Sword briquet

M ELEY · 13th January 2021, 09:12 PM

Very nice briquet. As discussed before with these types, many were infantry swords, but some definitely were for sea service. It is an interesting side note that many boarding cutlasses did NOT have a sharpened blade except at the extreme tip. The reason for this is that in the close quarters of a ship, a favorite tactic was to strike for an opponent's head with the 'dull' end, knocking them senseless, splitting their scalp open and taking the fight out of them. This was such a common tactic that the Americans came up with a leather padded boarding helmet to cushion the noggin. Maritime reports of battle injuries from tactics such as this show many head injuries, concussions, fractured skulls, etc. A full slash on a crowded deck was often impossible, but an overhead bashing was more practical. Does your sword have any stamps on it, perhaps of a tiny anchor?

13th January 2021, 09:12 PM	#4
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,141	Very nice briquet. As discussed before with these types, many were infantry swords, but some definitely were for sea service. It is an interesting side note that many boarding cutlasses did NOT have a sharpened blade except at the extreme tip. The reason for this is that in the close quarters of a ship, a favorite tactic was to strike for an opponent's head with the 'dull' end, knocking them senseless, splitting their scalp open and taking the fight out of them. This was such a common tactic that the Americans came up with a leather padded boarding helmet to cushion the noggin. Maritime reports of battle injuries from tactics such as this show many head injuries, concussions, fractured skulls, etc. A full slash on a crowded deck was often impossible, but an overhead bashing was more practical. Does your sword have any stamps on it, perhaps of a tiny anchor?