted swords similar to those used by the Celtiberians and others during the early...
, an early ancient Roman sword ("short" as opposed to the SpathaSpathaThe spatha was a type of straight sword, measuring between , in use throughout first millennium AD Europe, and in the territory of the Roman Empire until about 600 AD. Later swords from 600 AD to 1000 AD are recognizable derivatives, though they are not spathae.The spatha was used in gladiatorial...
) - Xiphos, a double-edged, single-hand sword used by the ancient Greeks
- Gladius
- certain Renaissance era sidearms:
- BaselardBaselardThe baselard is a historical type of dagger or short sword of the Late Middle Ages.In modern use by antiquarians, the term baselard is mostly reserved for a type of 14th...
, a late medieval heavy dagger - Swiss degenSwiss degenThe Swiss degen was a short sword, an elongated version of the Swiss dagger, with the same double-crescent shape of the guard.It was used as a type of side arm in the Old Swiss Confederacy and especially by Swiss mercenaries, from the first half of the 15th century until the mid 16th century.The...
, a 15th century Swiss weapon derived from the baselard - CinquedeaCinquedeaThe cinquedea is a civilian short sword . It was developed in northern Italy and enjoyed a period of popularity during the Italian renaissance of the 15th and early 16th centuries....
, a civilian short sword (or long dagger) - KatzbalgerKatzbalgerA Katzbalger is a short Renaissance arming sword, notable for its sturdy build and a distinctive s-shaped or figure-8 shaped guard. Measuring 75–85 cm long and weighing 1–2 kg, it was the signature blade of the Landsknecht...
, a short Renaissance arming sword
- Baselard
- certain fascine knivesFascine knifeThe fascine knife was a side arm / tool issued to 17th to 19th century light infantry and artillery. It served both as a personal weapon and as a tool for cutting fascines . It could be straight or curved, double edged or single edged with a sawtoothed back...
- Model 1832 Foot Artillery SwordModel 1832 Foot Artillery SwordThe Model 1832 Foot Artillery Sword was a shortsword with a straight, double-edged blade and brass-mounted leather scabbard.-History:The U.S. Model 1832 foot artillery shortsword has a solid brass hilt, a crossguard, and a blade usually in length. This model was the first sword contracted by...
, a shortsword of about 25 inches in length
- Model 1832 Foot Artillery Sword
- certain Japanese bladed weapons:
- KodachiKodachiA , literally translating into "small or short tachi ", is a Japanese sword that is too long to be considered a dagger but too short to be a long sword...
, a Japanese sword that is too short to be considered a long sword but too long to be a dagger - TantōTantoA is one of the traditional Japanese swords that were worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The tantō dates to the Heian period, when it was mainly used as a weapon but evolved in design over the years to become more ornate...
, a common Japanese knife or dagger - WakizashiWakizashiThe is one of the traditional Japanese swords worn by the samurai class in feudal Japan.-Description:...
, a traditional Japanese sword worn as a side arm with a shōtō blade between 30 and 60 cm, in contrast to the katana
- Kodachi
See also
- Broadsword (disambiguation)
- Longsword (disambiguation)
- Types of swordsTypes of swordsThis is a list of types of swords.The term sword is here used in a narrow sense. This is not a general list of bladed weapons and does not include the machete or similar "sword-like" weapons....