European swords

300px|thumb|upright=1.35|The Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife, a modern-day dagger

A rapier () is a type of sword originally used in Spain (known as '', ) and Italy (known as spada da lato a striscia''). The name designates a sword with a straight, slender and sharply pointed two-edged long blade wielded in one hand. Known for its elegant design and intricate hilt, it was widely popular in Western Europe throughout the 16th and 17th centuries as a symbol of nobility or gentleman status.

discipline of fencing

The Zweihänder (, literally "two-hander"), also Doppelhänder ("double-hander"), Beidhänder ("both-hander"), Bihänder, or Bidenhänder, is a large two-handed sword that was used primarily during the 16th century.

light one-handed sword designed for thrusting

A '''' () is a short arming sword, used in early modern Europe, notable for its sturdy build and a distinctive S-shaped or figure-8 shaped guard. Measuring long and weighing , it was the signature blade of the Landsknecht''.

thumb|upright|Scottish dirk, blade by Andrew Boog, Edinburgh, c. 1795, Royal Ontario Museum

thumb|300px|Figure illustrating the basic cuts with the Dusäck in Joachim Meyer's fencing manual; a pair of fencers using the Dusäck is shown in the background (illustration by [[Tobias Stimmer, 1570).]] A dusack or dussack (also dusägge and variants, from Czech tesák "cleaver; hunting sword", lit. "fang") is a single-edged sword of the cutlass or sabre type, in use as a side arm in Germany and the Habsburg monarchy during the 16th to 17th centuries, as well as a practice weapon based on this weapon used in early modern German fencing.

sword with basket-like hand protection

'''''' (; plural: ) is the Polish word for sabre.

thumb|A koncerz with a conventional cutting edge A koncerz () is a type of sword used by Polish-Lithuanian cavalry in the Renaissance period. It is a narrow and long thrusting sword, generally used by a type of heavy cavalry (husaria, the famed Polish hussars) and optimized to defeat body armor, either by piercing directly through the metal links of mail armour or by thrusting at the exposed gaps between the plates of plate armour, but was not used to cut or slash at enemy combatants.

In Irish mythology, Fragarach (or ), known as "The Answerer" or "The Retaliator", was the sword of the sea god Manannán mac Lir. The sword weakened its foes, and no mail or armour could block it.

usually a two-handed sword used as an executioner's tool of trade

REDIRECT Khanjali

thumb|350px|Karabela sabre, 17th century right|thumb|150px|Karabela of King Sigismund III of Poland

thumb|upright|Colichemarde smallsword with a silver guard, 18th century. The abrupt narrowing of the blade, the defining feature of the colichemarde, is visible. Vevey historical museum. Colichemarde is a type of small sword (often written "smallsword") blade that was popular from the late 17th to the mid-18th century.

weapon used primarily for ceremonial purposes to display power or authority

thumb|100px|Montante from 15th or 16th centuries. The montante is a two-handed sword used primarily in Spain and Portugal during the 15th to 17th centuries.

Types of swords

Renaissance-era sword type