Today we take a look at three different training swords from the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. We compare a replica of a fencing longsword, commonly known today as a federschwert, that is preserved in the Higgins Armory Collection at the Worcester Art Museum. The second is an Arms and Armor Fechterspiel, and the third is an Arms and Armor Spade De Zhogo. These swords date, respectively, to the late 16th, early 16th, and late 14th centuries. We examine the relationship to sharp swords from their own times, and how the differences between these swords affect how they are used.
Here at Arms and Armor we hand make all of our products at our shop in Minneapolis, MN. USA. Our goal is always to produce historical replicas that work, feel, and function just like the historical originals on which they are based. Our swords are hand ground from 6150 carbon steel and hardened and tempered to Rockwell 50-52.
www.arms-n-armor.com
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Nathan Clough, Ph.D. is Vice President of Arms and Armor and a member of the governing board of The Oakeshott Institute. He is a historical martial artist and a former university professor of cultural geography. He has given presentations on historical arms at events including Longpoint and Combatcon, and presented scholarly papers at, among others, The International Congress on Medieval Studies.
Craig Johnson is the Production Manager of Arms and Armor and Secretary of The Oakeshott Institute. He has taught and published on the history of arms, armor and western martial arts for over 30 years. He has lectured at several schools and Universities, WMAW, HEMAC, 4W, and ICMS at Kalamazoo. His experiences include iron smelting, jousting, theatrical combat instruction and choreography, historical research, European martial arts and crafting weapons and armor since 1985