Help identifying a sword.

[SkitzoBoy]

Morning all,

After hours of scouring the internet and checking through the online catalogues of just about every medieval / fantasy / european replica sword site on the net I stumbled across this forum.

I am having great difficulty identifying a sword that is used as part of our company logo. Our graphics guy says he used a basic template from a resource CD and the name of the image was simply 'sword67' which is very
unhelpful.

The image below is what we use in the company logo and I cannot find a single site on the web which has a sword in any way like this one.

I am hopeful that someone on here has seen this type of sword and can give me some keywords to use in a search as I have been through the first 50 pages of google image search using sword, flared sword etc.

Even if someone could tell me what the little flared bit below the hilt is called I might be able to narrow down the search a little as this is the most unique and important feature of the sword.

Even if you guys have a sword that has just the flared bit below the hilt I would greatly appreciate a link or name.

Thanks in advance,

SkitzoBoy.

 

[tellner]

It looks like a somewhat stylized Zwiehander or Two-Handed Sword. Some had straight blades. Some had wavy ones and were called Flamberges or Flammards because their blades were said to resemble flames. As the articles say, the part between the guard and false guard was sometimes dulled or covered with leather so that it could be grasped for extra leverage and used more like a polearm.

 

[Ahriman]

Not a big thing, but I'd like to add that bidenhanders didn't have leather to allow for extended grip, rather the leather covering's role is to make said action more comfortable, as the blade portion between quillons and the lugs (the ricasso) are invariably dull, mostly with rectangular cross-section.
(I think you meant this, Tellner, but due to a slight mis-wording like this, I know people who think that only leather covered ones can be used with an extended grip.)

 

[SkitzoBoy]

Thanks guys for the info, it has definately helped out in refining the search. Whilst I havent found the exact design yet I am at least in the same ballpark now.

Many thanks,

Skitzoboy.

 

[Flying Crane]

Thanks guys for the info, it has definately helped out in refining the search. Whilst I havent found the exact design yet I am at least in the same ballpark now.

Many thanks,

Skitzoboy.

I would not be surprised if you are unable to link this particular image to an actual historical piece. The image looks like it may be just a generic representation of a general type of weapon. The shrunken pommel is a bit odd, I doubt you would find something like that on a real weapon. The grip gives the impression of a round dowel, while a real weapon would have some flattening and tapering in the grip. I suspect the original image may have been drawn up by someone who does not have experience with real swords. So things like that make me believe it is not patterned after a specific piece.

 

[theletch1]

It looks like a somewhat stylized Zwiehander or Two-Handed Sword. Some had straight blades. Some had wavy ones and were called Flamberges or Flammards because their blades were said to resemble flames. As the articles say, the part between the guard and false guard was sometimes dulled or covered with leather so that it could be grasped for extra leverage and used more like a polearm.

Wow, for a couple of decades I've referred to the very long, wavy bladed sword as a Flamberge. I had no idea that I was incorrect in my terminology.