Re:The companies that bring us knife steel
by dragontamer on Thursday October 08, 2020 @05:06PM
(#24723952)
The king of weapons has always been the polearm.
The Halberd for Europeans, the Qiang in China, the Naginata of Japan.
Across the world, it has been demonstrated that to make a "better sword", you put the sword on the end of a long stick. Such a weapon requires less training, and the greater amount of wood makes it lighter and cheaper to manufacture.
The additional swing weight allowed Halberd users to regularly break shields and punch through armor. Length and swing-weight are key.
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Swords almost universally were status symbols. It was expensive to make a sword no matter what culture you're in, so carrying a fancy sword indicated nobility.
Smaller weapons (and smaller shields) like swords were for status and every day situations. Bucklers / Rapiers don't make any sense as a battlefield weapon. But when you consider the day-to-day life, walking around a city... the smaller blade and smaller shield suddenly make sense.
The Halberd for Europeans, the Qiang in China, the Naginata of Japan.
Across the world, it has been demonstrated that to make a "better sword", you put the sword on the end of a long stick. Such a weapon requires less training, and the greater amount of wood makes it lighter and cheaper to manufacture.
The additional swing weight allowed Halberd users to regularly break shields and punch through armor. Length and swing-weight are key.
-------
Swords almost universally were status symbols. It was expensive to make a sword no matter what culture you're in, so carrying a fancy sword indicated nobility.
Smaller weapons (and smaller shields) like swords were for status and every day situations. Bucklers / Rapiers don't make any sense as a battlefield weapon. But when you consider the day-to-day life, walking around a city... the smaller blade and smaller shield suddenly make sense.