I agree with your opinion that this was (is) a sword of war, meant for the battlefield and meant to oppose armored opponents; the stiffened pointled me to that conclussion at the outset. The functional brutality of this beast does not diminish it's innate beauty, this sword belonged to a knight, replacing both mace and axe.
That type looks as if it would do much better against mail than a regular sword, not just for thrusting but for striking blows with the inner point. I think a much underrated design.
This is weapon of war and, in my humble opinion, a business card at the same time. It is functional and decorated. Functional, so anybody who knows anything about war can easily spot that. Decorative, so one can walk with it straight into duke's or king's audience chamber. And a business card because it screams "my wielder lives by war and war made him wealthy enough to have that kind of weapon created for him"
Nope. This is replica made in 20th century. Someone made several and sold them for pretty sum to collectors in pre-Internet era- second one surfaced in 2022 on auction and was unsold (asking price was 30 000 pounds) In real life this was civilian weapon, light (less than kilo in weight), short (85 cm) to comply with city regulations and agile. Armour piercing ability is a nice bonus. It works well without additional weight and reinforcements.
10 месяцев назад
You make your statements here with so much confidence, as if you could actually say how it is. Whatever auctions you are talking about here, it has nothing to do with this blade. It was sold 10 years ago. Also, the use is still controversial, but again, there is a 100% like-it-is statement from you. Honestly, you can believe what you want, I really don't care, perfectly ok. But if you spread statements that you don't know about, that's not cool.
Getting it appraised & dated would be very interesting. Regardless of how old it is, it is certainly functional and very well made. Commissioning a high quality replica would allow you to explore it further. Thankyou for showing it!
What I love about it is that the spike directly transitions out off the spine whereas clip points are typically much thinner and have no support from the spine and thus break easily. Plus, the blade looks like something that will disarm no matter if the opponent wears gambesson or mail... Yes, in case of the latter it's no longer literal, but the weapon will fall out of his broken hand regardless...
I have always believed as you say in this video. From the first time that I saw these weapons depicted in art. It looks like a weapon designed for War. Its easy for us to look at things from our perspective now, do some quick searches on the web, and generate an endless supply of strong opinions. For myself, if one can hold a thing in the hand, feel the balance, examine the marks of time and usage. There is no substitute, other than to gather the opinions of others that have done so. Thank you for your thoughtful insights. I spend most of my time in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and we are missing our snow this year. We have just a bit of powder. I'm jealous.
9 месяцев назад
Thx mate for your thoughts about it... i hope you will get a blizzard next year to compensate the lack of snow this year :D
This was such a neat video. I love these "historic weapons" videos as it gives me new and interesting things to DnD games and drop fun tidbits of info.
It's very difficult to be sure because there is such a small number of originals, but I think it is probably an aged reproduction. When you compare it to originals in the Invalides (Paris) and the Delft Museum, it looks like extremely heavy (like 50% heavier, which is a lot) and it has a fuller on both sides of the blades - the original have only one on one side, the second side is totally flat. It looks like a weapon inspired by the Paris one, but with a steel pommel and significantly bigger and heavier. That said it looks absolutely gorgeous.
10 месяцев назад
We will probably never now if its original or not. If there is a lack of provenance in science, or if it is not a direct ground finding, it is simply labeled as false. In this case, the traceability may have been lost during the world wars. As far as I know, the falchions in Paris and Delft weigh around 900 and 1250g. So this falchion here is not much heavier, considering that it is much larger. Nevertheless, I agree with you. It would be one of the heavier ones in terms of construction and dimensions. But falchions have such a wide range of dimensions and weights and we have so few real examples. Personally, I would suspect trends, but not draw any conclusions yet. Thank you for your thoughts, I find this topic incredibly exciting :)
@ You're right. Those "inverted" falchions are probably the most badass looking swords of the late 13th-beginning 14th century. I always imagine them use in some castle sieges, due to their shorter dimensions they must have been quite useful. In my opinion it was an adaptation of the "machet-bladed" falchions to make them compatible against mailed and helmeted knights. The half-swording must have been quite efficient with those!
The problem is that this piece was acquired from an allegedly known peddler of fakes. Finding one in this condition is akin to a philatelist finding a second Bordeaux letter, and similarly unlikely. There should be utmost scrutiny before accepting it as an extant examples of one of the rarest known sword types.
I absolutely love the construction of these weapons. The 2 handed variants are also remarkable. Please post another video if you get a reconstruction of this weapons so that we can see how it does in the duel and maybe even some damage testing on cut targets.
I've seen this blade profile on many different history websites but I think this is the first time I've seen this in a RU-vid video. Thank you for this!
My assumption with this style of blade is that rather than being a specialised anti-armour weapon it is more of a dual-purpose weapon. To my knowlege most falchions with a more traditional blade shape were thin and broad-bladed for the purpose of being effective against unarmoured or lightly armoured opponents. The inclusion of a reinforced thrusting point would give the wielder more options when facing an opponent with more armour which would be especially useful in a battlefield setting where you would expect to encounter many opponents with varying amounts and qualities of armour.
Beautiful sword. One thing I noticed about the tip is it's similarity to a pompi gladius being specifically thicker for opposing and defeating armor. Really cool sword.
This is fascinating! It’s a shame there’s no surviving fighting manuals that talk about this type of sword. Who knows, maybe there’s one sitting on a shelf in a monastery somewhere waiting to be found
Choppy, pointy-stabby and bashy in form of a single sword? I think you should get one to play around with :D Also I notice just now it really reminds me of Scar's Sword from Gothic 1 and that was my favorurite weapon for one-handed combat...
So a few quick points 1) that's not bass, the lack of patina suggest it's gold 2) if real, the time frame would mean this of Germanic origins. Your ancestors were the only ones who really tried out a wide variety of weapons designs that look straight out a fantasy novel. 3) the blade design is similar to a halberd and seem to function in a similar manner My guess is some rich Landknecht wanted a shorter halberd for when things got close up and request this design.
The LUCK AND TRUST you have lol. "The blade designs of falchions varied widely across the continent and over time. They almost always included a single edge with a slight curve on the blade towards the point on the end and most were also affixed with a quilloned crossguard for the hilt in the manner of the contemporary arming swords. Unlike the double-edged swords of Europe, few actual swords of this type have survived to the present day; fewer than a dozen specimens are currently known.[1]" Wiki says less than a dozen of these survived in the world today. And you got to review one in excellent shape. And you did it justice!
I believe that sword is real and that it has pierced the chain mail of knights. It is an amazing design and i want one! Also, i am disappointed that it took youtube so long to suggest your videos to me. This is your first video i have watched, and am very pleased!
9 месяцев назад
screw the algorithem...now we are connected :) enjoy and thx for the kind words!
Wonderful piece, I've often wondered if it was only in my imagination, or if it was real. Not a lot of sword culture where I am but I've always liked them. Considered a similar, more exaggerated blade for a D&D character in my youth. Looking at this one I see hints of a pollaxe that's easier to carry. Definitely an armor fighting sword. A little guy like you or I could add 15cm or so to the blade, 3 or 4 of that in the thick tip, taper the tip a little more and possibly be able to pierce thinner pieces of plate when halfswording. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
I don't even want to imagine how deep such blade can go on the common soldier back then who would be lucky to have a gambeson, but the pointy edge was interesting. Just made to stab, not even sharp. Thanks a lot man, there is just so much we still don't know of these times and it's good to see someone sharing something.
In England during a Peasant uprising Watt Tyler and his leading men agreed to meet the king outside of London ... If i remember correct this was a ploy to capture Watt Tyler and his fellow leaders of the Peasants revolt. It ended badly for Tylers group ... the mayor of the City of London decapitated One of Tylers group with his Falchon 😬 They were developed as hunting weapons for despatching and butchering large game as well as cutting wood like a Machete today but also proved a very effective peacetime weapons for dealing with brawling mobs in close quarters fighting.
@@thiagorodrigues5211 Ive seen many different types of Falchion they seem to have evolved with their owners desired use. Last collection i was looking at was on the walls of Warwick castle .. but that was some time ago. You can easily imagine a single edged weapon being adapted to Combat rather than a hunting tool/weapon. Especially if you new you were likely having to deal with opponents wearing elements of mail or plate protection for a yeoman bowman it would be a good side arm and the ability to cut both ways would give you an advantage as well as helping penetrate on a thrust into a unprotected gap or as you pointed out to split a weaker mail link. 🤔
Very nice blade. Perhaps forging one would be ideal as well. I like your sword collection as well. I really like the Grosse messer out of all the messer types. Thanks for sharing 😁👍
Very interesting! It would be intriguing to find out it's history. I especially appreciate the insights on how such a blade would have been used. I enjoyed this and look forward to more such videos! Thank you.
Seems to have a very stiff trusting point with an additional cleaver blade, the best of two worlds but possibly with additional weight. It is the reversed falchion not only in shape but actually in its properties.
I wander if it was a sort of evolution for the maxhiajowski (I know that's spelled wrong) falchion. Looks like a combination chopper against lighter armor, and piercer for heavier stuff. Neat design either way!
What many people miss is that the blade may look hefty but is very thin and sharp while the spine has to be thick to give rigidity to the point. Don't think of it as an axe or a chopper that can stab but rather of an estoc that can slice.
Definitely feels like it was made for armor with the blunt-force outside, and it looks to me as if it would even penetrate thinner, unhardened steel plate with the point. I wonder if that was the armor that at least a good proportion of the men-at-arms would wear.
First time seeing a video of yours. I think this sword, as a weapon, shows a kind of brutality comparable to the Song Zhan Ma Dao. It is not fancy, and any aesthetic elegance the blade might have is a subproduct of the engineering elegance of it's design, speaking of which it looks like an attempt of combining a halberd and a faussal/beidana
Very good design. To add to what you said about the back edge being good for hitting things like helms you also have the option to save your sharp edge when in contact with another blade by weilding it that way as that point would still do damage when swung into a target. The sharp edge could be flipped around to deliver the killing blow.
I completely agree, this sword was made for war , I can appreciate how you noticed design details such as the way the spike point takes on a thicker diamond shaped cross section similar to the last six inches of an indo Persian dagger well known for being used to pick through the chain mael . The edge to the inside of the blades curve having the enhanced cutting effect of a kukri or a falcata and leading the edge a shart corner similar to the yokote of a Japanese blade . I am left with the inescapable conclusion that the men well versed in the use of this sword....were playing for keeps
That armor spiker at the tip of the blade with the extra heavy chop would be amazing with a shield or parry weapon like a warfork so you can use your heavy chops well. Or is it too heavy for 1 hand?
Krieger weapons sells a reproduction (blunt or sharpened) of this kind of falchion. It's around 700 euros with scabbard + shipping from Poland. From what I remember, weight and length are quite similar. Maybe just the point is a little shorter. Let us know if you find any other shop who sells this kind of fanchion.
10 месяцев назад
cool, thx for the hint...i was not aware that Krieger sells from Poland, thought it is a US Seller. Great news...
I would be very interested in seeing test cutting with such a blade. Falchions always struck me as being somewhat of a Swiss Army knife. A broad, single edge blade like that one gives one the ability to put an extremely fine cutting edge on it. This would be great if you were hewing down unarmored peasants but rather useless against armor. At the same time the weight in the blade (using the blunt spine to strike a helmet as you mentioned) and the point which is clearly reinforced for fighting against maile would indicate a completely different purpose. I wonder if these types of falchions were perhaps an attempt at making a single weapon that could fight against both armored an unarmored opponents with equal proficiency. This would give a man the ability to fight in any situation without having to switch to (or even carry) a different weapon.
10 месяцев назад
I guess its very effective against both...mh the more i think about it the more a second falchion vid could make sense^^
As a complete layman, it is without a doubt quite intimidating. Perhaps I romanticize swords too much for their elegance and I imagine, the code of honour, of those who wore them. When I look at this sword, the prevailing feeling is definitely one of fear. Certainly adoration as well, for it's apparent exceptional quality and frightening beauty. I try to imagine what it must have been like to have an Olympic athlete, who was trained in the arts of war his whole life, wield this against me with the specific purpose to overcome any, or most, advantages my armor would have provided me. The intention of this sword is almost overwhelming and I imagine it gave the wielder a significant advantage in battle. Not only only due to it's rarity, but the simple fact that even one who has never held a sword can see that this was made to overcome any who stood against it. The fact that it has survived for so long also gives you that impression that the custodians of this sword saw something in it as well. In any case, thank you very much for sharing it with us! I've just found your channel and I very much look forward to seeing more. Ps. Many years ago, I once saw a German executioner's sword with an engraving on both sides: ''Die herren steuern dem unheil ich exequiere ihr endts urteil. Wan ich das schwert thue aufheben wünsch ich dem sünder das ewig leben.'' I always liked that last part. Much love!
10 месяцев назад
thx for your comment... do you have a link to the executioner sword?
genial Björn! selbst wenn es kein Original aus dem mittelalter ist, ist es trotzdem eine beachtliche Arbeit! ich selbst habe nur mit meinem Krieger historical Falchion Erfahrung.. die umgekehrte Schneide ist etwas sagen wir es mal so : interessant 😅 ich selbst ertappe mich ab und zu dabei wie ich die Waffe einfach umdrehe und dann wieder verkehrt rum halte😅... mich würde mal wirklich interessieren aus welchem Grund damals klingen dieser Art entwickelt worden sind...lg und frohes Julfest aus Solingen!
Sehr beeindruckend! Du scheinst echt gute Beziehungen zum 🎅 zu haben, um so ein Original in die Hand zu bekommen! Ich bin sehr gespannt darauf, wie sich eine Reproduktion im Einsatz verhalten würde
10 месяцев назад
Dito...mh, eigentlich braucht man ja 2 dann. Oder Helme zum draufhauen^^
Such a blade could only be re-made in modern, practical terms by forging. CNC stock removal would not work with that thick tip. Maybe a combination, but needless to say, I don't think we'll be seeing any high quality reproductions of such a blade and tip at a reasonable price for a while. Maybe Tod from Tod's workshop. Seems like something he could figure out how to make affordable.
Would use against armor be more specific to this specific variation of falchion? Most of my fencing buddies and some other sources online usually point out that many falchions are too thin and fine edged to stand up to repeated cuts against armor, even mail. But obviously the tip was meant to go through armor rings and gaps.
10 месяцев назад
Good question, i thought the same. But yes, the point is good for that and in addition you could use the blunt side as well like i pointed out in the vid :)
It is a lovely piece to be sure. The only concern I have with it is that example has fullers on both sides. Where the most famous museum example only has it on one side, and if someone was to recreate such a falchion without knowing this they would put it on both. That out of the way it is under appreciated in some areas and over appreciated in others. And I look forward to see more videos on the topic :)
I don’t believe it is across the board with others. It is quite possible that the example you have is pushing the later time period for these and so would have both fullers like what we consider normal. I do find it funny that everyone calls these reverse edge, when technically they came first :)
10 месяцев назад
@@brothersliutgeryitzchakjea7889 haha thats true...lets call all "normal" curved ones "reversed" from now on...would be funny :P
I have a defy for you. Fighting with a weapon that is a billhook on below.then the long handle till chest or shoulder, followed by a wusu lance red hairs. After that, comes an axe head, part axe at front, part hammer behind(with spikes and a central big warhammer/crowbleak spike, surrounded by lesser spikes. At top of the haft, cones a lance head. Edge has 3parts first as flamberge, secibd at saw,third as normal. Flat walls of axe and hammer part are full of sone long spikes ,and edges in "sharkback"stile. And cilinder that joins axe and hammer is full of a libe of some long spikes (for tearing horses as they cross by your side) Borders/corners of hammer part has horizontal flat saw going out from it . Abd in spaces between edges on last part of walls of hammer ,goes a L shaped 2or3 spikes pointing large to out of the hammer hitting side Spear/lance top haft head is 4sides crossed. has edge in saw shape at first, in flamberge shape at second, in sharck back like at third, and normal at fourth. Curves up and down of the axe part has diameter of a wide nack, (for trapping people and moving it, or broke his neck),but full of spikes (conic or flat triangled). The axe-hammer head, where joins to haft and below wusu lance red hairs, goes twisted (or by "click" mechanism,)into a gap on haft,enough deep for the twisting marksAND space extra for hiding a some long chain. When you free the chain, the weapon turns into a two handed flail, the axe-hammer spiked, being the head. In adittion, the billhook has a kind of crossguard in SAI shape (like oriental weapon) useful for disarmings and spiking has too a click mechanism too into the haft. By complete one twist, At freeing it, reveals it is the real pommel of a dagger hided into. If you twist the pommel only half twist, a resort mechanism do jump edges (triangled or like shark backs) along the handle (3lines along or 4). This acts a security system in case someone in battle achieve hold your weapon haft hurting his hand.(or even the weapon is taken without letting. Little holes in flat sides of axe and hammer holds flammable oil. And even you can connect an internal wire from haft to metal head for electrifying it, doing fire and electric damage at time. And several very little rounded empties in 4 sides of spear head , holds a venom paste, poisoning the spearhead. Too the spearhead can be twisted out abd frees a very thin chain hiden on cilinder between axehead and hammer, and you have a "chain and spear" shaolin weapon
Schöne Waffe und super Video, wie üblich! But: Very odd! In his videos Matt Easton often highlighted how falchions are not anti-armour, axe-like swords but instead thin, agile cutters to be used against unarmoured opponents. But this one is exactly the what he goes against. Maybe there were very different forms under the umbrella term of what we would call a Falchion. It would be interesting to have quantitative data on a large sample of falchions and their weight/thickness/point of balance.
I think its more simple, its an effective chopping tool, this would be used to counter spear formations/ spear tactics as it could cleave through spear shafts, its chop would only be effective against unarmored foes and is otherwise a major drawback unless used in a specific way. The main killing function seams to be in its powerful looking thrust through chainmail or gambeson. But maybe im wrong and grasping at straws : D
I can't say for sure based on a video, but I find it difficult to believe it to be an original. With the (good) condition it is in, and the visible spot rust, it must have been more patined at some point, and consequently a significant amount of material would have had to have been removed to clean it. That a few tens of grams, most of it on the blade, and specifically on the widest section. It would have rendered the balance even more hatched like, and perhaps even pushed the total weight beyond the 1500(g) mark. For a short, non-complex hilted, predominantly one handed sword, that's quite insane. Possible? Yes. Logical? I'm inclined to say no. To be clear, I don't think it's a forgery or otherwise recent reproduction, but I could see it as e.g. a 19th century collector's or museum's order.
I forged a replica from the reversed falchion shown in Paris, with a hollow pommel and rather thin blade (4mm at the handle, tapering to like 2mm near the wide part). My blade is very swift with some authority, but it's like 2 times lighter than yours! Maybe my interpretation is too light?
Excellent video again. I was under the impression the falchion was designed for effective cutting and piercing of gambison and other cloth armour? Although your thoughts have taken a different approach? Is it due to the time period in which you think this blade was fashioned?
10 месяцев назад
The only source are contemporary pictures...thats where i draw my conclusions from :) and the shape of course...
@BjornRuther thank you for your reply. I think the source of my comments may have stemed from Matt Easton on his falchion video. Highly interesting and your opinion has very good explanations also 👍🏻 🙏.
Seems counter intuitive for the concave side to be the sharp one !? Did I miss understand that? The "rounded " side would slice FAR better wouldn't it ?
Is it genuine or a fake? Either way it's a very interesting sword. I especially like the reinforced tip. It's like it's made to be an allround sword able to deal with both hard and soft targets.