Posts: 828 Location: Nykøbing Falster, Denmark
Sun 27 Dec, 2015 1:48 pm
Thanks Daniel and Timo for your opinions.
Daniel - you also speculated about using the Danish-two-hander for the "murder-stroke". [That is half-swording when turning the sword around and using the pommel to attack with (the cross-guards of the Danish-two-hander doesn't seem useful as strong straight quillons would be).] We see Talhoffer depictions of that technique, so it is possible, but actually experimental tries with these kind of swords needs to be done to see if they are efficient to use that way!
The reason why I doubt it a little is that the pommel doesn't seem to be specialized (extra thickened) for that use on many Danish-two-handers -> but then any small incoming metal lump coming in a great speed and with great mass behind it will hurt, so I wouldn't rule it out!
About my "Mode 2" = Maximizing reach by having one hand behind the pommel and the other behind the cross-guard to defend in a spear-like motion against a spear-wielding attacker!
You both questioned that, since the reach of the sword would still be inferior to the spear and Timo you stated that they weren't anti-polearm-weapons, though it had features that would help them against polearms. They were likely intended primarily against shorter swords.
I would counter that you are both right, BUT defensively you could be much better off using a Danish-two-hander this way compared to how other swords would fair against a spear. Even though the spear would be longest, the "longer" you can make your weapon defensively the better, right? I wouldn't like to go up against a spear with a short sword, mace or warhammer.
So while not a dedicated anti-polearm-weapon it could be used against spear/polearms maybe more efficiently than other types of swords?
So instead of all the problems of trying swatting aside an incoming spear you mention Timo; then the Danish-two-hander wielder might try to go in more "spear style" to deliver thrusts and use the advantage of his defensive cross-guard. Whether this is done best by "mode 1" or "mode 2" probably depends on the exact handling of the sword in question.
Perhaps the half-swording "mode 1" is best as you say as it increase your speed and you deem that favourable despite the loss of reach.
About point-control: You are right about that a good sword should have the "pivot-point" at the tip for best possible point-control as the tip would stay "on point" even though you move the grip around.
Another factor should be the "
point of balance". As rapiers have balance quite back it gives them fast point-control. I really don't know where it is on the Danish-two-handers, but around the ricasso would seem like a possible guess? How do you think this will affect things for half-swording if the point of balance is placed where you hold your forward hand when half-swording??
About Mode 3: Even though the Danish-two-hander is not dedicated to this mode as other European two-handers‚ it is still a surprisingly good cutter I have heard. So while you might have a point - Timo - about mode 1+2 being the foci of this sword type it still can perform Mode 3 without great problems.
So maybe the "specialized" look of the Danish-two-hander is in fact the result of a non-specialized compromise between possible fighting styles based on being able to fight different kinds of opponents reasonably well (A swiss army knife in one so to speak)?