Blade catcher on early swords.... -- myArmoury.com

Mark Moore · Posted: Sun 15 Dec, 2013 2:09 pm Post subject: Blade catcher on early swords....

Just now, taking out my pocket knife to open a package, something occurred to me. My pocket knife has a clip on the handle for holding it on a belt or in the pants pocket. You know what I'm talking about. Wouldn't something like this, running down the blade of a sword, make a great blade catcher? Are there any historical examples of anything like this? Just a ponderance..... Big Grin

..........McM

Timo Nieminen · Posted: Sun 15 Dec, 2013 2:28 pm Post subject:

There are langets on early swords, e.g., Syrian and Egyptian swords, c. AD1000. Functionally, probably for securing the sword in the scabbard (like more modern langets) rather than sword-catching. But one could use them for sword-catching; see "Langet" on http://www.myArmoury.com/feature_glossary.html

If you catch their sword, they have caught your sword! It's not without hazard.

Mark Moore · Posted: Sun 15 Dec, 2013 3:23 pm Post subject:

Thank you, Timo.....I'm aware that it's rather a 'catch 22' question, as it were. But, did anything like this exist historically?............McM

Timo Nieminen · Posted: Sun 15 Dec, 2013 4:32 pm Post subject:

Like I said, langets, which could be used as blade-catchers, existed historically. On early swords, if early Medieval is "early" for you.

There are also various curved-towards-the-blade guards that could be usable for catching.

Mark Moore · Posted: Sun 15 Dec, 2013 5:09 pm Post subject:

I w as just wondering if anything existed historically. I'm aware of langettes on some swords.Just wondering if the 'pencil in the pocket'-type clasp would have ever been used on ancient swords. Hell....it seems like a good idea to me. Laughing Out Loud

.....McM

Radovan Geist · Posted: Sun 15 Dec, 2013 11:43 pm Post subject:

i´m not aware of such swords, but parrying daggers with similar design have been used in 16th-17th century. see for example "Some notes on parrying daggers and poniards" by Leonid Tarassuk from the NY MET. It´s accessible only on MET website, or you could just google it using the title.

Mikko Kuusirati · Posted: Mon 16 Dec, 2013 1:34 am Post subject:

Some sword scabbards and pistols had "pocket clips" on them, so you could simply thrust them under your sash or belt, or into a frog, and they'd stay put (i.e. exactly like your modern pocket knife). Many maces and axes also had similar retaining clips in lieu of scabbards, and carbines often had either a loop or a hook for hanging from your saddle.

But I'm not aware of anything like a pocket clip used as a "sword catcher" - there are lots of strongly curved guards and similar protrusions used on parrying weapons, but nothing so narrowly closed as to resemble a pocket clip, AFAIK. After all, the narrower the opening, the harder it is to actually get the opponent's blade in there...

The closest thing I can think of would be the rare recurved prong on some jitte, the Japanese Edo period police baton. Even most of these have a straight prong with a curved inner edge, and it was actually used more for catching sleeves and even nostrils (ow) rather than blades...