Seeing as a lot of my new followers are #fantasy #authors and #writers, here's some handy sword-related info for you.
1: Swords were not meant to be heavy! Warriors were going to be swinging those things for several seconds, maybe a few minutes at a time. Heavy weapons are slow and tiring! (1/)
1: Swords were not meant to be heavy! Warriors were going to be swinging those things for several seconds, maybe a few minutes at a time. Heavy weapons are slow and tiring! (1/)
Comments
If you start adding rules to fantasy, you get sci-fi.
Don’t recall what type of swords they were, but am now wondering how accurate it was
The even heavier swords were likely ceremonial or swung for executions rather than in combat.
(Problem then becomes, because audiences have no other context, they borrow from that and reinforce the myths.)
I really didn't expect a rapier to be that heavy, considering you thrust and have to hold it at arms length.
Swords having center of mass close to hands means they feel and operate lighter but hit less hard, hence rely on edge and point to cause harm.
3: The channel running down the length of a broadsword is NOT A "BLOOD GROOVE!" (2/)
4: Swords are sharp, but not THAT sharp. (3/)
https://www.swordsofnorthshire.com/blogs/theblade/5-myths-about-samurai-and-japanese-swords
5: Rule of thumb: the larger and heavier the sword, the less likely it's used for thrusting in fights. It CAN be used for thrusting, but longswords are more cutting/slashing weapons. (4/)
6: Having a character wear their sword on their back is stupid. It might look cool but it is WILDLY impractical for so many reasons. (5/)
(I used this for a gag in one of my Adventures of Strongarm & Lightfoot books.)
7: If you're basing your world on medieval Europe, as many do, your peasants should not have swords. (6/)
8: Swords were not forged by pouring them into molds, e.g., Conan the Barbarian.
9: Broken swords cannot be fixed e.g., LotR. (7/)
Can't comment on the purpose of grooves in kitchen knives, but on swords, their purpose is well defined.