Truth Hits You Like Katana Bricks (from Fail Quotes)

[R.E.H.W.R.]

http://www.thearma.org/essays/katanavs.htm

[Skm1091]

Anyone know any other medieval fighting manuals? I know there is Talhoffer's fighting techniques, but that's all I know.

[R.E.H.W.R.]

Anyone know any other medieval fighting manuals? I know there is Talhoffer's fighting techniques, but that's all I know.

Here you go.
http://www.thearma.org/manuals.htm

[Skm1091]

Here you go.
http://www.thearma.org/manuals.htm

Thanks 

[Skm1091]

Opinions? Input?

[R.E.H.W.R.]

Something I've never understood. Why is it that Europe is the only part of the world who stuck with the double edged straight sword?
Just about every nation I've studied usually goes with a curved blade.

[Skm1091]

Something I've never understood. Why is it that Europe is the only part of the world who stuck with the double edged straight sword?
Just about every nation I've studied usually goes with a curved blade.

Don't you guys have the Falchion? I guess they felt they did not need to change since the straight sword served them so well since the time of the celts and romans.

[R.E.H.W.R.]

Don't you guys have the Falchion? I guess they felt they did not need to change since the straight sword served them so well since the time of the celts and romans.

Well, ya. But, it seems that Europe was the only part of the world were the best weapons you could get.

[Ibrahim90]

Something I've never understood. Why is it that Europe is the only part of the world who stuck with the double edged straight sword?
Just about every nation I've studied usually goes with a curved blade.

the Arabs also stuck to straight, double edged swords, at least until the Ottoman (or in the Levant and Egypt, Mamluk), period, when the Turks introduced them (and the Mongols solidying the trend). As you can imagine from the implication, the style was introduced to most parts of the word: it originated from China and its environs, and spread around as the people spread/invaded/migrated to the outlying regions. So the Japanese basically got their idea (in all likelyhood) for a sword from this weapon or similar, and the Arabs got it from the Turks and Mongols.

why did it replace the straight sword? style I guess. I'm told it may be better at cutting, but how much so, I dunno, if at all.

[R.E.H.W.R.]

why did it replace the straight sword? style I guess. I'm told it may be better at cutting, but how much so, I dunno, if at all.

Not necessarily. A blunt bastard sword can cut a tatami mat just as well as a curved sword.

[Ibrahim90]

Not necessarily. A blunt bastard sword can cut a tatami mat just as well as a curved sword.

well, yeah, but I didn't say otherwise. I simply mentioned that people told me that it is better, but reiterated that I don't know if it is true.

[R.E.H.W.R.]

well, yeah, but I didn't say otherwise. I simply mentioned that people told me that it is better, but reiterated that I don't know if it is true.

I'm kinda thinking that maybe its like the ak 47 vs m16.

Curved swords may be cheaper to reduce, but are still reliable.
Maybe.

[MrBogosity]

I would think with a curved sword you'd get more of a sliding motion when you swung it, aiding in the cut.

[evensgrey]

Europeans used curved swords for a long time.  Cavalry sabres are curved (not a lot, mostly towards the tip) single-edged blades intended specifically to be used from horseback  They were in use right up until WWI by everyone, and those nations that still had horse cavalry later on (both Poland and the US kept using horse cavalry for some kinds of operations until WWII) kept using them.

[R.E.H.W.R.]

I would think with a curved sword you'd get more of a sliding motion when you swung it, aiding in the cut.

More like a draw cut. As you hit the target, you would draw through.