c. 1400
Steel, leather, wire
Overall: 85.3 cm (33 9/16 in.); Blade: 71.7 cm (28 1/4 in.); Quillions: 16.7 cm (6 9/16 in.); Grip: 12.7 cm (5 in.)
Weight: 335 g (11.82 oz.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance 1921.1252
A sword required a different composition of steel than armor; as a result swordsmithing centers of Europe differ from those that specialized in armor.
The principal weapon of the European knight was his sword, a simple weapon with a broad, two-edged blade, a straight crossguard, and a round pommel or counterweight. The pommel gave the knight full mastery of a perfectly balanced weapon. The basic shape of the sword did not change significantly between 1200 and 1500.
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