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The most obvious comparison is the scarce extent of surviving manuscripts. While there are many Italian and comparatively numerous German manuscripts, there are only three English Longsword treatises. Additionally, the English sources are without illustration, so they are text only. This makes them more difficult to interpret.
The first section of the book is concerned with mundane weapons and armor. It introduces many new weapons, such as the Gyrspike, a sword with a spiked ball attached to the hilt by a chain. As well, the section lists the different weapons used throughout the different cultures and time periods, and the names they were known by.
A longsword (also spelled as long sword or long-sword) is a type of European sword characterized as having a cruciform hilt with a grip for primarily two-handed use (around 15 to 30 cm or 6 to 12 in), a straight double-edged blade of around 80 to 110 cm (31 to 43 in), and weighing approximately 2 to 3 kg (4 lb 7 oz to 6 lb 10 oz). [2] [3]
Although the weapons and the reason for their use changed dramatically throughout these five centuries, a few fundamental traits have remained constant in the Italian school. Some of these are the preference for certain guards, the preoccupation with time (or "tempo") in fencing as well as many of the defensive actions.
Destreza, on the other hand, refused to make such a distinction, maintaining that the cut could be as useful as the thrust depending on the situation, adapting their weapons accordingly. Although fencers from the Iberian Peninsula developed a reputation for using very long weapons, the weapons used in destreza were generally shorter than the ...
Combat in full plate armour made use of the same weapons as Blossfechten, the longsword and dagger (possibly of special make optimized for piercing the openings in armour); but the techniques were entirely different. Attacking an opponent in plate armour is carried out in two ways: percussive force or penetration at joints or unprotected areas.
The "greatsword", within the context of the late medieval longsword, is a type of "outsize(d) specimen", specifically the type XIIIa. The weapons were referred to by a variety of names, as in grans espées d'Allemagne ("big swords of Germany"). [6] The larger subtype XIIIa sword has a grip approximately 6.5–9 in (17–23 cm) long. [7]
The term longsword has been used to refer to different kinds of sword depending on historical context: Zweihänder or two-hander, a late Renaissance sword of the 16th century Landsknechte, the longest sword of all; the long "side sword" or "rapier" [5] with a cutting edge (the Elizabethan long sword).