What are single-handed sword, longsword, sidesword, rapier, and smallsword?
Single-handed sword: A weapon with a simple cross hilt, consisting of a cross-guard, grip, and large pommel, with a straight double-edged blade. Its blade has many forms, but is generally wide, tapering to a sharp point. It is a cut-and-thrust weapon. Longsword: Also know as a hand-and-a-half sword or bastard sword. From The Complete Encyclopedia Of Arms & Weapons edited by Leonid Tarassuk and Claude Blair. “Bastard sword: A term used in the 15th and 16th centuries for a large sword with a broad double-edged blade and a long grip, which, when necessary, could accommodate both hands to wield it.” Sidesword (Italian; spada da lato) This is a civilian cut-and-thrust sword, primarily used in the 16th century. It is derived form the earlier medieval weapon, and is the precursor of the rapier. The sidesword is depicted in the works of Achille Marozzo, Camillo Aggrippa and Angelo Viggiani.
