I spent the whole video eagerly awaiting "And now to demonstrate, we're going to fight to the death"

It is a well known fact that if a man loses a duel his side burns are shaved in shame, these two are clearly master duelists.

The Scots had bucklers and daggers both, but that's only because we're so thrifty and cheap that we used the dagger to eat with and the targe as a plate.

That is what can be called civilised. Two Gentlemen having a discussion, armed to the teeth and yet in harmony!

I think one reason dagger is more popular with rapier is the fact that rapier is very useless if you get too close, and dagger is perfect off hand weapon to help with that weakness.

I have a question - do excellent sideburns make one a better swordsman?

Hmm, it seems that you two guys don't agree if sword&buckler is better or worse that rapier&dagger. If only there was a way to settle this argument. Round 1. Fight!

In rapier fencing I find it easier to parry with my dagger than with my buckler. Thrusts tend to slip off the buckler. With the dagger all it takes is a flick of the wrist to deflect a thrust while delivering a single tempo counter attack. However, against a heavy cutting sword I'd want a solid buckler. or even better, a rotella.

Regarding Silver and Salviolo: after reading their treatises I think the reason Silver is revered as a 'first' for English fencing treatises is not that his was the first published but that it is the earliest example we have of the English style, the earliest examples of the contrasts of martial traditions of England against the rising Italian. For example, the English for years preferred the sword and buckler, which gave them a defensive advantage over the rapier and poniard (Silver's evidence for this is an account of the death of Salviolo's associate Jeronimo), where as Salviolo remarked that the English style often retreated to avoid an attack, which he deems as a sign of inherent cowardice in the style. Silver also recounted that many English fencing teachers forbid their students to use the thrust in combat, where as he advocates for it... but simultaneously he does not advocate for the use of the lunge. Silver's whole focus is on defending yourself first, and claims that the rapier does not offer adequate defensive qualities... Matt also mentioned di Grassi, but I haven't read anything by him yet.

The dagger only became popular because of the adoption of the basket hilt. The purpose of the buckler was always to protect the hand but with the basket hilt guard you could now place the sword hand in the lead and gain even more reach, this is why the basket hilted broadsword evolved into the rapier. Because the sword hand was in the lead the thrust became much more efficient then the cut and the broadsword became longer, narrower and stiffer, all things which suited the thrust. This all occurred because of the development of the basket hilt! The dagger simply gives the hand relieved of the buckler something to do: which is to parry the other rapier thrust or trap blades with also the ability of a surprise attack while you are stuck in a sword bind with opponent. Plus you no longer have to hear the annoying klinking of the buckler. On a sidenote, it is my opinion that nothing beats an oval shield (thureos) and broadsword in unarmoured single combat. You can knockout any man with a boxing like jab from the large oval shield, this is why they strengthened the ends with metal. You can also constantly jab at the opponent shield to keep him unbalanced or jab to set up a trap to draw his attack. Want to win a sword fight unscathed then set up traps and counterattack.

13:05 dat instinctual defence

This guy just wants to get in close and hack Matt to pieces.

Your videos are really helping me out. I briefly studied with a group in Seattle here in the States from primarily Fiore and Silver, but I've moved to an area where the opportunities are extremely sparse between LARP, SCA, and modern sport fencing. I'm trying to start my own group up and get in as much self-training as possible, and you have aided me immensely. Thank you.

Is it sad that I'm still amused by the idea of learning how to fight from bolognaise sauces? :P

How have I not seen this video until now? Thanks Matt, great subject.

Great video Matt. Love all these longer format ones.

5:20 "I'll scratch that itch if it kills me!"

For some reason your buddy scratching his arm with his sword made me laugh.

That Dagger looks classy if used with a fork to eat steak with.

Yea, love your show but I agree with the sword and buckler comments vs Rapier vs Dagger. I used one 44 year ago. It was my fighting style and there was so many advantages over a sword and dagger that I saw in an open area. What this man is using is a 9" buckler and it was more of an offensive weapon compared to a 15 inch buckler. The 12" version was the balance of the two. I used both the 12" and 15" versions of the Buckler and the 15" version of the Targe. From there I went to Naginatajutsu. Because a 4'10 Japanese woman beat the crap out of me even though I was fully armed/armored and I was used to fighting against pole arm type of weapons. That was fun then and I finally ended with Krav Maga and Eskrima before retiring from all of that. It makes me smile that I was doing this before Matt was just a gleam in his Daddy's eyes.

Sword & Buckler wins. Why? SIDEBURNS! ;) Great video, Matt!

great vid :) One thing that occurs to me is when the rapier and dagger became fashionable most people would have some kind of knife or dagger on them anyway. I'd imagine that having one less thing to carry around would be considered a big plus of the new style.

Fun facts: Rapier comes from the Spanish word Ropera, which means you carry this sword with normal clothes (ropa). Right to bear arms was invented in 16th century Spain. So were human rights. Makes sense when considering that they were the first to rise to global power and precisely during the 16th century. Sad I had to learn this independently because these facts are really obscured in mainstream history.

Italian sword teachers on England? Syrio Forel anyone?

I like how both of you guys are rockin the sideburns.

Also a dagger has a sheath and is easy to carry. Drop it in the sheath and you're good to go. Good point about you can cut your meat and eat with the dagger. Also the fork apparently did not become common in northern Europe until the 18th century, so you could use it to pick up your food and deliver it to your mouth. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fork

I like it when two knowledgeable people collaborate.

The best combination obviously is two katanas

Great video! It's cool to have a discussion on different points of view

Wonderful video - thanks!

For the Musashi conversation... It is stated in the Book of Five Rings that the point of using two swords was to strengthen your arms and unity for when wielding one sword. However, he used two swords in his duel against Shishido Baiken and his Kasuri-gama. He was able to use his wakazashi to block and catch the chain while he went in for the kill. There's another version that said he actually threw his wakazashi but I think combat wise that's not entirely realistic. Now to the point. The wakazashi is longer or tends to be longer than a dirk, not always, but usually. With the secondary weapons reach advantage and some of the dual handed techniques such as the second defends and parries while the primary attacks would be very difficult to deal with for a shorter secondary weapon such as a dirk and a more or less single purpose sword such as the rapier. Now I'm not a katana fan but I do respect the sword art of the two swords technique. With a rapier you know that the wielded has to stab to inflict serious damage. Knowing that the katana can significantly cut and stab gives the wielding an advantage in versatility and being a bit more unpredictable .

The sideburns got all of my sympathy here. PS to be clear, i mean the handsome guy to the left.

Nice video ! Good arguments and knowledge, very enterteining and educative.

This is really interesting. A few points I think that were not mentioned or weren't discussed in enough detail: 1) If I.33 is any indication, bucklers came in primarily as a tool for defending the sword hand with cruciform swords. It stands to reason then that with the development of complex hilts, it would have lost one of its primary functions. This is not to say that it wouldn't still be useful, as it clearly held on for a long time, but clearly this aspect of its utility would have been made redundant. Corollary to this is that the thrust and dominant-hand lead became more prevalent and as hand guards became more and more protective, there is a sense in which the blocking and parrying abilities of the buckler could effectively be offloaded to the sword itself. If you think of a "cone of defense" with a buckler held out in front of you and a sword with a basket hilt held out in front of you there would seem to be a lot of functional overlap just by way of geometry. 2) Convenience of carry was addressed briefly, but these points stick out to me: a) a dagger worn horizontally at the back of the waist would not be at all inconvenient to wear while a buckler hung over the sword would increase the bulk of metal about the waist, which would be more inconvenient to work around in daily living. The extra weight, however slight could also make the belt sag on one side which might be uncomfortable, while a sword and dagger on opposite sides or at different points on the belt might not make it slouch as much. b) The buckler also wouldn't be as securely fastened and would thus be more likely to fall off or get lost. c) Especially as complex hilts developed it might get progressively more difficult to hook a buckler over the handle of a sword and d) the bulk about the waist and arm would presumably be even bulkier. e) While the dagger would be drawn independently of the sword, a buckler slung over a sword with a cord or strap might tangle in the guard, which could be problematic in close quarters street defense. Granted, some of these issues could be mitigated if you had a hook on your belt specifically for the buckler or if you had a good lanyard (not too long but long enough, decently thick so it's less likely to tangle, etc.), but it is something to consider. f) If the buckler makes noise as you walk with it hooked over your sword, then aside from that being an annoyance in daily living that could be a serious tactical problem in street defense. If you are trying to pass a gang of ruffians in a dark alley without attracting attention, or trying to escape from them through dark alleys, it would be best to carry weapons that could be carried silently. 3) Daggers are debatably more attractive than bucklers, but after heavy use in combat, it is easy to imagine that a bucker would be scratched and battered, presenting all the signs of wear and tear hanging from a belt, while a dagger would presumably bear any signs of use far more discreetly and be easier to prettify. 4) On that aesthetic note, I would speculate that there are other fashion elements to consider. . .like codpieces. I don't know if this has any merit, but consider that the 1530's to the 1590's was, from a cursory internet search, the heyday of the codpiece in male fashion. George Silver's "Paradoxes of Defense" was published in 1599. I don't know how long codpieces stuck around, but it makes sense that if you were a fashionable gentleman of the mid to late 1500s, a buckler hanging from your waist might deemphasize and distract from your codpiece. . .and who wants that? Ha Ha. Not to mention how distracting it could be to the wearer if his buckler is constantly bumping his codpiece or knocking it to one side as he walks and sits. This is pure speculation, but I haven't seen anyone talk about this and it strikes me as potentially significant. 5) So many things can be used as a buckler instead of a buckler. If you are in open spaces or on country roads, then there might not be a lot of stray objects at hand. If you get into a bar brawl however, things like pewter mugs or chairs could easily be used as bucklers and discarded. That is a rather specific case, but even without stray objects like these, a sufficiently robust glove, a hat, or famously a cloak wrapped around the arm could be used effectively. Significantly, a sturdy glove or a cloak would still allow you to grip a dagger, while a buckler--being a small hand-held shield, unlike the strapped on targe--would make it more difficult to use WITH a dagger as well. This point is reinforced I think if one considers the earlier idea that the functions of a buckler could be offloaded to a robust and protective guard on the sword. If you have a swept hilt, pappenheimer hilt, basket hilt, or cup hilt, in one hand and a cloak wrapped around the other, then you practically have two bucklers, all without having to carry one. Hold your dagger in the hand covered by your cloak, and your defensive capability is only increased. A hefty cutting sword in your opponent's hands might be enough to overwhelm the padding provided by your cloak, but the length of your rapier might diminish that problem significantly by keeping the opponent from getting close enough to deliver a committed chop to your rearmost arm. All in all, I think these are the primary reasons why the buckler was phased out as a civilian sidearm. It is a testament to the effectiveness of the buckler however that it was useful enough to hold out in light of all these factors. I think the main reason it did was the prevalence of the sidesword. The likelier it is that you are going to fight against a heftier cutter, the more likely it is that you will want a metal plate between it and your offhand. If rapiers are the primary weapon you are likely to encounter and sideswords themselves start getting more rapier-like (in terms of balance, point of percussion, width of blade etc.), then it is less and less likely that you would want to carry a buckler around, especially if you can easily use more convenient things to approximate what they do if and as necessary. Just some thoughts. Contention and/or correction would be much appreciated. :)

Would it be possible to do a video about the estoc or tuck sword? or maybe include a bit about it in a video with a closely related subject?

I've seen people use a sword or rapier in the right hand and a buckler with a knife of some variation in the same hand as the buckler. In civilian use it was probably just too much to carry a sword, dagger and a buckler or small shield. Also, if your main hand weapon is disarmed, you still will have the dagger for offense and defense.

I find that bucklers really shine when you are limited to simple crossguards for hand protection and could use the extra defense. When you got a complex hilt/basket hilt, you could get away with less protection from your off hand

I love your videos!! I've noticed that you reference a lot of manuals in this video. would it be possible for you to post links in your video description if they are available online? If not to the manuals themselves, then to a good place to purchase them?

Excellent, thanks

Fight in the house! Assert your argument with a duel!

id strap a buckler to the hand and hold a dagger in the same hand lol

Good video. I do wonder how common broadsword/side sword +dagger was. It certainly appears in many manuals and there are cut-fencing treatises that pop up in the 17th century. Even Marozzo was reprinted in the 17th century (1615 I believe) and cutting swords were still in use across Europe. For someone armed with a schiavona or side-sword, perhaps a dagger could also provide more protection against the rapier's particular advantages.

Oh man, check out them chops on Scott! And Matt has some pretty nice sideburns going on as well. Looking good, fellas. *Thumbs up*

Awesome clip too btw!

16:05 -- "... A Partisan ..." -- My single favorite "throwaway" line in all of Shakespeare is found early, in Hamlet. When the Ghost is spotted by the guards, one of them says, "Shall I strike it with my partisan?" and I've always found that charming, in a 20th century deconstructive manner. In much the same way that "computers" were once people and then became mechanical devices, partisans have become synonymous with political operatives, frequently of a paramilitary nature but not exclusively so. From a tool, to many types of people, with the single most virtuous thing in all of Political Existence being "a genuine bipartisan" anything; the inverse of the computer.

Thanks guys for posting this. How would you explain though Silver's view on the rapier not being a "true weapon" ?

Great video! Agree with Matt here. History shows sidesword/rapier and dagger prevailed.

I've recent acquired a talhoffer buckler. 12'' wide by 18" tall in a curved rose leaf pattern with spikes surrounding a substantial 5" rosebud buss. I haven't found much good info about this style and was hoping you could elaborate someday. Thanks!

Could you talk a little bit about different kind of fencing school, especially for rapier fights... like the French, the Italian, The Spanish, the German Schools ?

this makes me wonder what aspects of our own time are going to be lost to history

You should do a sparring session and see how it goes! Learn rapier Matt! ahah just kidding ;) although I would love to see such a duel, that would be pretty informative about the true strengths and weaknesses in a one on one fight. Although it's pretty hard to find two people roughly equal in terms of ability and technique. Great video as always, very interesting. Thanks for all the work you put into this, really appreciated.

Gotta say, Scott pulls off the chops. Wonder if he still has them.

Hi Matt. Really liked this one. You mentioned that sword and dagger wasn't mentioned in any treatises before the sixteenth century. I'm wondering if the dagger and other off hand weapons began to become popular after hilts started to offer more hand protection. One thing a dagger would not be good at would be protecting your sword hand, while bucklers are great for that. After basket hilts and other complex hilts were developed, you could rely on the hilt more and that would open up options for what to use with your off hand. Just a thought.

He looks like he stepped right off a medieval battlefield.

From what I understand, the sword was often refered to as a swash, and since the rapier was a civilian weapon and often used by yuong rowndies and rogues and traveled around in groups. The buckler was worn at one's side, with the word and buckler often on the same side. The young rowdy would often bang his swash and buckler together to be intimadating. They became known as swashbucklers. Anyway that's what I read.

I seriously need to get a dagger to match with my sidesword, would be helpful with how close to my opponent I tend to get.

Just a thought about sword length: As far as I know, within buildings a long sword can be a disadvantage. If I remember correctely, a samurai would use the wakizashi instead of the katana in a building (and a katana is not a very long sword). One could think: The longer the sword and the more urban the lifestyle (and therefore more cramped fighting situations: within buildings, but also a crowded marked place,...) the more the need for a close range weapon. I guess this is a major difference: A dagger can function as a stand-alone weapon to compensate the disadvantiges of a very long sword.

Great civil discussion!

The first time I used a parrying dagger along with a sword was when I was LARP fighting at Coastcon in Biloxi, MS. I've never even learned how to use the dagger, but I blocked some of my opponent's sword strikes. Was that being an amateur?

Does anyone know who makes/sells the broad sword and rapier in this video?

Just a thought, couldn't the dagger be there to grant more options at a closer range, as I'd imagine to some degree you can get into a position where they are to close for a rapier to fight effectively much like a spear. I am no expert but may be something to consider?

Something I have always wondered about the buckler. Why didn't they aver add knobs or rings on the edge? If you put four small knobs, one at top, bottom, left and right on the front facing out A sword would not be able to slide off. I looks like if you blocked with a buckler a sword could just slide off still cut of not chop into the defender. I'm sure there is a reason. But I've always wondered.

I've tried both, but only studied sword and dagger, i'd say that with bolognese school S&D did not feel that superior to S&B, it felt harder to implement though, but still, i am a noob so maybe when i study both well i will have a better opinion.

I love mixed duelling.

Yes i think it's because of the length of the rapier or any sword really to use a dagger. Like you said once you thrust into someone. But there's more, the style of swordfighting changed. There's less swinging around, you start to point the sword between you and the opponent. Once that get's out of the way to any side, the opponent can step in and at that point you could only cut with your rapier. A longer sword has an advantage aslong you can keep the distance. These distances maybe a good reason to create smallswords, but i've no knowledge about that.

When I was doing re-enactment we used to joke you have a complete culinary utensils when carrying a dagger, buckler and spoon.

Where did they guy with the buckler get his sword? And what is the name of that style of sword? I have fought with both styles and find that with a dagger the learning curve isn't as steep compared with the buckler for one on one dueling.

Good video. Nice comparison of the two styles. IIRC It wasn't illegal to carry swords that were Messer in English cities /burghs due to them being single-edged, going off the laws of the day. The law was put into place to keep broadswords and double-edged weapons out during the Wars of the Roses I believe, but allow for people with normal weaponry for everyday use to carry (eating daggers, falchions, knives etc).

I have a question. Are there any baskethilted daggers and how would they act together with a baskethilted sworg or cutlas? OK I know that My question smells a bit like something from a Pirate movie, but then I am really qurious :-)

I added a extra bolt in the center of My Talhofer. The Talhofer is a Tacticool Buckler. Offensive/ Defensive shield.

Very interesting discussion!

Ooo. Have your friend on again. I'd like to hear him more.

Matt, it is not just to mention the longer reach of the rapier when to comparing buckler vs dagger. Your are not comparing swords, but the left hand opions. How do buckler and dagger compare when using the same type of sword?

I would say an unspoken, but simple answer would be this: If you were to ask any person what the best weapon for you is, an experienced person would most likely say, "The one you are most comfortable with." Since Rapier and Dagger were seen as a more high status weapon (for upper class) it set the tone of popularity because, well, that's what the "influencers" of the day were. So the common person may try to raise a lot of money, get a high value rapier, they learn it, practice it, get comfortable with it. Now fast forward in the military, if a soldier in his common wear and day wore his rapier because it was popular, he became comfortable with it. Thus, when going to war, if offered a different sword, they may be uncomfortable and thus would lose. So over the course of time, the age old "use what is most comfortable" dominates the weapon you use. (This being the case in terms of sword and buckler. If you went to war with full plate, then they would use a weapon-Like a spear, to pierce, and then your signature sword was with you if you lost your primary military weapon)

I like the size of that buckler. I would love to know who made it or where it's available for sale. Thanks.

It's a question of distance. Slashing blows are closer, thrusts are farther away... that's just where the point is... farther away from the body. The longer point of the rapier provides the cover that would have otherwise been provided by the buckler. sincer the thrust takes longer to pull back into guard the dagger provides the guard in passing.

What about a bowl* hilted dagger? Wouldn't it be like a buckler with a blade? *I mean, like a completely closed basket hilt (I don't know how to say it).

Can you make a videos about different sources and compare them? For example I33 and Opera Nova both have sections about sword and buckler, but they are used differently. Cimparing snd contrating sources seems more productive than comparing different types of sword

Question, wouldn't a wooden buckler be superior for blocking thrusts from the point getting stuck in it?

I imagine carrying a buckler in everyday life would have been looked at similar to how we might look at someone who wears a ballistic vest in everyday life. Neither has any purpose other than protection in a violent situation.

Right!! Where do I get lessons for duel wielding, or weapon use (swords and knives). Seriously! This something I have been looking for, for such a long time, and also too, to learn the history regarding weaponry. I'm in Wellington NZ, please contact me :)

hello! I go by tiberious and I am a larper in both belegarth and amtgard community. I have lyphoma in my left axilla thus making my left arm almost useless. now ive practiced fencing for many years and in fact used most of that in belegarth. however im finding a problem fighting against a shieldman. I can hold my own (and again yes this is larp however as far as belegarth is concerned we do use martial arts) against a spear,flail,staff or even flourentine fighter. its the.various shueld users I have an issue with. perhaps you could do a video on rapier or maybe a couple single style swords against the shield? I would absolutly love it if you could. thank you for your time to read this and god bless.

matt easton videos: posing with swords, bablling for 20 minutes straight.

This video reminds me of an odd phenomenon I have noticed in History. Perhaps one should consider a video addressing why the shield has continually shrunk in size and prominence in European warfare since ancient times? In the year 400BC, the Greeks made the Mediterranean tremble with their phalanx of shield and spear. In 0AD, the Legions of Rome crushed nearly all, protected by large, almost man-sized, shields. In the early Medieval era, the great warriors of the age wielded big shields, be it the Viking with his round shield or the Norman knight with his lengthy kite-like shield. In 1400, the wise warrior kept a nice torso-sized shield between him and his foes. In 1500, we have this tiny little buckler despite the majority of soldiers still wielding melee weapons. In 1600, we have virtually no use of shields, despite the continued use of swords and pikes.

What frickin nice broadsword.

I love both combinations but personally I'm more of a longsword and shield or longsword and dagger because though it does have heft to it the longsword is great for both thrusting and cutting where the rapier is not as good at cutting simply because I lacks mass, I have seen razor sharp rapiers but the only reason I would prefer a longsword and buckler/dagger/shield combination is because my personal preference is versatility over specialty

There is an account of a duel in 1503 which is fought with sword and dagger. I can't imagine it was the first time someone tried it so maybe it happened before that date too.

Hi, what kind of sword it is ? from which maker ?

The Rapier seemed to deter that evil triffid that tried a surprise attack in the back.

the first thing that comes to mind looking at the dagger combo is; is it even possible to make a safe for sparring dagger that can be used offensively? while still keeping the blade fairly stiff?

Speaking of rapiers, had anyone had a chance to gold Cold Steels rapier? If so, how was it balance/weight wise? I know Cold Steel has a tendency for a rather forward weighted blade, but I've been looking at grabbing a rapier and that specific one caught my eye.

I don't know about any dates but there are quite early accounts os portuguese sailors using sword and dagger. Rainer Daehnard talks quite a lot about this, so it indeed was popular even in late 15th early 16th centuries

Was any one else concerned with Mr. Easton molesting that tomato plant with the Rapier over his shoulder?

How was the buckler size determined? Looking at the one in the video I can't help but think, "Couldn't it be at least a LITTLE bigger?" But obviously it was that size for a reason...?

Sword talk. Talking about swords while gesturing with swords. Eye protection is optional. I enjoy your presentations keep it up.

if anything you can always throw a dagger and still retain your main weapon as being the sword

The buckler could be concealed as if it were a sun hat, then could be used together with a dagger as a defensive weapon, like the indian fighting style. Later the buckler was used by the British military during the Wars; the helmet in one hand and a bayonet in the other, against the samurais troops with his katanas ;)

More hand protection on a dagger for the best of both worlds (and longer quillions for better catching).

I think it is not just easy of carry but because having a dagger is quite useful if fight starts very close. If you grapple with a person before either of you get the sword/rapier out of a scabbard danger is incredibly useful.

Who makes a good 45inch bladed Rapier?