BLADED WEAPONS:

Swords and Daggers:
Parts:
	* Blade
	* Tang
	* Hilt
	* Grip
	* Pommel

Knives & Daggers

    Edge vs. Point     Single vs. Double edged

Weapons Timeline:

New Stone Age: pre-4000 BC
Stone knives: 2-4 in. long

Bronze Age: 4000 BC - 600 BC
straight or tapered, spear pointed, small hilts

Iron Age: post 600-400 AD

Continuation of bronze forms, forged rather than cast.
Refined line, better edge.

Roman: straight simple dagger

   Pugio

North: scramasax

Middle ages:
Peasant: scramasax
Nobles:    quillion dagger
ballock or "kidney" dagger
swiss dagger

Renaissance/Elizabethan
All of above, lighter & more ornate, and:
rondel dagger
stilleto
scottish dirk
cinquedea
poniard: long quillion dagger
Left hand dagger
Northern: heavy quillion dagger
Southern: Main gauche

America & colonial period
basically peasant knives
Trade knives- variations on cheap, stout kitchen knives.
Am. Rifleman's knife
Folding knives
Bowie knife
"Arkansas Toothpick"

Swords
Short vs. Long
Point vs. Edge


Bronze Age

Mostly short weapons: Typically short stabbing sword, small hilts. 
Bronze knives and short swords

Iron age (late bronze)

Greek- hoplite sword: leaf-shape thrusting
     kopis- slashing sword w/ down curve, like kukri. 
            Small but present quillions.

Celt- short, double edge stabbing sword, Man shaped hilts.
Later developed long sword.

Roman- gladius, short stabbing sword
     Spatha- long sword

Viking- long light double-edge cut-n-thrust blade, 
        short curved guard, lobed pommel.
      Sax: similar but single edged. Popular w/ Norwegians and Saxons.

Middle Ages
Knightly sword: decended from Viking & spatha.
Large, double edge slashing sword; large cross-shape hilts and large pommel.

Falchion: chopping sword, heavy at point.

Renaissance/Elizabethan
Broadsword became more of thrusting sword. Hilt more elaborate.

Rapier: purely point weapon, hilts also ellaborate.

Firearms period/ Am Revolution

Broadsword disappears

Sabre: Edge weapon. Could be straight but usually curved.

Cutlass or hanger: short, heavy sabre, similar to falchion.

Rapier becomes :
Smallsword, suitable as male jewelry and duel, but not as real combat weapon.

19th Cent.
   Firearms take over, even for cavalry.
   Swords are backup weapons or symbolic weapons.
   Sabres replace all other swords for officers & cavalry.
   Cutlasses at sea, but hangers replaced by bayonettes.
   Pistols replace swords for civilians.