What is a Cutlass Sword?
A cutlass sword is a slightly curved, broad short sword. They are most well-known from the classic 19th century style used on ships. Often they feature hilts that have cupped guards, and decorative wrapped handles. They feature both a slight stabbing point and a sharpened cutting edge, and are substantial and weighty weapons. The name, cutlass sword, itself derives from the Latin cultellus, a form of culter, which was a plowshare. From Latin it came through the French and into Italian as coltellaccio, a form of the word for knife. The cutlass sword is also sometimes known as the curtal axe, curtelaxe, or curtelace. All of these terms refer to the exact same weapon, and were simply different historical words used to describe the cutlass sword.
