CHOPPY SHORT SWORDS: The most POPULAR across World & History?

Medium and short choppy swords have been hugely popular across the world and across the centuries. More popular than longer swords maybe? Why?
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[@tedariesdaguro6517]

Hi Matt! At least in the Philippines, there's always a domestic function tied to most of our bladed weapons. While most people abroad refer to, say a bolo for example, as a "sword," for most filipinos, at least in the countryside where they are ubiquitous, they are essentially tools. And when a life in campaign is spent largely by living off the land, the short, handy chopper might be a more valuable asset than a sword specialized for combat.

[@chrisplatten2293]

Or just crossing the land. A a Brit married to a Philippine lady, I have hiked quite a few peaks in the Philippines. The popular trails are clear, but less frequently used trails require use of the guide's bolo. Even more so if you are the first group through the trail after a typhoon.

[@xXZaxoflameXx]

When I visited family in the Philippines a few years back, I cut down a tree (banana tree? don't remember) for my grandfather using his old bolo. It was surprisingly easy.

[@Raiden6277]

@@xXZaxoflameXx if it can chop down a banana tree, it can chop down a person.

[@Close.Quarters.Ramen.]

@@Raiden6277 I got strong 'Dodgeball' vibes from that.

[@matthewlawrence7056]

Most bladed weapons are that way in the Philippines, however there’s plenty of specific fighting blades. Among the Moro people the barong used to be this way but in very recent times there’s been a shift. In non Moro groups there’s a variety of fighting blades generally called Sundang. There’s regional varieties, In ilocos there are some patterns of Buneng, In the Tagalog speaking regions there’s Dahon Palay, there’s sansibar/sundang, there’s Lawihans, and more. While they’re not common, dedicated Philippine fighting blades deserve their recognition.

[@epsilonfallen5830]

I also want to stress, how important ease of carry is. When we learn about weapons and armor, we often just think about combat, but when you're a soldier, you spent most of your time marching and doing chores. So having a shorter sword, that doesn't get in the way is much more valueable, than you might think.

[@classifiedad1]

Also that a short choppy sword is very useful for some of those chores, like chopping wood, clearing brush, or cutting food. That those qualities are also great at chopping up people is a nice bonus.

[@redactedcanceledcensored6890]

@@classifiedad1 true for irregular fighters or poorly equipped levies

[@yoeyyoey8937]

If you’re getting attacked while doing laundry then you got bigger problems than what kind of sword you’re carrying

[@epsilonfallen5830]

​@@yoeyyoey8937 True, but you can wear a hauberk and a shortsword and do your work around the camp without them getting in the way. You can't always wear your full kit everywhere you go (things like spears, shields, arbalests, helmets, gauntlets and so on). At least you can defend yourself should you be attackted.

[@qwormuli77]

@@classifiedad1 Clearing brush might be feasible, but chopping wood with a blade as thin as a sword would not only be really tiring and inefficient, but that sort of abuse would absolutely wreck the blade before the first enemy contact, especially with worse steel qualities than we have today. You wouldn't really want to chop wood even with an axe, if it was meant for war, instead of wood.

[@Nikotheos]

An additional theory: the number of daily tasks a non-soldier performs on a daily basis that require a choppy, cutting, or swinging motion vs. a precise thrust is huge. People know how to do it.

[@gonzalosanchezblanco6598]

Agree with you,if you need to go throu a forest you chop and swing,when building palissades to protect towns or villages chop moves are required

[@chroma6947]

The brits never thrust!

[@Nikotheos]

I was thinking even more common tasks: shooing away a bee, making dinner, (at the time) a stone mason laying mortar, a carpenter swinging a hammer. These are the daily tasks of someone who ends up as a peasant levee in an army back in the day. The muscles are already built for them.

[@davidhasbrouck7948]

18:48 is about when he mentions that.

[@phinhager6509]

Also, you would have reason to own and carry such a tool for non bellicose reasons.

[@WheatKnight]

I am ALL about this. Specialized weapons are really cool, but if we want to put historical combat into context and gain a more realistic understanding of it, then it is absolutely necessary to use and understand the weapons and systems used by the vast majority of the population.

[@voidjockey82]

I'm not sure whether these are the correct terms but I think I remembered one of his videos mentioning that, the distinction between the civilian history of weapons (self-defence in urban communities, dueling, competitive fighting) and the militaristic history of weapons, and how most content/work regarding them is done for the former.

[@SkinnyBlackout]

On top of convenience and versatility, the shorter sword was most likely a bit more cost effective to produce. I believe you're absolutely on point when it comes to the choppy thing, "chopping" motion is extremely instinctive and in a pinch most people would probably default to it.

[@alpagator1372]

Yeah, cheaper to make, and gets you most of the way there compared to a much costlier larger blade that doesn't give as much advantage compared to the cost.

[@INTERNERT]

agreed and if you pair a shortish sword with a spear or pole arm you have a powerful and economic toolset for the masses

[@alextopfer1068]

long thin blades also require more skill to forge and are harder to heat treat. A lang-messer is an easier type of blade to make in my limited experience

[@possumsam2189]

When a sword is too long, it makes it difficult to pair with a shield or use in CQC

[@Uncephalized]

Absolutely, and it is much simpler to learn to fight effectively with cuts, both offensive and defensive, than thrusts. The rapier for instance is a very technical weapon that takes a great deal of "schooling" to be used effectively.

[@chrisnotyourbusines7739]

I think the "human nature" argument is the most relevant one. Id add that across history, people using swords were not professional soldiers and the longer a sword gets the more difficult it is to use, reserving specialist swords like the rapier, to people that can afford to train with them on a regular basis..as a polish person I'd like to remind that even in duel situations it was frowned upon to actually kill your opponent, so cutting>stabbing.

[@jameswoodard4304]

I don't know. Poking people with things comes pretty natural as well. I think if thrusting was the more practically useful option most of the time, that's the way swords would be designed even if chopping comes slightly more naturally.

[@DJRockford83]

​@@jameswoodard4304whacking something with a short stick comes pretty naturally and if you have a long stick it's much harder to swing so thrusting becomes intuitive (the guy with the narwhal tusk in the London bridge attack is a prime example). It's simple intuitive mechanics of the human body, plus just whacking at stuff until it's dead will be what most untrained people will default to in the heat of battle.

[@hypothalapotamus5293]

There's also a class distinction in a lot of these weapons. A Langmesser is not a short sword in name. It is a long "knife". Fighting Dao and Dha are also etymologically knives. I have a cai dao. It's a big box of thin steel that will dice an Onion faster than you'd believe, but isn't meant for fighting. There's an almost tool-like connotation in many of these names. Edit: A cutlass is similarly etymologically a long knife rather than a sword.

[@BunnyOfThunder]

Well, this is convenient. I was just recently trying to figure out what a fantasy "shortsword" would be referring to if you wanted a weapon based somewhat in reality, and now here's Matt saying that things like dha, dao, and hangers (and many others) might be called "shortswords" today. Thanks, Matt!

[@SheffiTB]

Like Matt mentioned, these wouldn't have been called "short swords" (even with the space) back when they were in use. If you want something that *would* have been called that, to be a parallel to what would have been called "long swords" (again, notice the space) back when they were in use, you might want to look at something like the roman gladius.

[@aidanhughes2444]

Go with silver, he calls basically what we call backswords/ broadswords “short swords” look at the Mary rose sword that’s probably what silver is talking about

[@possumsam2189]

If you want to see Fantasy 'Shortswords' IRL, you should check out African Swords. Some Indian swords may also fit the desc.

[@TheHazmate]

@@SheffiTB Well... Chinese have had 2h swords for over 2000 years, which in comparison to, any other sword would be a "short" sword. I think its important not to get too hung up on the word. or else we get issues like comparing Longswords to Claymores (Same thing) or Greatswords, Zweihander, Spadone (same thing) Is the sword relatively short? Its a short sword. Is it big? Its a greatsword.

[@bitharne]

What @aidanhughes2444 said; short sword is more like a Gladius: great at stabbing but can slash. These swords are more like a standard D&D or video-game "Longsword" (even though we all know the issue there). Broadsword is probably the best "general" category...I think Souls games had this pretty solid. The longsword(arming sword) and broadsword were always quite different and the former had some thrusts and the latter was always a choppa.

[@JustGrowingUp84]

Some other consideration: Swords are really optimal against lightly armored/unarmored opponents. And in that scenario, a cutting sword has a higher chance to deliver an debilitating injury. I'm talking specifically about battlefield conditions, not civilian duels. Especially since in a battlefield situation, the limbs might be more open to attack than your torso or head, which were, historically, more likely to be protected by armor. And even if we ignore armor, delivering an accurate, debilitating thrust to the head, or the heart, or the throat etc., with a sword, is just a very challenging endeavor. Especially in the chaos of battle. With cuts, you have a higher chance to hit something - and if that something is a shoulder, or arm, or thigh, then a cut has a higher chance to deal a grevious injury.

[@KlausBeckEwerhardy]

And with most cuts the blade stays movable. When you've thrust through someone in a melee it can be quite difficult to get the blade free again before being attacked by the next opponent.

[@cdgonepotatoes4219]

By cutting you don't also have the issue of someone, in the heat of battle, ride up to your hilt right after you hit them to return the favor.

[@robertvondarth1730]

Take the hand

[@toddellner5283]

These swords are all sized and weighted similarly to a wealth of agricultural/woodcraft/utility tools all over the world. I think a lot of it comes down not only to convenience but ergonomics. That broad range of sizes - from forearm-plus-fingers to armpit-to-fingertips - and weights - a pound or two is comfortable to swing hard and for long periods of time. And it's a length which we pretty naturally "get" without a huge amount of practice. That human overarm blow, as you point out, is instinctual and universal.

[@iamlogiebear]

To this point the tools of agriculture have influenced tools of war based on their familiarity of use

[@iamlogiebear]

/hunting

[@alexandernewman9735]

In my army days a lot of fellows would take out their side and back armor plates, and obviously shorter carbines were more popular than full length rifles. Ease of carry on the daily counts for a lot with a man in kit. These short handy blades remind me of that.

[@disappearingone11]

As a sword collector and former fencer, I've always appreciated your channel. As a diehard Soundgarden fan with the Badmotorfinger logo tattooed on my arm, wearing that shirt has vaulted my estimation of you into the stratosphere.

[@thac0twenty377]

why did you stop fencing? Get outshined?

[@disappearingone11]

@@thac0twenty377 Zero chance.

[@thac0twenty377]

@@disappearingone11 hahahahaga

[@yetanotherbassdude]

@@thac0twenty377 nah, he just fell on black days

[@robertvondarth1730]

This HEMA practitioner in Seattle appreciates this

[@Matt_Alaric]

From someone who's been in a few streetfights, i'd like to emphasis the chaotic nature of real fighting. Even when i was boxing you'd be focused on your opponent, judging distance, using feints, setting traps, etc, and your jab and 1-2 would generally be your most effective weapons. In a streetfight you might not know where the next attack is coming from, or even who it's coming from, and the ability to just swing in the right general direction (or at a fleeting opportunity) could often be more than enough to get lucky.

[@thechroniclesofthegnostic7107]

"Why?" You pretty much nailed it: ease of carry for purpose as a sidearm, naturalness of the swing (and thus for a sword, cut), compromises on likely distance being unpredictable--so better to be a jack of all trades than a master of a situation you find yourself *not* in. (Again, fits function as a sidearm.)

[@PJDAltamirus0425]

Especially the earlier in time you go. The more expensive something is and the less money you have, the more tasks your need a weapon to do. Matt sort of covered with the French artillery sword. Having several specialized weapons is essentially a well off person thing.

[@kevinstachovak8842]

The same basic reasons modern sidearms are pistols

[@thechroniclesofthegnostic7107]

And when the best all-around tool is what you have, in each circumstance you make adjustments--and: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYfVd4lrp52WqZI

[@alexh4436]

In a military sense swords were most often backup weapons, so it makes sense that backup weapons would be easy to use and cheaper to make. Ditto for a civilian who is worried about brigands and ruffians. Longer swords are expensive and require skill and training and most people have lives to live.

[@caracoldeleche]

There you have the case of the military Spanish rapiers, which tend to be much wider and shorter than the slim, long and decorated civilian versions.

[@chrisplatten2293]

Also for the civilian use, just having it available to brandish at a ruffian my be enough to discourage them. In some ways a fight avoided is a fight won. Hence with you all the time and easy to access is important.

[@thescholar-general5975]

Great video! This video is full of reason which explain my fascination with the dao. I do have one thing to add which is that the LK Chen extended the handle by around an inch or so when he reproduced the yanling dao from an antique. So the grip on the original is slightly shorter, and the balance is slightly closer to the tip. Also, do you include sabers and / or cutlasses in this category of choppy swords? I understand that many military sabers or kilij are longer than the blades you talk about here, but they are undoubtedly related to these earlier shorter, choppy blades, and I would argue that the later saber retains many of the advantages of the shorter choppers.

[@CtrlAltRetreat]

When I trained kendo as a child, parrying on the flat was typically preferred near the hilt because it automatically aligned the blade to return a cut with the same alignment the opponent used to get on your except on the inside. Pretty much a perfect reflexive counter as a default natural response. Edge alignment was always scored in kendo, it's what the yellow string was for

[@purplefuzzymonster17]

Conversely, iaido generally blocks with the strong of the sword; edge against edge, and trying to get the close third on your opponent's far third. (So still near the hilt.) Blocking with the flat is reserved for weak/hanging parries, where you're expected to avoid your opponent's blow anyway, and the parry is just used to cover your escape.

[@CtrlAltRetreat]

@@purplefuzzymonster17 Yeah iaido the primary stance is sheathed so I'd expect it'd be difficult to even get into a position where you could do a flat side parry. In jodan it's similar, since you have to come down to meet the opponent's strike in order to parry, so edge parry was the primary option as well. I mostly focused on chudan and if you were quick enough, you could turn into the stroke but if not, a flat side parry was a fairly timing forgiving response to an opponent who was a bit faster than you on the initiative and still give you an opening for a riposte. I wasn't the fastest kendoka in the dojo but I was a bit burlier than most and could muscle around some strikes for a decent response.

[@purplefuzzymonster17]

@@CtrlAltRetreat Iaido being draw-only is an exaggeration. Sure, the draw is BIG part of the style -- it focuses on the katana as your EDC -- but you still have to fight afterwards. My Iaido school liked hasso and gaidon a lot, and seemed designed to counter jodon. (Which makes some sense -- jodon is an instinctive position, while fighting from gaidon still makes me uncomfortable, even though it's really effective.)

[@sciverzero8197]

my theory for why a medium sized chopping sword is the most common... is probably that its the size and motion that feels most natural in the hand. An axe is a front heavy weapon and takes some skill to use as a weapon... but a stick about the length of your arm, heaviest relatively close to your hand, is a pretty intuitive club. Translate that to a bladed weapon and you end up with the dha or messer. It has enough front weight to feel like something that can do some work for you, it has enough back weight to feel nimble and controllable, and it has a shape that is relatively easy to produce and leaves little to the imagination as to how it should be held and used. Thrusting isn't really the most natural thing people do when picking up something to defend or offend with, but swinging is pretty natural. Being light enough to be used in one hand means it doesn't deter people who might not have the confidence with a larger heavier weapon... Put simply, its the path of least resistance.

[@epsilonfallen5830]

Being easy to carry and intuitive to use are probably the most important factors for a selfdefence/backup weapon, since you need to be able to do your chores without your sword getting in the way and when you're being attacked and under stress you probably want something that doesn't require a lot of technique. You said yourself in your Krieger Messer unboxing, that it just feels right. Also having a free hand can be really helpful. Will there be a follow up video on the Krieger Messer? It looks really awesome, but yours was the only video i could find on it.

[@gustavchambert7072]

I think another important factor is probably metallurgy and materials economy. Blades of that size have been around since the iron age, because they don't require very advanced metallurgy to manufacture. This means that you can knock out a weapon of acceptable quality and durability, even with relatively primitive tools and materials. Meaning it can be manufactured by a country blacksmith working with bloomery smelted iron. This means that this type of weapon will be easily available to levies who have to supply their own gear, but it can also be easily and cheaply mass-manufactured if necessary. Any kind of longer or more specialized blade, by contrast, will require a higher quality steel and a more specialized craftsman, making it both more expensive and less accessible to the common man/soldier. When you add this to the factors of ease of wear and general practicality you mentioned, it becomes kind of the perfect storm of sword design.

[@catocall7323]

George Silver also mentions that there a problem with complex hilts was that people would often fumble about grabbing it under threat and end up not being able to deploy it in time. And... Matt mentions this in the video! Of course he does.

[@AJJ129]

I really appreciate the cross cultural comparisons and highlighting of swords we don’t often see much of. And if I can say for myself the yatagan the Turkish forward sweet sword just looks so cool and it has an interesting bone looking hilt to it as well.

[@If-ish]

They're easy to use, wear and generally to make. They work well in close quarters without being seriously disadvantaged when you have reach. And as a general rule they can attack in any way adequately. The ultimate compromise design.

[@feudist]

They're also long enough for single chops to inflict grievous, even dismembering blows. Good point on the tool analogy. Stabbing is strictly a method for hunting or interpersonal social conflict resolution.

[@InSanic13]

"Interpersonal social conflict resolution" is an interesting euphemism for murder...

[@BrimleyAvatar]

Maybe one additional point about the length would be that while they're short enough to enjoy all those offensive and logistical advantages, those weapons of 20-30 inches are also just long and heavy enough to effectively block across almost a person's entire height without an awkward reach. So when the attacker goes for your leg, you can block with room to spare rather than bending or squatting down.

[@benjthorpe]

Like you said this style sword is ideal for infantry, munitions, and constabulary type roles where you need to arm a large number of relatively untrained people. Small size and single edge makes it easy to make of cheap materials and easy to use effectively with little training. Hence the large number of examples from all over the world. Great video!

[@carloc352]

I don’t know whether this has been mentioned already, but I believe that a chopper can be used as a tool, in an emergency. And a short chopper is always with you. With a specialized weapon, one may not be able to cut wood, clear foliage or build an improvised shelter.

[@georgeashwell2396]

This is how the cutlass evolved into the machete!

[@Dartharus]

Yup was a problem during the English civil war, General Monck recommend equipping troops with stabby Tucks rather than hangers for that very reason, though he saw this as a bad thing "and a good stiff Tuck, not very long, with a Belt: for if you arm your men with Swords, half the Swords you have in your Army amongst your common men, will upon the first March you make be broken with the cutting of Boughs."

[@flyboymike111357]

An interesting thought in regards to hand protection, the simplest designs usually allow for the simplest sheathing options, a wealthy person who is going to have a shield, maille, and maybe even gauntlets anyway might like the idea of something like the seax of beagnoth or a dussack type saber where the tang is curled into a knuckle bow. Then you can have a nice handy weapon with a highly decorative "knife cozy" style sheath which you can draw from without much deliberate thought. From the commoners perspective, the less decorative versions of the weapon and sheath will be more affordable than a basic Messer or Arming Sword. And having either repaired would be less dramatic as well.

[@connlaffan6232]

Love the Soundgarden T Matt !!! Grunge + sword talk = badass

[@philadeos]

In either a civilian or military context, the VAST majority of your time is spent doing things aside from combat. Handy, easy and convenient can't be understated.

[@mnk9073]

Choppy short swords: *The Katzbalger joined the chat "Points? Thrusting? No such fancy flourishes; I cut, slash and chopp."

[@daaaah_whoosh]

Easy to carry, easy to use, works well for the ranges it'd get used in, and less likely to break than some other kinds of sword. Plus a big choppy blade and a long grip means more room for decoration.

[@tonkjon6296]

man, after years of seeing your channel ialways reassure that for martial artist you are a formal source of great information. thenk you

[@owenli7180]

The distance thing resonates with me. In a world where massed ranks of lightly armoured spearmen are common, it makes better strategic sense to have a longer, or a much shorter range. A short, medium blade makes it easier to parry and grab a spear point and then move into a very difficult range for a spearman - particularly if they are massed.

[@INTERNERT]

strongly agree and these are some of my favorite sword types

[@SkepticalCaveman]

Long handles on short swords also gives extra reach if you grip it lower, making it more versatile. Grip it close to the guard indoors when space is limited and lower outdoors to get more reach.

[@jg5737]

It appears that each of the swords shown has a blade that is roughly the same length as the user's arm, give or take a few finger breadths. It would seem that an arm's length is the ideal size of weapon for most people to wield. Any longer blade would require training for balanced stances in fighting and any shorter would require the user to come too close to his opponent to safely disengage and avoid thrusts and swings.

[@mr.spider6859]

Interesting point.

[@pinarppanrapir9489]

I believe choppy swords are also more utilitarian, like the seax or the kukri

[@rikospostmodernlife]

Or the miriad of machete-swords from the Indonesia-Filipinas-etc region

[@rikospostmodernlife]

@@BrianSmith-ql5nj the gladius is the archetypal stabbing weapon

[@turtle_food8774]

I love how they feel in the hand it just feels right

[@Spear_of_the_Raven_Ash]

1st, great idea for a vid Matt! Easy of carry, instinctual use (for the inexperienced), a certain amount of safety/increased force applicability (due to the unsharpened back) and utilitarian too...the "choppy shortsword" is definitely an ubiquitous standard! Look at the machete for a more modern example. Also, dope shirt!

[@Poohze01]

I've always said my favourite sword for everyday carry, if such a thing were done nowadays, would be a cutlass. Something with decent hand protection so you can use it more effectively for defence, and short enough to wear without excessive fuss and use easily indoors or in a narrow alley.

[@philiplewis8213]

Thank you for this. I was just having this conversation with myself in a somewhat less educated manner about shorter single edged swords for a writing project I am doing. This helps!

[@eddharbin3966]

Love the Sound garden shirt .

[@ShieldWife]

Choppy short swords come in very diverse shapes.

[@iratezombiemann]

This is an awesome topic. I think a video exploring why arming swords were so dominant for so long would also be interesting.

[@NMMojavePoet]

Matt, you should interview or do a video with our mutual friend James Elmslie and his study of the Falchion.

[@Vinniebybee]

I love this channel even more now that I see Matt in a soundgarden shirt

[@repeatdefender6032]

Choppy boy is my weapon of choice for everyday shtf scenarios. There are more expensive ones I like better, but I have a Cold Steel Frontier Bowie and I love it. I even love the big square handle, I thought I'd hate it because I have medium, not very fleshy hands, but it actually fits my hand perfectly. I would love an antique Bowie.

[@jorgefernandez6407]

I think you hit the proverbial nail on the short sword head in my opinion... Great video btw!

[@dlatrexswords]

This is a great overview and a wonderful collection of swords to look at! It’s always interesting to think of how some ideas are wide spread or near “universal” across large swaths of history. If we look back to the Bronze Age, while there are occasionally choppy swords, there are huge stretches where you find “clustering” of consanguinity in size and design philosophy for swords in nearly every bronze aged culture. How much is due to cultural exchange and how much are Elvis Taxa requires a little bit of nuance to ferret out. So too with the single edge blades come the time of the steel age: I recently did a study just looking at curved “Sabres” across cultures that were around 28 inches in blade length and it was amazing to me how those parameters allowed nearly every culture to have some type of “choppy” sword represented, using their own local design!

[@shukln]

So cool! Loved to watch the movement of the blade.

[@exander3636]

Hey Matt, great video! I wanted to make a quick comment regarding your point about the purpose of the discguard in Japanese fencing systems. I study both HEMA and a Japanese koryu (classical samurai art), and I have found that a properly sized disc guard (which is relatively large), is very useful for defending your hand when you are doing deflections with the spine of the blade. The system I study does not canonically feature much binding and winding, and no real blocks (although it is understood that you do what you must in a fight), but rather all the defensive actions are done with the spine, flat, and yes occasionally the edge at the base of the blade. For all those things, having the additional knuckle protection is very welcome.

[@JeanOlaf]

I always come back to this video, it's so interesting on so many levels. Short choppy sword is by far my favorite type of sword and I love seeing all the examples you show us

[@seanbyrne5313]

I think its probably no mistake that hand protection and heavy blades are common to colder climates where thrust work was more important to get though clothes, while cutting with no hand protection was emphasized in climates where people wore light clothing.

[@michaelmumford6351]

You know what you're talking about. "I don't want to meet you; in a dark alley!"⚔️

[@kevinsullivan3448]

It's interesting, you talk about how wearing one of these short choppers becomes a background thing after you wear it for a while and it just doesn't really get in the way. The same goes for tools. When I was still working as a new construction and finish Electrician I would strap on my tool belt and go about my day without thinking about where my framing hammer was or if my measuring tape was sticking out too far, you just become subconsciously aware of where your tools are and learn how to move so that they do not catch on things. Thinking back, I realize that while working as a mechanic and carrying an M16 in the army worked the same way. Your issued rifle is just slung on your back and out of the way while you go about your duties. Sure you have to take it off and put it back on when entering and exiting vehicles, but even when sitting it becomes 2nd nature to just shift your weapon so it's not in the way. It's even less noticeable for a pistol, I naturally tuck or shift or slide the holster in situation where I have learned it might snag or catch, but it becomes second nature and I only notice it.

[@fredhercmaricaubang1883]

Maestro Matt, from somebody from the Philippines, THANK YOU SO MUCH for featuring the Barong! I was also wondering if you could also feature the Bolo & the Kampilan, as well! By the way, as to why predominantly short weapons are used, I can only speak from experience here in the Philippines but I personally believe it's the lack of metals. What I mean by that is it takes more metal to make a long sword than a short sword, especially here in pre-Hispanic Philippines where mining isn't exactly common hence the frequent raids on china for metal! Or, at least, that's what I believe. That & the compact size of a short sword makes it a joy to wear, along with all the other reasons you just mentioned. By the way, the Turkish Yataghan, to me at least, resembles the early Greek Kopis or Machaera but that's just me. Still, THANK YOU SO MUCH for this WONDERFUL video, Maestro! May you make more like this in the future! May you & yours stay safe & healthy! Take care!

[@jbertucci]

Always loved the badass style of the katzbalger.

[@avwillis5269]

13:29 for further comparison, I would suggest looking at the Ginunting, the favorite blade style of the Filipino Marines. It also uses a forward curving blade but somehow a straight edge, almost like a Wharncliffe.

[@anthonywestbrook2155]

One point that marries well with yours (and many other comments) is that so many people throughout history have used single bladed knives in their everyday lives. Since there's no magic line between knife and sword (one reason I like the simple dao/jian terminology), it makes sense that people liked longer and longer blades, until any longer gets cumbersome, and they just took blades they already loved, and asked the blacksmith for one like that, but longer. Yes, other features tend to get added to them beyond what knives have, but from what I've seen (I'm not an expert), those usually get added to long blades that first evolved from the knives of the area.

[@blackdogbarking]

really great examination i think the use of the shield wall also led to the need for weapons like the gladius or seax

[@leetommerson639]

Easy to manufacture, easy to learn, works well in a sword+shield combination.

[@ronnoe6708]

This is my favorite size and style of sword. Relatively simple in design, no nonsense, practical and easy to carry. I'd love to find out more info about the messer, hanger and dussack shown. Those are just some absolutely beautiful weapons. I think my favorite of the three is the hanger. One thing I really like about it is how the knuckle bow curves back and meets the pommel. Good reinforcement there to absorb the shock from taking blows there. I wonder how similar the styles for use of those weapons are and how they differ. Just from the style of sword you can tell there'd be a lot of similarities.

[@MrTryAnotherOne]

When you say chopper I hear the Ride of the Valkyries and smell a whiff of napalm.

[@MrTylerStricker]

It must be said that Matt's T-Shirt collection is top notch, utterly fantastic. Not only are they all excellent, you never (or rarely?) see the same one twice & there seems to be little in the way of theming except that theyre all great!

[@elijahboesche6663]

I would love to see a video on the evolution of the hanger. It's always been my favorite sword type

[@the_guitarcade]

This is true of modern handguns and combat rifles, too. Using two rifles for comparison, my Savage MSR-15 vs. my WASR-10. They both have a just over 16" barrel, a pistol grip, a detachable box magazine with a standard capacity of 30 rounds, are semi-auto (but would be full auto capable if they were their military counterparts), have sling mounts, a way to shorten them for travel, a place to mount optics, fire intermediate calibers, and the list of similarities goes on. One was developed and manufactured in the US, the other was developed in the Soviet Union and manufactured in Romania. The list of differences may be longer than the list of similarities, but there are universal constants of the human body that transcend cultures, ideologies, military doctrines, and so on that result in parallel development of similar tools to accomplish similar purposes.

[@scottmacgregor3444]

I also figure that a shorter, single edged, broader blade is easier to produce. The combination of required steel quality, ease of shaping, and level of precision in heat treatment are all preferential to that type of blade. More craftsmen are going to be able to produce them, so they are more common.

[@Nimno74]

As someone who was a teen in the late 80s/early 90s..... loving the t-shirt.

[@thethiccwarrior6675]

In my area I’m allowed to wear whatever blade I see fit and I also like to carry a choppy short sword. It’s convenient quick to draw easy to use for someone who doesn’t have access to fencing classes like myself and I can use it as a backyard tool. I also like to take it camping and rafting, but I’m also not opposed to taking it on bike rides or to the local café.

[@Anarcho-druidry]

As a veteran and military history buff, I believe that the chopping sword has the added benefit of being used a general purpose tool (survival knife use, machete, etc)

[@whatident]

Soundgarden - I see you are Old School

[@benm5913]

He loves swords, archery and armor. If there's an old school, I think Matt's into it.

[@timothygourley5690]

thank you for what you do in educating us and the world about the sort of history I wish I learnt at school and you reticulate it and communicate it so well. thank you

[@lockwoan01]

Weapons/tools with similar jobs are going to look similar. Case in point - the Gerber Machete Jr. and Camillus Carnivore X - similar overall length, blade length, good cutting capacity for both, decent saws - like the one on the X a bit better myself - but the X has a few extras that might make it more versatile, like a trimming knife.

[@tomgartin]

Don’t forget the guard can also serve to keep the hand from slipping onto the blade when thrusting or stabbing.

[@ironmikehallowween]

Very interesting and thought provoking. I would offer that that size offers more versatility and practicality, yet are still effective for most applications. Just as most handguns are now basically the same size. Sure, there are some made for specific purposes, but barrel lengths of 4 to 5 inches are the vast majority sold and manufactured. Same goes with knives. Thanks for the video.

[@joshuabordelon2192]

That dussack is beautiful man

[@kieranflanagan4603]

Matt's a feckin rockstar, wish I could train with him

[@Old52Guy]

This was great. I've always been a fan of the shorter swords. Thanks!

[@guyfawkes5012]

I think the reason why people instinctively cut instead of stab is, because there is a much large margin of error since the cut covers a larger area, while the stab has to be more precise.

[@andrezunido]

Great shirt! And awesome video as always!

[@geodkyt]

I think you are quite correct. The key point is that these are *sidearms* and not specialist weapons nor a primary weapon carried by a person who devotes a large amount of time on polishing their sword skills. So it needs to be handy to carry, easy to use with the least amount of *requisite* skill, handy in the press, *and* most of these have lower *minimum* production efforts - you don't need a super strong, springy, long blade that *requires* a higher level of skill and care to produce at a minimally acceptable level of quality. Much the same reason why armies are more likely to buy $400 Glocks for sidearms than $4000 custom pistols that are objectively "better". The sidearm needs to be "good enough, simple enough, and cheap enough". And that last holds justvas true when thr individual soldier is buying his kit as opposed to when the Crown is paying the bills - every penny spent on the sidearm that is less important on the battlefield than the primary weapon is a penny not spent on getting the best primary weapon (which is what he'll be doing most of his killing - and thus not dying - with) or the day to day things that make life bearable (like good warm footwear or food).

[@johndane9754]

Everyone loves a good choppa.

[@kajsilee]

I would like to add that the fighting style optimized for chopping is easily tranferable to usage of blunt weapons like common walking sticks. Therefore the same martial art system can be utilized for both appropriate damage minimisation in self defence and maximal damage in warfare for example simply by changing the weapon. Sometimes universality triumphs over the specialisation.

[@Crimzs]

A big one that I think Matt missed was tool use! I think a lot of weapons descend from tools, and the short sword is a weapon that can also be adapted to double as a tool. I have seen this a lot more in Southeast Asian weapons, but I think it can still apply to other regions.

[@ApostolicITTech]

Enjoyed the video! Learned a lot! One other thing that came to me about the ‘why,’ is because the shorter swords were easier to conceal. Obviously, not everyone was trying to conceal them but the shorter swords were easier to keep “out of sight, out of mind” compared to long swords. Keeps one’s appearance more civilian and less threatening but yet had enough sword to defend.

[@stormiewutzke4190]

I love it when you produce a lot of content.

[@calamusgladiofortior2814]

I recall a point you made in an older video about why katanas and cutlasses are good cutters: they have short, fairly thick and stiff blades, which makes them somewhat forgiving if your blade alignment is slightly off. In a real fight, with your heart pounding and hands shaking, your edge alignment will get sloppier than in practice. So these short choppers are probably easier to use effectively under combat stress. Just a thought, anyway.

[@MadNumForce]

There's a fact: this kind of size and mass distribution is what allows to produce the greatest chopping power at the lowest muscular expense. Which comes to another aspect: these choppers are largely designed as if they were tools, and usable as such. With any of those choppers, you could gather some wood to make a fire or setup a very basic camp, chop up branches to make walking or carrying sticks, to make gabions and small palissades, to cut up fodder for the horses, etc... Machetes derive from earlier dussägen and hangers, early falchions derive from cleavers, the machaira/falcata was absolutely used as a butchery tool, not to mention the whole parang/golok/kukri/klewang/barong/mandau familly of South-East Asian implements where the boundary between tool and weapon is absolished and irrelevant. Same with the infantry briquet, or the infantry/artillery gladius that was meant to be used as a tool. The knight or noble has servants and squires to do the chores for him, but the basic infantryman or militiaman or peasant warrior has to take care of himself, and has to has multipurpose equipment. The chopping sword plays a central role in his self-reliance in campaign.

[@carebear8762]

John Correia of Active Self Protection talks about the "leveraging arm". When someone is attacking with a bladed weapon or bludgeon, that is the arm (usually weak side) they use to hold you in range so they can strike you. When they have a gun, they use the arm to keep the victim away from the gun so they can't take it away. Shorter swords fall right into that almost uniformly seen situation in real attacks, they can be used in that "leveraging arm" range, which appears to be hardwired into humans.

[@promiscuous5761]

Thank you.

[@Richman0815]

Thanks for this interesting video!

[@IamtheWV17]

Planning on procuring a custom short choppy from Kailash soon.... as soon as their orders are open.

[@EZBlast]

My favorite are the Chinese Butterfly Swords - usually used in pairs.

[@JCOwens-zq6fd]

I've given some thought to it & I think you're probably correct. Though I would add that short chopy cut & thrust swords also make better tools on the day to day.

[@allaboutareasofinterest1765]

I agree 100% Matt. Short swords are just practical.

[@armingips6868]

In the fading last millennium i bought several tools on a farmer's market in northern Thailand that served as presents for my knife- and sword collecting friends. They all thought i had brought combat swords....👍

[@gustavchambert7072]

I think another important factor is probably metallurgy and materials economy. Blades of that size have been around since the iron age, because they don't require very advanced metallurgy to manufacture. This means that you can knock out a weapon of acceptable quality and durability, even with relatively primitive tools and materials. Meaning it can be manufactured by a country blacksmith working with bloomery smelted iron. This means that this type of weapon will be easily available to levies who have to supply their own gear, but it can also be easily and cheaply mass-manufactured if necessary. Any kind of longer or more specialized blade, by contrast, will require a higher quality steel and a more specialized craftsman, making it both more expensive and less accessible to the common man/soldier. I'd wager this is among the more important reasons why this size and type of sword is/was so common. It's the exact same reason as to why spears were so ubiquitous when you think about it. Also, I'd guess that the type being primarily cutters is for a similar reason. It's simply the most versatile and intuitive way of fighting, especially in contexts where head-to-toe armour wasn't the norm (i.e most of history in most places).

[@kareldolezel1293]

I believe one of the additional reasons may be the lack of armor, or quality armor. European swords were historically straight and pointy because of the sophisticated armor. And when plate armor became the norm, the weapons became even pointier. But that wasn't the case everywhere. And on the other hand, when armor became obsolete thanks to early firearms, European swords transformed to mostly sabers. To an unarmored opponent, a "chop" will deliver more damage / stopping power than a stab. A stab will be immediately effective only if you hit one of the key organs, otherwise it's stopping power will be derived only from exsanguination, which won't be much. Just like with being shot, shot placement / stab placement will be the main factor, but there are documented cases of people being shot nine times and surviving. In a high adrenaline melee situation, a person who got stabbed (especially with a narrow blade) still has a few seconds to kill you. A chop can not only dismember opponents, immediately stopping their mobility, but the size of the wound will bleed them out much faster.

[@fakecubed]

I would like to see carrying these kinds of swords brought back into fashion. Normalize swords, specifically of this general type. I would like this even in the US, where we have a protected natural right to keep and bear firearms in addition to swords.

[@Eckister]

total off-topic, but the more I see Matt bring out tha Yatagan and his Asian swords, the more I fall in love with them. 😍

[@pbr-streetgang]

Double thumbs for the Super Unknown t-shirt!👍🏼👍🏼

[@duaneho555]

I really enjoyed this video. Thanks. I think the yatagan is a pretty sweet sword.