04-04-2006, 07:36 PM
Getting back to sword design:
The Mainz and Fulham design blades are both leaf-shaped. This moves the weight of the blade forwards, and increases cutting power. Even though these are both short blades, they probably did cut well. I have owned an Albion Fulham gladius, and it is more of a chopper than a slasher - but very brutal, and I am sure it would have cut flesh and bone quite nicely, if given a chance.
It is noteworthy that the Pompeii gladius has a much less acutely pointed tip than its predecessors. Now, this sword was in use in the heydey of the Empire, with the archetypal cylindrical scutum and segmentata, but its tip is clearly not as well suited for thrusting as earlier models. This is not consistent with a school of swordsmanship that emphasizes the thrust over the cut.
There are other short cutting blades as well. The landsknecht's katzbalger was generally a short broad blade with a rounded tip. The kukri is a very effective close-quarters weapon (and another leaf-blade, by the by) and falls, I think, into the chopping rather than slashing category.
The Mainz and Fulham design blades are both leaf-shaped. This moves the weight of the blade forwards, and increases cutting power. Even though these are both short blades, they probably did cut well. I have owned an Albion Fulham gladius, and it is more of a chopper than a slasher - but very brutal, and I am sure it would have cut flesh and bone quite nicely, if given a chance.
It is noteworthy that the Pompeii gladius has a much less acutely pointed tip than its predecessors. Now, this sword was in use in the heydey of the Empire, with the archetypal cylindrical scutum and segmentata, but its tip is clearly not as well suited for thrusting as earlier models. This is not consistent with a school of swordsmanship that emphasizes the thrust over the cut.
There are other short cutting blades as well. The landsknecht's katzbalger was generally a short broad blade with a rounded tip. The kukri is a very effective close-quarters weapon (and another leaf-blade, by the by) and falls, I think, into the chopping rather than slashing category.
Felix Wang
