Hollow pommels on swords 

The hollow pommel is for trapping the souls of your enemies. The souls are useful for leveling, purchasing items, or reinforcing your gear.

I do like a bigger knob at the end of my handle to stop my hand sliping off.

Hollow pommel=hollow point bullet

2 minutes in and there are already two more uses for a pommel than there are for politicians.

Hollow pommels are simply ones that can be filled with explosive to not only insta kill an opponent upon unscrewing and throwing but then to shred the body to bits to add the ultimate insult to the ultimate 'Right Ending'... was done centuries before John Rambo.

Not to mention that if a sword turns out too front heavy it's a super easy fix to add a metal ring to the handle, if a pommel turns out too heavy it would be a far bigger task to slim it down. After all, swords were often made to order and this would make it easy for even less experienced blacksmiths to balance it as the wielder wants.

A hollow pommel, or as you said end cap, may also serve as a ferrule, to keep the grip together, just as the ferrule just under the guard. On cheap weapons/tools, you're not likely to put extreme care in wood selection, and the grip could be made of wood either unsufficiently dried, or dried too fast (which tends to increase cracking). The manufacturing method could also rely on forcing the tang into the grip at some point, rather than carefully carving it to fit the tang. Putting ferrules on the grip is a good way to make sure the sword stays together and functionnal even if the handle happens to crack.

can you end them rightly with hollow pommels? I'd imagine it would be a hollow victory at best.

Irish ring swords were a species of hollow wheel pommel swords, but without the braized outer surface, just a nice thick ring with the tang poking through. Really simple but cool looking

While sometimes daos were often crude weapons that were churned out a lot, it really depends on the time period for the most part, and the typology of the dao itself. Liuyedao for example were often very high quality, and beautifully decorated with gilt, and engraved guards and pommels, even as a regimental sword, whether it be cavalry or infantry. It's only in later periods like the Boxer rebellion, and Opium Wars, where daos were predominantly levy weapons.

I really like that you appear to genuinely know the difference between inertia and momentum.

Love that backsword. Looks like that massive pommel would almost lock your hand into the basket.

The hollow pummel works similarly to a hollow point bullet, it explodes and breaks up within the body when penetration (a good thrust) is achieved

Always great insights. Cool to see a Dao, I've always wanted to see an oldler example; it does look like a mass produced item. I once had an amazing opportunity to hold a, I hesitate to call it a broadsword, carried by the Knights of Malta that a friend of my father had acquired. The fella collected and sold antique weapons as well. It was erie to to hold and quite heavy, but what fascinated me about it was that the blade, crossguard, hilt and pommel had been welded together and seemed to be one piece. He claimed it was of demascus steel. the base of the blade, if memory serves correct, was maybe the width of a flat palm and perhaps 18-24inches in length. It was like 15yrs ago so I'm reverse engineering my memory of holding the weapon based on my body proportions. Have you come across any examples like this in your trade? It had obviously seen combat, and had a "presence" that you could feel when you held it; if that makes any sense..

You are quite right on the names of Chinese Dao! But besides those military issued one, there're many other different ones. There's even double handed single edged swords with swept helt guards with ring pommels.

I design swords in 3d cad and use Vincent Le Chevalier's formulas for weight distribution. Counter intuitively I often find hollow pommels useful even when the COG is quite forward. The COG stays forward but the dynamic point mass moves closer to the hilt which Mr. Chevalier has theorized is what makes a sword feel well balanced. Hollowness allows you to use a pommel that still looks right and helps stop the sword from slipping forward in your grip.

One thing you can do with a hollow pommel is melt lead in there, to fine-tune the balance. Something that is otherwise done by stock removal (Shaving off the sides of a coin shaped one by example.) In addition to all you've already said on the subject.

how to get you drugs over the border in Medieval Europe!

this video is 23 minutes old and there are already 50%+ end them rightly comments

I have understood that the pommels on so called viking swords were also most often hollow to give more heft for blade when hitting and the shape of pommel was there mostly to protect knuckles when bracing shield as well as to stop hand from sliding.

finally someone made a video about it with original swords!

But they are not so good for throwing

I have a Prussian long sword with a solid pommel. A bit unwieldy however if grasped by the blade the cross guards would make for some serious armour penetrating. Also it is quite well balanced this way, more so then many other swords of it's kind. I suspect it is designed to be used conventionally against unskilled opponents and reverse against armoured foes with skill.

Insert "throwing pommel to end him rightly" joke here

Just to stop your hand slipping off the end. like a nob end. I like it

These intros are really funny to me for some reason :D

I've never had a problem with my hand slipping off my pommel... I find that if you wield your sword in the correct fashion; controlled and without excessive vim and vigour, the need for a large, hollow pommel is substantial reduced...

I have been trying to tell people 8 inches is waaay out there! Glad Matt agrees.

If the problem was making pommels that stopped your hand so you didn't lose grip of the blade, why not make a disk pommel solid/partially hollow? (Like the Talwar on the wall on the vid) +, you could actually join the hand guard and the disk in the first blade example to actually give full protection and not lose your hand in a messy fight

Hey Matt, can you make a nother Video about the 100Years war? If you imagine a strategy game based in that period, what soldiers would be available, what arms and armor? And I still not understand how these soldiers where raised. How can a lord improve his soldiers? I would be very interested in that.

technically dao refers to any blade that is ether single edged or curved straight double edged blades were called jian regardless of length. the dadao is a very specific type of dao which is a bit like the older forms of falchion the, dao featured in this video is a yanling dao or goose quill dao. also worth noting that the dao has about the same social status in China as the sabre in England, while many were made cheaply to be handed out to common soldiers there were many high quality examples made for officers and even some extremely ornate examples made for the wing emperor

Other note about the Dao....they were intended to be churned out for HUGE field armies and were industrially manufactured at that scale for millenia. Good swords were saved for officers. Everyone else got a glorified machete if they got more than "just" a spear.

What about hollow gripes and/or handles? Were those found on historical swords, knives, and etc? Or is it more of a modern invention (like compass-pommeled knives and etc)? I would think they are not very historical, but one should never underestimate human creativity.

Such a nice hilt! We need a video on that sword :D Also 3:26 ...you just did xD

"hoolo pommels" should be a greeting.

“I’m not gonna mention butts or penetration” pulls out a phallic-looking object.

*grabs popcorn* please say end him rightly, please say end him rightly...

I don't know about this... if it has practically no mass it doesn't look like it'd be very effective when unscrewing it to end the opponent rightly.

Great video. I have to be honest, I had no idea hollow pommels were that prevalent. Makes sense though. Btw, a 刀 is generally single edged and curved, but generally not a "messer" IMO given the hilt assembly. It'd be more a falchion. And the d in dao is pronounced somewhere between a d and a t, but these are minor differences of opinion. The double edged, generally straight ones we'd call 劍。Keep up the good work!

As far as Dao swords go, not all of them are low quality mass produced pieces intended for unskilled militias. Qing dynasty military personnel did carry high quality dao of laminated/folded steel. You can check out fine examples for sale on the Mandarin Mansion website run by Peter Drekker.

I think that the badly missed point here are ring pommels used for centuries in Asia and in late antiquity in Europe

How do you manage to keep all the swords you own clean and rust free? There's tons of them!

But just to be clear, hollow pommels can still be "counterweights"* *They are more of fine-tuners of the mass distribution.

Would a hollow pommel lessen overpenetration for when you're trying to end your enemies not too rightly?

Another point: If you drop your sword into a pond/ river/ latrine, no need to dive for it, the hollow pommel will make it bop right back up. Hooray for hollow pommels.

Nice shirt

What is that guard made of? If it's steel it may have an impact on balance.

Holo pommels are my favorite pommels.

*scrolls down to see the pommel jokes

Er, was that hilted sidesword an antique? A renaissance antique? A real old antique? Hmmm too clean, replica?

hollow pommels are obviously a way to make pommel throws less lethal making it lighter upon impact!

I seem to recall hearing somewhere, possibly even on one of your previous videos, that hollow pommels are sometimes filled with resin or pitch?

Matt, where did you get that backsword? It looks absolutely great.

hollow pommels expand on impact

how hard must it have been to hand forge hollow pommels...

Hollow point pommels spread more on impact leaving a larger wound through the body. On a serious note though that's a really nice looking backsword. Maker?

Hey Matt, question. In your reading have you found mentions of Japanese swordsman utilizing parrys or guards by western sources?

"I'm not making any jokes about butts or penetration"

Proven throughout history

Hi, Iil be visiting Rome and Venice in a month or so, I was wondering if there are any sword shops there that sell high quality medieval swords? Thanks in advance.

Yes DaDao 大刀 Means big knife (see how "刀" looks like a picture of a cleaver?) CaiDao 菜刀 (pronounced tsai dao) literally translates to vegetable knife, but more accurately translates to kitchen knife). MaDao 马刀 means horse knife (sabre or cavalry sword 😊). Now for the part that blew my mind: (I'm no expert) but the 大刀's I've seen have had a ring pommel: this is the first 大刀 without a ring pommel I've seen. Now I've read that the ring pommels were used for transporting the 大刀 on poles for larger numbers of infantry so I assumed that the ring pommel was a compromise. But this indicates to me that they actually preferred the center of balance much further forward, so the ring pommel wasn't a compromise at all! I love learning! Also, the crappy mass produced ones all had ring pommels, so (though I'm sure it is not what you would call quality) this is not the regular run of the mill. I'd love to know more about this particular example.

why not use a light wood and wrap it in steel, it would add some strength and not add a lot of weight. certainly not enough to matter with a smidge more material left on the blade.

your meant to fill it with explosives, so you can end multiple foes rightly simultaneously from beyond striking distance.

Have you done any more research into the "Henry V sword?" Was the original owner Sir Humphrey Bourchier as I and several others wrote in the comment section on that video?

"I'm not going to mention butts or penetration." 😂

Will you talk more about the dao in the future?

Just like to point out that a dadao, a big knife, refers to a really big knife, either the two handed choppers of the Second World War, or the glaive/bardiche like polearms of the late Qing and Republican era, popularized by the famous Guan Yu.

I'm brazillian and I have no idea what a "Brazil Mart" is, could you please describe it?

Would you say in general, the bigger the shaft, the bigger the pommel?

One question I have, is if you had an antique sword (I do not), how could you tell if the pommel was hollow or not?

Matt Easton and Deathly Hollows)

Hey, in relation to one of the top comments. I was wondering if you ever played dark souls and if yes what you taught about it. Cheers mate!

If you throw a hollow pommel, you create a black hole... Trust me... I did the math, all the calculations!!! :O

notification squad! Great content!

honestly, I'm really that interested in swords and hand weapons. but I sure am interested in sexual innuendo and butt humour

if the pommel is hollow, and just welded on where is the sword peened?

Could a hollow pommel be thrown at the enemy to end him rightly?

Hooollooowww hooooollooooowww dont let me go HOOOOLLOOOOWWWW

where's Tobias Capwell gone, have you got him in your basement?

Matt, what would you say about using that Dao for about 8 inches of penetration?

As it's hollow due to weight concerns, does that mean you'd end your enemy lightly?

Matt I cannot be the only one wanting to see you with sabre against the bloke from the, really excellent, English Martial Arts channel with backsword, Perhaps with your lovely wife as referee, in a best of three HEMA duel. Not saying a word about that Chinese hilt and woman...

That pommel cannot end anyone properly

Striking with a hollow pommel?

I get a very naval vibe from that Chinese dao

Hey Matt, are you gonna keep that sword or you bought it for sell?

Pollow Hommels

Does the hollow pommel also allow one to end an opponent rightly?

3:27: "And I'm not going to mention butts or penetration." :(

Pommels are not hollow. They need to be heavy so that you can effectively end your opponent rightly.

here come the pummel jokes

You know, the pommel is kind of the butt of the sword...

The Hollow Pommel. The little Pommel that couldnt................... End him rightly.

who else read the tittle as how to throw pommels?

Not going to mention buts or penetration, you just can't help yourself can you Mat.

How do you know it is hollow?

What is that sword ? It looks so sexy :P.

Butt, before i wrap it up.

Alright Fifn, gif tf out of matt saying butts and penetration and upload stat!

I wonder how he knows what 8 inches looks like ;)