I AGREE THESE WERE PROBELY FOR PARRYING THE OPPONENTS LONGER SWORD GIVING YOU A MOMENTARY OPENING FOR A LUNGE. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT IT COULD BE TWISTED IN SUCH A WAY AS TO DISARM AN OPPONENT, A BLADE MIGHT SOMEHOW BE BROKEN BUT I DOUBT THAT WAS ITS MAIN PURPOSE. THE SPRING LOADED ONES MIGHT MAKE A GOOD DISTRACTION IF THE OPPONENT HAD NEVER SEEN ONE WHICH COULD ALSO LEAD TO AN OPENING. A PERSON WOULD ALWAYS BE VERY WARY OF SOME ODD LOOKING SPIKEY THING HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS OR WHAT IT COULD DO.
THE BLADE BREAKERS THAT I THINK COULD PERHAPS DAMMAGE AN OPPONENTS BLADE AND PERHAPS WEAKEN IT ENOUGH TO BREAK IN THE COURSE OF A BATTLE WERE THE GREATSWORDS. THE BLADE PROTRUSIONS ALSO SERVED AS A SECONDARY GAURD WHEN FIGHTING BUT IF A HARD STRIKE WAS DEFLECTED PROPERLY AND THE FULL FORCE FELL ON THE OPPONEMTS SWORD EDGE IT WOULD SURELY DO DAMMAGE. THE ZWEIHANDER IS ONE SUCH GERMAN SWORD.
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