Two-Handed Great Sword

fernando · 23rd December 2012, 11:51 AM

Thank you so much for the corrections, Matt.
My experience of reading about 'montantes', a term also used by Portuguese, comes from reading chronicles of the discoveries period, where this type of sword was used in Asia to clear the path in battle, handled by well trained nobility who mainly fought in front of their horde.
I have tried to give my mentioning ... a bit like the half sword styling, if i may say so. a figurative sense ... but i see that it was an unfortunate approach. On the other hand, i was perfectly convinced that the spikes were to propect the user's hand when (?) holding the sword by the ricasso. I stand corrected; will have to adjust my perspective on this one.

Matt Easton · 23rd December 2012, 12:14 PM

Thanks Fernando - I should add that in fact Marozzo does show halfswording with the ricasso being gripped (so it was done), but I think that this was not the primary purpose of these projections, because they seem to have developed from the flarred ricasso found on 15th century fencing longswords and in quite a lot of 16th-17th century examples it is not really practical to hold the ricasso because of the guard rings being in the way (or the spikes being too close to the hilt, as here).
Regards,
Matt

dana_w · 23rd December 2012, 04:06 PM

Hi Matt,

Thanks for joining the discussion, and for your well informed comments.

I read an essay that you wrote on the Rondel Dagger earlier this year. It was very helpful.

Dana

23rd December 2012, 11:51 AM	#1
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Thank you so much for the corrections, Matt. My experience of reading about 'montantes', a term also used by Portuguese, comes from reading chronicles of the discoveries period, where this type of sword was used in Asia to clear the path in battle, handled by well trained nobility who mainly fought in front of their horde. I have tried to give my mentioning ... a bit like the half sword styling, if i may say so. a figurative sense ... but i see that it was an unfortunate approach. On the other hand, i was perfectly convinced that the spikes were to propect the user's hand when (?) holding the sword by the ricasso. I stand corrected; will have to adjust my perspective on this one.

23rd December 2012, 12:14 PM	#2
Matt Easton Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Surrey, Great Britain. Posts: 53	Thanks Fernando - I should add that in fact Marozzo does show halfswording with the ricasso being gripped (so it was done), but I think that this was not the primary purpose of these projections, because they seem to have developed from the flarred ricasso found on 15th century fencing longswords and in quite a lot of 16th-17th century examples it is not really practical to hold the ricasso because of the guard rings being in the way (or the spikes being too close to the hilt, as here). Regards, Matt

23rd December 2012, 04:06 PM	#3
dana_w Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Southeast Florida, USA Posts: 436	Hi Matt, Thanks for joining the discussion, and for your well informed comments. I read an essay that you wrote on the Rondel Dagger earlier this year. It was very helpful. Dana