Short Swords
Short swords were found mostly in the middle ages and were designed for single-handed use. The short sword was primarily used for cutting through armor or shearing through mail and was used primarily between the years of 1000 to 1350. Until the 14th Century, short swords were the standard military sword for knights (also called a war sword) until the technological advent of the long sword. When the long, or bastard, swords evolved, the short sword would be kept as a back-up, often tucked away in the knight's belt.
The short sword was so much a part of the knight's character, that even when not in combat or dressed in armor, the sword was always carried on them. Because of their smaller size, they were often used with a buckler or shield and were usually very lightweight making it a very versatile weapon. Short swords (also known as arming swords) can be easily recognized by their single-handed and double-edged form with blade lengths typically ranging between 30 and 32 inches. As the years progressed, however, short swords became varied in their construction, either becoming smaller and wider focusing heavily on the point (for easy stabbing through armor), or longer and heavier, to easily inflict blunt force trauma.
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