Hand-and-a-half sword: HEN.M.185-1933

Maker(s)

Unknown

Entities

• Hand-and-a-half sword

Categories

• Weapons

Description

Very large, heavy and well-formed pommel of brazil nut shape. Long flat tang of rectangular section. Straight cross of indeterminate (possibly corroded hexagonal) section, not widening to the tips but thickened in the middle over the blade. Long, very slightly tapering, rather narrow blade with a well-marked narrow fuller running two-thirds of the length. There is no real point, but the lower few inches of the blade are heavily corroded and a narrow point may have worn or broken away.
There are traces of a mark inlaid in ?copper in the fullers of the blade.

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1933-03-16) by Henderson, James Stewart

Dating

13th Century
Circa 1225 - 1300

Note

The style of the pommel suggests that this sword probably dates well before 1300, probably c.1225-1250 or earlier. Pommels of this form, are found in dateable context as early as c.950, and are shown on sculptured figures in Germany as late as c. 1280, but rarely after this date.

This sword has a wide, thin blade used for cutting and slashing targets such as mail, leather clothing and padded fabric armour. The guard is a simple cross piece of iron which prevents an opponent’s blade sliding up your sword to cut your hand. The shape of the pommel, the piece at the end of the hilt, is like a brazil nut, giving rise to the name of this type of sword. This sword has traces of a mark in copper alloy on the blade.