[Nathan Cole]

I am wondering If there are any extant examples of medieval practice swords. Today's makers of practice swords mostly focus on making safe weapons that function as like to the real ones as possible. This is a good idea for practitioners wanting to learn how real swords handled in combat situations but is it the way our ancestors would have practiced. Would they bother to spend time making high quality wasters? A heavy not especially well balanced sword might be good for hacking at pells and building up strength and stamina. Does anyone know of historic examples of practice swords? Are there groups out there trying to re-create historically accurate martial practice skills ?
Feel free to ignore my slightly educated musings.

Nathan Cole

[Craig Johnson]

Hello Nathan

Their are quite a few examples of practice swords from different periods and cultures. Literally from the romans to modern day fencing. The medieval period had such examples as the dussak and the "fechtschule", for no better term, swords. The later depicted in Meyer and Dürers illustrations.

Now there are not a huge sample of these to depict what the average item was like but there are some and deductions can be made from the illustrations and common sense.

Best
Craig

[Stephen A. Fisher]

Nathan,

Here is an article by John Clements that you might find interesting.

http://www.thehaca.com/essays/wasters.htm