What types of swords did pirates use? 

The spadroon and the hanger were my two faves. Thanks for sharing these beautiful antique pieces!

I think he's overlooked one thing about swords: these men would choose the appropriate weapon for the task at hand. Many pirates also attacked settlements all over the world. The best sword for land warfare wouldn't necessarily be the best sword for shipboard fighting. I would guess that the average sailor or pirate only had access to a cutlass and boarding axe, but others, especially the leaders, would have different weapons for either land or sea battle.

Very cool. I would also go with the cutlass for sure, beast. I personally think that the chains on the guards were to help keep the weapon in hand rather than just being decorative or a guard. We can only speculate but it was probably a little bit of A little B. It looks fancy, helps you hold on and might keep your fingers on your hand. Lol. Love these videos more please

I always love seeing original pieces. What an incredible resource!

hangers and cutlasses also differed a lot in sizes

...if they could choose...I'm guessing the cutlass for hand protection & boarding actions/close quarter fighting, yes?

SPADROOON!!

Watching the first part of this with the 46" rapier I couldn't help but visualize a comical scene wherein the captain bows to the fancy lady in front of him while the end of his sword suddenly lifts up the many skirts of the fancy lady behind him.

Automatically & automagically, the word that instantly comes to mind, is : 【 *The CUTLASS !¡!* 】

people don't often use the best swords for the context they are in they just use any type of swords that are available to them

I'd add hunting swords/cuttoes to this list for the regular sailors. Although some were fancy, most in the Americas by that time were tools first and weapons second. Kind of like a bowie knife in the centuries afterwards. I have an original, and it would be devastating in close quarters grappling distance especially.

Excellent and very informative video. Thank you.

Baskethilt Backsword/Broadsword.

The chain on this midshipman's dress sword is copying the original middle feature often seen on sabers. The chain was added, so the rider could use a sword-knot. Useful thing, if your primary weapon is not a sword, but you want a very quick transition to your sidearm.

You guy's have a lot of toy's to play with!!! Awesome collection, enjoying these videos!

The cutlass was the perfect maritime sword and it just did the job. It was called the sword of the seas for good reason.

Havent watched the video yet, but love the topic already... lol

You’ve got some amazing rapiers in the Oakshott Institute, you guys have any plans to recreate them for purchase? The transitional one in particular. If not, would it be possible to commission it as a custom piece?

Hangers, Hunting, & Half-Basket Swords! 🏴‍☠️

In the artworks of the time there where often depicted with complex hilted Dussack like swords !

Great info for budding " Steve The Pirates " . Alonso de Sahagun ( Sahagun a beautiful town in Leon Northern Pain ) is the Gucci of the late 16th C , much admired copied and Sahagum or Sahagun mark often used as a quality mark as well as a cover for cheap blades , so buyer beware . The hanger was primarily a hunting weapon often hung from the saddle to deliver the coup fairly safely to large game like stags , wolves ( hunted to extinction in England )that could cause injury when shot by bow or musket . A handy length with a broad blade designed to fatally damage organs in large animals when thrust and generally curved for slashing and clearing undergrowth to recover the kill , the finest pieces owned by the gentry for hunting . Hounslow produced many thousand munition quality for use in the Civil Wars and no doubt many of these would have accompanied their users after this conflict into a career of piracy in the second half of the 17th C . Birmingham also produced swords of lower quality in steel and finish and gave rise to the phrase " Brumigham Blade " describing anything of poor quality . Probably the most practical sword of any devised it still found use in England as the sword used by constables in the 19th C . Perhaps the most useful single source for describing swords in use in this period is Randall Holmes " Academie of Armourie " c. 1680 which refers to and pictures the Cutlash , Cuttoo etc of the period . Easy and cheap to replicate and first choice for any " Steve ".

Perhaps it would be better to say that a hangar is a group of swords. In other words it could be said all cutlasses are hangars, but not all hangars are cutlasses. Cutlasses might be similar to other hangers, but sabers would also be included in what hangars are.

God one but i miss the Cutlass !

imagine if devil fruits existed back then😂

BEAUTIFUL!

At 6:25 you claim that all the fighting during the golden age of piracy occurred shipboard. However, a significant degree of armed combat during the time occurred on land eg.,. Henry Morgan's infamous sacking of Panama where the majority of fighting took place on land.

I got 3 rare swords for your collection

my better question is when cutlass BECOMES a word for a sword used on a ship in parlance

Are images of these pieces on your site?

They basically used what they liked and could steal.

We have a sword that was found in florida we think is the last or second to last sword pictured here. It still has a maker's mark on it! I even posted a short about it recently. Any way you could help my dad figure out anything about the sword?

That long sword, would we call that a war rapier? Ala Saviolo

cutlass they use

🤠👍

Why couldn't the 11 year old get into the pirate movie? It was rated ARRR(R)🏴‍☠️🦜

Espada ropera: translates more to dressing sword...

海賊🏴‍☠️の剣🗡️ですか…俺も工作で作ろうかな？