Hypothetically?

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kaotikross

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Let's assume you are a soldier, in a major metropolitan port, where many different styles of sword are available for purchase, and can choose what you wish to carry. You've been given enough to purchase ONE sword. If all available types are theoretically equally sturdy, which one? One handed swords come with a shield as part of the deal. For the purpose of this , a katana is two handed.
 
No guns. civilization has the crossbow, but plate armor is not yet in regular use, or rather, you don't see it much, perhaps a piece here and there and a full suit only on the few noblemen of any given battle
 
What kind of soldier?
Who will be your opponents?
Will you be soldiering on your own or in formations with peeps who will have similar weapons or each their own?
 
I'm not telling but it is the best sword. My shield as well, beyond comparison. So there. I win.:p
 
I'd go with a simple D-hilt mostly straight-bladed cavalry sabre, with a small round buckler. A good balance between slashing and stabbing, and light enough to quick movements.
 
i know we all want the exact details, so let me rephrase this..if you have to place your personal confidence in a sword against unknown assailants, then which?
 
kaotikross said:
i know we all want the exact details, so let me rephrase this..if you have to place your personal confidence in a sword against unknown assailants, then which?
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For in the port itself for self defense a Rapier. Maybe a Pappenheimer.
Good hand protection excellent range and speed.
On a battle field maybe a thicker blade which lasts through a campaign.
If more thrusty or more slashy depends if I'm on horse or not.
 
Jens Schuetz said:
What kind of soldier?
Who will be your opponents?
Will you be soldiering on your own or in formations with peeps who will have similar weapons or each their own?
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This. What type of sword I wish to place my confidence in depends heavily upon the situation in which I am using it. Formation fighting is a very different thing from general melee.
 
I've always been partial to a spatha/ gladius type sword. I ve alway thought that a thrusting weapon with the capability to slash would be more useful for ageneral purpose edged weapon. Maybe a rapier short sword/dagger combo.

I'm not very educated in what kinds of swords are out there so I'm enjoying this thread.
 
I can't make up my mind between a hand and a half, or a cutlass and some kind of shield. Horseclover is afraid to say "katana" . :D
 
I want to say there's no right or wrong answer here. I was just interested in what type everyone would feel most comfortable with staking their lives on. Katana is a perfectly valid answer.
 
kaotikross said:
I can't make up my mind between a hand and a half, or a cutlass and some kind of shield. Horseclover is afraid to say "katana" . :D
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Not so, I indicated that within your continued amendments towards some hypothetical; My sword and shield are better than anyone else's and I chose not to reveal my choices. After all, any unknown assailants will be defeated. :p I win.

Here is a handy shield for someone but not what I would choose. My shield is better than that.

35ltaux.jpg
 
But for realsies: katana. Though I wouldn't say its strictly one handed... you could totes be dual wielding a wakizashi too.
 
I'm no sword expert and have a strong bias towards Japanese blade (did Japanese martial arts for decades)

That said all the videos from that European sword guy here make a lot of sense to me and are entertaining on top of that. I believe I watched them all over the course of 2 nights. Here a video from his series about his thoughts on Katanas compared to different European blades.

https://youtu.be/R4plBF80UBo
 
I think I'd go with some variant of George Silver's "shorte sharpe sworde"- decent cut & thrust with enough quillon work to keep playing "find the fingers" at a minimum. And maybe something a little bigger than the buckler, given crossbows/bows general mean spirited cobble-throwing.
Barring that a fechtmesser (single hand version of the großemesser-wide, tough single edged blade.
All of this goes out the window if I'm supposed to be in a shieldwall, mind...
 
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