The Craziest British Officer chose this SWORD? 

"Craziest British officer" instantly means Mad Jack Churchill.

It's not ugly, it's beautiful and I love it.

I was expecting mad Jack's basket hilt sword too

For a sec I thought you acquired Churchill’s actual sword

Ah, "Dedicated thruster," my old college nickname.

I want to hear more about these "Sword Scandals".

It's so specific....its fun to think of how much that officer probably loved showing people his sword.

If in the 1880s they debated this topic through 'letters to the editor' in newspapers, then we should carry on the tradition through RU-vid comments...

Skilled officer commissioned a tool from a skilled bladesmith, to me it seams if you want a tool to do your work you get one designed by you to do your work

We all have different aesthetic tastes. I quite like the look of that sword, and nothing Matt said in his presentation suggested what was "mad" about it. In fact, all of the very good context Matt gave made it seem all the more reasonable to commission a sword like this in the early 1900's.

When I saw the title, I immediately thought of Mad Jack Churchill.

Customized weapons will never cease to fascinate. Thanks for sharing!

Perhaps I have bad taste, but I think it looks quite nice. It has the air of something from a sci-fi or fantasy novel, without being over the top. I quite like it.

To be precise, the Colt automatic pistol was already on the market at that time. However, it was not yet as sophisticated or commercially successful as the 1911 model would become. Since watching your videos I have learned a lot of new things about edged weapons from different eras. Thanks! And keep it up Matt!

He definately chose the most suitable manufacturer. Well known in sword making Thurkles.

There were some at Sanhurst, Hanover, and such who took swords, horses and such, very seriously until the start of WW2. Some one needs to dig in their archives.

"What a great sword to be thrusted with! My honor, ugh..."

That sword is so weird that I kinda love it.

My father's (second world war, artillery) officer's sword, which hung rusting in the toolshed through most of my childhood, was something like a small sword; which is to say, wire-wrapped hilt with knucklebow; rounded pommel (I think ribbed, but wouldn't swear to that). I don't recall a finger ring or a cross guard, but the shell guard was quite small, basically two identical wings. But what I do clearly recall is that the blade was extremely narrow, three edged, and essentially a pure thrusting blade. All the hilt furniture appeared to be brass. This MAY not have been standard issue - my father was always fairly eccentric - and was, I'm sure, primarily a dress sword. But as a data point, at least one other pure thrusting sword existed in the twentieth century British army.

Another great video by count Dracula. His experience of swords gained over the centuries is remarkable.

I've *just* finished reading the entirety of your piece titled "British Infantry Officers' Swords of the 1890s and the 1895 Infantry Sword Exercise." It was a good enough read that I went, oh, I remember that name! Hopped on over to your channel and here's 25 more minutes on this specific topic that you had just helped me to learn about. Lucky day. Great stuff, cheers!

I love how Matt structured this video. It's like he is writing an essay and building a convincing argument for his ultimate point. Also, swords are just so cool.

That really is the most non regulation sword I've seen you show...very cool, I assume you are keeping it? 😂

That's such a cool weird sword and I think I'm in love.

Big props to the Neil Burridge bronze special there. I trust we all wish him well in his healing journey with cancer.

Cut vs thrust was solved by Polish Hussars by having two swords: 1 - the hussar saber ("szabla husarska"): mostly for cutting, curved, on the heavy side as sabers usually go, usually equipped with a "paluch" e.g.: a thumb ring (not sure if there are any other sabers with this element!) 2 - the "koncerz" (kind of an epee): predominantly for thrusting (depending on type, frequently ONLY for thrusting), straight and long, frequently with angled handle Both were the weapons of "last resort" used in melee and pursuit when the primary weapons (the lances and pistols) were exhausted.

Wow. Just --- wow. Thank you, Matt. Such incredible blades. Enjoy your acquisitions.

I would've at least kept more of the regulation guard either doubling the knuckle guard for strength, or keep the entire original but add the quillon block.

Also worth pointing out that there was LOTS of hand-to-hand combat in WWI, but it was done with clubs, daggers and shovels. If you try to look up things like maces, spiked clubs and flails, they are very likely to be from WW1 and not the middle ages. The reason why swords weren't popular in the trenches was because snipers figured out that people carrying swords were officers and specifically aimed for them to throw enemy units into disarray. (which was also a tactic on pirate ships and even Lord Nelson got done in that way) If it weren't for the policy of gladiuscide, trench swords probably would have come in very useful.

That’s impressive. I picture a tall guy who really wanted to get amongst the enemy.

I love that sword

Great vid as usual Matt. A very interesting sword, the maker had their work cut out grinding those hollows...... beautiful work. The dude that ordered it knew his stuff, he's looked at infantry v infantry, bayonets and swords, some cavalry and lances......and he's chosen an almost perfect weapon in my opinion. I'm willing to bet that the Japanese despatches had officers single fighting with swords against the Russian officers, whilst the men were engaged en masse. So he's picked a long duelling sword with enough mass to parry a bayonet and get through thick winter clothing. What a great find.

It's nice to see that some folks continue to favor longer blades even in the early 20th century. A 39in blade would have been rather short for a rapier in the first quarter of the 17th century. That was when Girard Thibault complained about how folks wore rapiers so long that the pommel came to the armpit of the wielder if the point was placed on the ground.

Brilliant review of a brilliant design. Never anything wrong with improved power and reach.

I find it so funny, how the Arrangements in the back make it look like the Zweihänder with the red handle has the head of a hatchet for a pommel.

It is gorgeously singular. Thanks for showing us all the details.

Thank you as always for the good information in these videos ⚔️

Great presentation. Grateful to hear the word "unique" used in its correct meaning at about the 23 minute mark. That word is often diluted in its use, even by Brits. 🙂

First thought: This is going to be about Mad Jack Churchill. Second thought: This is going to be about a sword optimised for cutting. Third thought: O' totally misleading title, this is an awesome sword and not mad at all!

Matt, if you're bored, you could press the blade into some plasticine and that'd really show the cross section. Maybe do it in 2 halves so when you put them together it would show up really well.

Best ever sword? Anduril, flame of the west. Next question.

And the Craziest Matt Easton look in the preview... ⚔

Hope you keep this one!

What a cool sword! I'd have wanted one much like that myself if I were a 1900s British officer.

I love that advanced rapier-style sword.

Very fascinating and thank you for sharing

That thing is awesome! Totally something I would have done. This guy rocks.

I totally approve of this sword! I actually tried to put together swords with a thrusting blade, a ricasso, a pommel, and a sabre guard over the years, for fencing. I just would keep the blade to 36" to make it faster to draw.

I think its very cool, beautiful even. The hand protection is such a great design.

Now I can't help but wonder if perhaps there was a similarly cut-obsessed officer around who contrived to have a falchion blade mounted to a regulation hilt.

What a stunning blade matt

Absolutely fascinating!

“Giving point”

Wow, it's a 20th century tuck or estoc! Just what you'd want if somebody charged you on horseback -- apply fencing tactics, sidestep the attack and strike at the horse's heart en passant. With a blade that sturdy it just might work against a jeep, too . . . (Well, no, of course not, but I'd accept it in the spirit intended if I saw it in a movie, it's too much fun not to.)

What a beautiful sword!

That's such a cool sword. Weird, but cool.

It’s not ugly it’s beautiful

You know in games where you have customization options and spend hours looking at stats and designs. Making something that so out of place but so good at that one thing. This is kinda like that.

You say ''ugly'' matt but I like it! That man had the exact same taste as myself with a stiff blade that has ricasso & a minimal practical hilt as anything more then a knuckle bow is usually over the top.. Even that mid rib is exactly the same as I would desire. This officer is very much my mood kindred!

That is one of the most interesting swords I have ever seen!

On D day, mad Jack Churchill also used a long bow and arrows with good effect. It surprised the Germans that some of their colleagues had arrows in them or had been “run though” by a swordsman!

I absolutely love it! ❤. I could totally see this as a prototype for something that would be adopted. Also this unique stuff is what inspires me for fantasy writing, world building

Love it! That blade geometry is just... 😘👌chef's kiss

Outstanding!

Like taking a custom competition pistol to war.

Is it possible that those quillons were originally longer, and he had to cut them off afterwards to meet the regulations?

Trivia: The way the Romans themselves descripted the original Iberian gladius _("gladius hispaniensis")_ AND the Iberian falcata (they wrote quite graphic descriptions about the capability of either weapon to chop a limb or gut a belly), one is a cut-and-thrust which is quite good at cutting and excels at thrusting, and the other is a cut-and-thrust which is quite good at thrusting and excels at cutting. Not bad, those Iberians. It wasn't until aound a century later later in Roman history when they (who heavily favored the thrust), without totally abandoned the leaf-shaped gladius, also developed a similar weapon with straight edges (nowadays known as "Pompeii gladius"), which was a dedicted thrusting weapon with a decidedly secondary cutting capability. The Romans called both weapons just _"gladius"._Thus the confusion among modern reenactors.

The moment you said "godawful ugly sword", I immediately guessed you were going to bring out a spadroon. But this is somehow worse.

Please show the Wilkinson sword you talked about!

What a beautiful blade on that "service rapier." I would love to have been able to chat with the guy who commissioned that sword and find out the reasoning behind the design...

It's beautiful ❤, if only it could have had much longer rapier like quillons.

I actually rather like that hilt design. The only thing I'd do different is have the back quillon be longer and curve towards the blade. Just for aesthetic purposes, though (with saber-type hilts I always find myself wanting something sticking out on the opposite side of the knuckle guard) and I assume it's so short to keep with the regulation profile in this case.

Fantastic work, that is my kind of sword!💯👍

I'd love to have a replica of that, that's such a weird and cool type of sword - a British infantry rapier

thats so sick i want one

Fascinating!

this is not ugly .. this is super fancy .. at least for me

Is it ol' Jack? Yep.

Hi Matt, I really like your channel and I was wondering if you could make a video about Hoplites, their weapons and tactics? I know this may not be your area of interest, but I would love to see such episode. Thanks and keep up the good work!

Matt barely holding it together while saying ‘Ultimate Thruster’ 😂

I would say a lot of officers viewed melee combat as a tragic necessity. This guy had every intention of getting in a swordfight, and walking out intact.

I love the way it looks. I don't understand at all how you can say it is an ugly monstrosity. Also thanks for the overview of all of those swords. Really cool. :)

That’s a very cool blade. The hilt is not ugly, it’s fascinating.

I love everything about that. Id love a replica!

The best historical pieces are the hideous one-off weird ones. Excellent find.

Ugly? That ain't ugly. Weird as hell, but not ugly.

Life is always about context, timing and compromise. Also swords.

39-inch blade? Pacheco approved!

nIce bronze leaf-blade! Love it!

I'm amazed his superiors allowed him to use that. Or maybe they didn't - which would account for it's condition.

Heh, when you said people may think of earlier dedicated thrusting swords I instantly thought “estoc.” But you had to pick a sword with an actual blade, rather than a sharpened piece of rebar with a grip, didn’t you? :) P.S. for those not familiar with the estoc, it has no blade at all, only the point is sharpened, and the “blade” comes in many shapes including triangles, squares, rectangles, as well as unsharpened diamonds. It’s made exclusively as an anti-armor weapon which can trivially piece mail and is easy to half-sword because it has no edge and so allows one to simply charge and grapple even a knight in armor, then use your two handed rondel dagger replacement to wedge between the plates of your now downed opponent. It’s basically a pointed pry bar to attack armor with, and is comedically good against someone not prepared for it.

I'm . . . actually rather on-board with this idea. Being a fan of the Renaissance "sidesword" family, and the owner of a thrust-oriented model (one of Arms & Armor's "Venetian Rapiers," from back in 1999), I've long wondered if such a weapon could have been pressed into service for Georgian and Victorian purposes as a thrust-heavy cavalry weapon. It seems that our eccentric officer engineered almost exactly that!

Thank you for the comparison with the 1897 I have a better understanding of the provenance of the blade I inherited from my grandfather in KAR 🙏

"I love the scoop grind. It's so hollow." - Some kinda Wizard.

The best way to describe those rapier-esque primary thrust swords would be "Thrust and Slash" they can slash but I would be hesitant to say they can "cut" something like a falchion etc.

This is the sword equivalent of kitbashing

Ok that's actually really cool.

Watched this entire video waiting for you to say it was Mad Jack's.

Sword Scandal video when?

‘Not so long ago’. This was during the period of my grandfather’s army service.