Shamshir Hooking Thrust?

ShayanMirza · 9th January 2007, 12:57 AM

Manolo, thank you very much for your kind words about my goofy video!

With regards to armor, it certainly would not perform as well as a straight-bladed piercing sword (a type XVIII for example) but when thrust properly would go through bodymass with ease. Aside from testing the thrust on thickly layered denim on my own (with stellar results), I heard from my instructor that curved blades are useful for stabbing around bone obstructions, such as the lower part of the ribcage into the lungs or from above the collarbone into the heart. This is my own opinion, but I think the hook thrust would be most useful for blinding an enemy or attacking their face, which would require much less power than stabbing through muscle layers and organs. I apologize for the macabre descriptions, but understanding a weapon's function is of course essential to understanding a weapon's design. Also design hints at function: many shamshirs had yelman or false edges on the back of the blade, which were heavily documented as augmenting a thrust.

I look forward to hearing from the experts on this, this is the perfect forum to find out more about ancient sword manuscripts and contemporary accounts!

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9th January 2007, 12:57 AM	#3
ShayanMirza Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Charlottesville Posts: 25	Manolo, thank you very much for your kind words about my goofy video! With regards to armor, it certainly would not perform as well as a straight-bladed piercing sword (a type XVIII for example) but when thrust properly would go through bodymass with ease. Aside from testing the thrust on thickly layered denim on my own (with stellar results), I heard from my instructor that curved blades are useful for stabbing around bone obstructions, such as the lower part of the ribcage into the lungs or from above the collarbone into the heart. This is my own opinion, but I think the hook thrust would be most useful for blinding an enemy or attacking their face, which would require much less power than stabbing through muscle layers and organs. I apologize for the macabre descriptions, but understanding a weapon's function is of course essential to understanding a weapon's design. Also design hints at function: many shamshirs had yelman or false edges on the back of the blade, which were heavily documented as augmenting a thrust. I look forward to hearing from the experts on this, this is the perfect forum to find out more about ancient sword manuscripts and contemporary accounts!