I'm curious what you guys have to say ....

I was talking with a collector friend toniite and , in the course of our discussion, the subject of those long hilted claymores came up
( like the piece Vince recently made me, below ).

He wrote :
"Now here is the rub... and understand that I know nothing about how one really fought with a sword handle & blade this long.

Mine, in original form, had a long exaggerated handle (like yours). Meaning the handle was long, long in relation to blade.
With the handle that long I always wanted to use it like a pike ,or musket , or bayonet, or spear, to thrust.
There was no way for me to comfortably swing the blade or "fence" with it as a sword. Banged my head, Banged my sides, had to hold the sword well out at arms length to move it from side to side. About the only thing I could do was
twirl it like a baton over my head! Does any of this make sense?

So, Mac, I write all this NOT to detract from your weapon in any way. I know that its proportions are authentically replicated. I just can not figure out how those kilted fellows fought with it. I guess if I saw a bunch of guys running at me twirling those claymores around their heads that I would back peddle pronto - even if I considered myself a better sword-fencer " !

He got me thinking .....

Yeah, how does one fight with a sword of this type, a hilt this long ? Why so long ?

What technique would be best ? (Half-swording ? ) Was it a leverage thing ?
Reach ? ( for taking out mounted troops, or castle wall defence)
Does the extra long hilt offer any real advantage, or would it be more of a hindrence, on the battlefield ?
A chieftans sword, or just one for the long of arm ? *g*

Any thoughts , Mac

[ Linked Image ]

Howdy Mac

Its all in the leverage. The distance between pommel and guard (actually where the fore hand rests) gives one great point control and excellent speed.

Some of the originals will have dramaticly swelled grips in the mid section of these long handles and one can definetly see the different biomechanical advantges to different grip configurations.

Very nice Claymore by the way :-)

Craig

Hey Mac,

Having cut with swords of different types, but with hilt longer than what one would consider the norm (a katana with a 15" tsuka, and Peter's Svante), it does take a bit of awareness of the extra length to weild it effectively. Cutting techniques change dramatically depending on the sword used, even when comparing two European swords, one single hand, one bastard sword.

I find that longer cross-guards, that aren't turned (S-curve) tend to be a bigger problem for me, than long grips. Too much background with a katana, and relatively speaking, small tsuba.

A longer hilt though, does not always mean that the sword will have a point of balance close to the guard, and be agile. Blade tapers, and how it is balanced in the overall sense place a bigger role I think.

Excellent answers guys .... thank you !

Leverage, I suspect , is where the design of this thing is at ..... gotta be !

One feature to note .... the extended length of the guards collar !

Would this have offered anything to the mix ? Would grasping part of the quillon block give you any offensive or defensive aid ? ( as in the twisting of the blade, cutting or blocking ?)
Could it help control the overall sword in any way ?

Just thinking away *g* Mac

That is an absolutely beautiful weapon!

Everything I have on fighting with something that large shows it being kept above and around the head. As soon as my server gets back up and running (hopefully tomorrow) I’ll post some pics for you if you’d like. Check out staff manuals for inspiration – no lie. A friend of mine has a massive two-hander and I’ve had ample time to practice with it and spar with the waster he made of it against longsword. The advantages with something that large are instantly noticeable. The amount of leverage that can be obtained in shorter swings and your ability to control the other person’s distance and timing is a definite plus. In addition, by gripping the ricasso, you can use most longsword techniques easily.

Evenin Mac

I have thought about this abit over the years. I think it is a design element with some structural features. The length of it helps support the tang and if the wood is inset in the top of the collar the metal would help constrain the wood if it was prone to cracking.

Craig