Colichemarde smallswords - Part 1

www.antique-swords.co.uk
/ historicalfencing
/ scholagladiatoria
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/ matt_easton

[@jacobs9083]

-'Very briefly' -20 minutes -Part 1 Not that I mind

[@Dumadunala]

Matt at his finest :D

[@Isaaclichtenstein]

Yup

[@sushanalone]

Oh it is a short video relatively.

[@JC-Denton]

Hmmm, short sword compensated by long video. Makes sense, right?! And I don't mind, either.

[@johnstuartkeller5244]

It is very short, compared to, say, a written treatise on the topic. In other words, you must lok at it in CONTEXT.

[@IONATVS]

As a mechanical engineer, my gut reaction would be that that wider section is to further emphasize the I-Beam/H-girder quality of the cross-section, adding structural rigidity so you can thrust against more resistive targets. Beam bending is an inverse function of the first moment of inertia (or "area moment of inertia") of the beam's cross section, so the farther the mass is from the beam's axis the less it will bend. As to why only at the base, if it were all the way along, you'd have to make the sword much longer to retain the piercing tip (ie make it a triangular rapier), and in doing so you'd lose the rigidity advantage because beam bending is also a function of the force-moment in the beam, which is greater the farther away the applied force is from the force resisting it (ie your hand and the point if impact)

[@JustShotsForMeh]

Like how people upvoted this as if they understood half of the equation you wrote here.

[@sherrattpemberton6089]

there is still the issue of the tang though

[@IONATVS]

Indeed. That structural weakness at the join between the blade and tang would mean the sword would still break under a similar stress, but the sword would be able to punch its way through more clothes and flesh before that stress point is reached b/c it would bend less before it broke.

[@alan-sk7ky]

@@JustShotsForMeh well i did/do, very simply put the coli moves the 'stiff' root of the blade further out allowing a just as stiff 'pokey end' with less metal, also it looks a bit cool... :-) the tang though, the 'upper' ring isn't used why not use the space for a bit more tang metal. Prolly as stylistically ungentlemanly or such like.

[@kadoj]

This, I am now convinced, is the answer to the problem. Some late remnaisance/early industrial visionary (most likely, it has to be said, an engineer or the equivalent) either got himself into a scrape that resulted in dueling and thus felt compelled to engineer his way to an advantage over his opponent that would result in their survival, or perhaps if they were quite lucky, perhaps even victory. Orrrrr less interestingly but much more likely, simply saw the contemporary small sword blade and had a “beautiful mind”-esque aha moment that resulted in the colichemarde. I prefer the first one, but who doesn’t like to ponder on a little speculation and narrative once in a while? I think you hit the nail on the head here, friend. Very well done. Shame so few sword enthusiasts also moonlight as professional engineers, who knows what we’d have seen produced by now if that weren’t the case...

[@Robert399]

Rapier against smallsword: attack aggressively from out of his reach. Smallsword against rapier: apologise for whatever caused the dispute and beg him not to kill you.

[@Ninjamanhammer]

Sounds pretty accurate.

[@Bearded_Tattooed_Guy]

Keepin' it real!

[@artasiath]

well, rapier is better against smallsword, but unless rapierist have dagger, it is not THAT hard to defeat him. If he have dagger...there is no way you can defeat him.

[@Robert399]

The Stoned Videogame Nerd What? Where'd you hear that? Colichemardes are made to make the smallsword better at parrying heavier swords. If you're going up against a broadsword or sabre you'd prefer a colichemarde (over a smallsword, probably nothing else) so the opponent can't just power through your parries. Against a rapier, heavy cuts aren't an issue anyway; your big disadvantage is *reach* and a colichemarde doesn't address that problem.

[@Robert399]

+The Stoned Videogame Nerd Wikipedia's great for many topics but never trust what it says about historical arms and armour. Firstly, a rapier blade's *not* heavy (in terms of blade momentum, not weight on the scales). Secondly, smallswords only came into use at all when rapiers were declining already and colichemardes were a later development on the smallsword. Thirdly, many heavy cutting swords (especially sabres) were in use long after the rapier declined. As there often is, that article's telling a half truth in that colichemardes were designed to more effectively parry heavier blades but those *weren't* rapiers, they were larger cut-and-thrust swords (sabres, backswords, broadswords...). And the colichemarde wasn't some special counter to those swords, it was simply an attempt to make the smallsword *capable of fighting them at all* because regular smallswords are at a massive disadvantage against them but, as the duelling sword, it's what many gentlemen were familiar with.

[@ARR0WMANC3R]

"I love spadroons" -Matt Easton, 2016. No context needed.

[@stephenpajer3920]

my idea as a smallsword student is, that it is all about angles. Most smallswords were intended to be used against other smallswords. Now if you have a thrust only combat, every millimeter, every millisecond counts, and the colichemard design gives you a slight advantage in deflecting or parrying a thrust (as in the cone of light we are talking about when thinking about bucklers for example). You can keep your parrying movements smaller and still be able to lead the opponent's tip away from your body. So the wider section of the blade gives you the opportunity to have smaller parrying movements, therefore giving you a small timing advantage over the user of a narrow blade whose hands have to cover more distance to reach the same effect.

[@AidanBlake]

I don't mind the same setting when the content is this good. Get well soon!

[@MaxMustermann-go8xf]

Nice facial hair, now grow a German Kaiser style moustache!

[@WardancerHB]

I love your "in-front-of-the-wall videos". Twenty minutes of just you explaining things... awesome!

[@metteuston7699]

Spodroon...bOTox cutyng capucity... u fkin wot...

[@JustShotsForMeh]

That icon cured my cancer

[@ItsDooby]

That icon cured my cancer

[@ohioman4646]

That icon cured my cancer

[@danielflynn9141]

I think sword vendors ought to use the phrase "a bollocks cutting capacity" more often. "How sharp is that sword?" It has a bollocks cutting capacity. "Oh, so it's sharp enough to hew a gentleman's bollocks?"

[@DerLaCroix1]

Daniel Flynn thats what Bollock daggers were for...

[@danielflynn9141]

No, I rather think bollock daggers were designed preemptively to tease Sigmund Freud.

[@AL4RC0NR4MO5]

Preemptively in case anyone is actually confused by this: "bollocks" is used here as something like "bad" or shit". As in they have very poor cutting capacity.

[@viridisxiv766]

17:10 a bollocks cutting capacity???? is the swords ability to cut a mans bollocks something that really needs to be measured?! oh the suffering that must have been inflicted in the name of finding the bollocks cutting ability of swords throughout history!

[@thebobbytytesvarrietyhour4168]

Woe for the bollocks that have suffered. Let us drink a libation for there sacrifice and erect (pun intended) a statue in their honor.

[@DoktorWeasel]

This is clearly the reason why the bollock dagger was so popular. A fearsome weapon to be used against someone's bollocks!

[@p4riah]

Dude, your ROOM FULL OF SWORDS AND GUNS that is your normal video setting is only 'boring' or 'same-y' relative to the kickass museums and sword classes and historical sites you sometimes shoot from. It's all good. :P

[@loyalsausages]

P4riah1 Context, mate :) it's all about context.

[@JohnDoe-kg4zn]

This is the kind of review we would love to see more of. Please make videos like this with more of your swords!

[@Eupolemos]

A winning combination of added stiffness, balance and not easily penetrating to the hilt by accident.

[@minuteman4199]

I was epee fencing one day, and I had unwittingly picked up my young son's shorter epee. It is only a few inches shorter and I fenced with it all night without even realizing. Those couple inches made a huge difference. I commented to the coach that I had only managed a couple or hits in three or four matches, and he pointed out that I was using a juvenile length blade.

[@deathsythelui]

I'm two seconds in and I'm already cheering the return of the mutton chops... It's just not Matt Easton without those very posh sideburns of his...

[@rexcaliburn]

do you have any estocs? id love to see a vid on those

[@DerLaCroix1]

I personally always assumed that this was to increase wounding capacity. For a small blade like this it wouldn't be unusual to run it completely into and through the enemy. With a very narrow blade like the civilian ones, it would only create a very small wound, but when you take the colichemarde part into account, it would create a considerably larger wound once you are running it through the enemy. So I think that's why it's more commonly found in military Styles than civilian, because the officer - when he is forced to defend himself with the sword - he wants to make the stab count. Remember, this was no duel situation with proper distance and place to move, where you can place a proper stab and recover. This would be some guy charging you with a bayonet or saber. You will end up face to face, your sword buried to the hilt.

[@hedgetwentyfour2708]

While I wholeheartedly agree that it's not the most effective sollution, having a colichemarde forte will distribute the force of a blow across a larger portion of the disk guard. Having a cross-section with a larger surface area this leaves the tang with a smaller amount of energy to deal with. If the sword was to bend it now requires a greater amount of energy to do so. In addition to that, even the neccesity to perform a block with the smallsword doesn't rule out a sidestep while performing said technique. Doing so allows for a greater tollerance of force, though it does require a very keen sense of timing and distance.

[@bakters]

I think it increases blade stiffness. The triangular section is very stiff for its mass, to the point that the wide part will realistically never bend. The remaining narrow blade is being shortened, which also makes it stiffer.

[@Saintphoenix86]

Honestly Matt where the video is filmed as no bearing on the quality of the videos, I'm here to hear what you have to say and where you are standing makes no difference to that, keep up the good work mate, cheers from Aus

[@pyronicdesign]

I'm no expert, but i have had a wooden version, and i believe it's for fighting longer weapons. Their blade runs down the blade and when it hits that section it veers off to the side sharply. this also can protect your hand, as you have a a fairly wimpy guard.. (i have no idea if i'm correct though)

[@burt2800]

The sideburns are back! :D

[@samprastherabbit]

Great video,Matt! always found those swords quite interesting, especially considering how delicate they can appear on first glance. Get well soon, by the way!

[@danielnelson8615]

I love the video,please do more like this thank you.

[@TomStedham]

Excellent video. Very informative!

[@wullgrew1]

I very much agree with your assessment of edge fragility. a hollow ground blade has so little in the way of edge stability, I can see no way that it could withstand a severe blow. Fantastic stuff, sir.

[@arpioisme]

I agree with you. in sabre vs. smallsword, the sabreur will have an edge

[@MrZdixo1]

I too have used a small sword (epee blade) against sabres, rapiers and even a longsword. All of them except the rapier have resulted in a bent tang

[@jopinofcabra]

Perhaps this is a Harry Flashman-type solution to the problem when an officer is required by his superior to carry a sabre but really, really wants his smallsword for duelling. He has the top several inches of his sword broad enough to satisfy an inspection that only requires him to draw his weapon partially from its sheathe but then tapers to the size that would give him an (unfair to his unsuspecting opponent) advantage in the duel. (Tongue firmly in cheek....)

[@wingchuninapplication6637]

The larger forte of the small sword could serve to provide a greater angle of deflection of the opponents blade off the center line of attack when parrying a thrust with the forte, as one should.

[@BlueNeonBeasty]

I don't know if it would be a reason for the design, but it certainly provides more blade area for decoration (be that etching or otherwise).

[@ivymike2691]

*Hits Arm* "Ow" *Continues hitting arm*

[@nlsnlsnls]

Maybe that adding extra mass near the hand makes the sword pivot nearer to the point when the hand is moved. It could make sense to do that if for some reason you can not use a heavier pommel to balance the blade in the same way.

[@DonatoVicenti]

thanks Matt, really interesting video!!

[@wesleyfarrington8772]

looks like the width of the forte allows for the maximum wound channel when inserted to the hilt causing extremely​ profuse bleeding out. also it's short enough to make this practical. thanks for all the videos!

[@siestatime4638]

The extra thickness at the base would add rigidity - maybe for a better thrust, or to not be deflected by thick clothing as easily?

[@Duhya]

Penis.

[@jancello]

There are also late rapiers with a colichemarde blade. It might give a bit of an advantage in the bind, with the thick forte but, it's mostly a matter of nimbleness, bringing the point of balance closer to the hand.

[@HebaruSan]

The subtitle of the Matt Easton movie should be, "The man who taught the internet to sword"

[@christophers7023]

that was a type of sword George Washington wore when he wore swords in civilian life and of course he'd also wear this very interesting "hunting sword" . the colichemarde was pretty popular in the states for people who chose to use/wear swords.

[@CollinClary]

Hi Matt. I do hope that you read and respond to this if you have the chance. I agree with you; I don't think the colichemarde developed to better defend against cutting swords such as sabres. Based on my experience (which is about 10 years of classical fencing), I simply think that it's to make the strong part of the blade even stronger. The greater width at the base of the blade makes parrying easier. It's especially noticeable with the supinated paries (sixte, quarte, septime, and octave), but it's definitely noticeable with the pronated paries as well. You can try this yourself if you have any practice smallswords with blades of different widths (although if you don't, you could also compare a foil to an épée for the same principle). Have a partner thrust and lunge at your torso, and parry the attack using one weapon, then the other, and compare. Tell your partner to really keep their point in line and try to hit you. You mentioned in your video that it may have something to do with how the bind is formed against an opponent's blade. You are absolutely correct. The greater width of the blade gives more leverage when performing a prise du fer (of which there are are four: opposition, croise, bind and envelopment). In classical fencing terms, by the way, a bind specifically refers to a prise du fer that transfers the opponent's blade diagonally (this is also often called a liement). Regarding your experience of smallsword blades bending and breaking when recieving blows by sabres during bouting/sparring, for the most part, I imagine that's because of the fact that most practice smallswords are simply ordinary sport épée blades mounted on smallsword hilts. Ordinary épée blades are even thinner than smallsword blades, and simply not made to stand up to that sort of abuse. A well made practice smallsword with an extra wide "épée" blade made specifically for HEMA shouldn't deform so easily with a modern steel tang. I'll also point out that earlier smallswords had slightly more robust hilts, and as you pointed out in your video, some also had more rapier-like blades with flattened diamond cross sections. So if a person had a practice weapon based on an earlier smallsword, or even a colichemarde, it would be even less likely to happen. Now, on the subject of rapiers in particular having an advantage over smallswords, I must disagree. ;-) Yes, the rapier has a significant reach advantage over the smallsword, however it really isn't that difficult to deal with using a smallsword if you know what you're doing. The smallsword is incredibly fast, much faster than the rapier, and thus it is much easier to perform a prise du fer against a rapier using a smallsword than it is when using other weapons. Against other weapons, a person with a rapier could often disengage and thrust before the opponent has control of the blade and can react. Against someone with a smallsword this becomes much more difficult due to the speed of the smallsword. Even if the person with the rapier manages to deceive the engagement or disengage, and then attack, in the time it takes for the person with the rapier to disengage and thrust, the person with the smallsword could make multiple actions of their own. Frankly, assuming that each person has roughly equal skill in using their weapon (and indeed, using their weapon against the other person's weapon) I'd say that neither weapon inherently gives one person the advantage over the other. Each weapon has its merits. The rapier is longer and has a greater cutting capacity, while the smallsword is incredibly fast. Unfortunately, most people practicing HEMA that study smallsword are, I'm sorry to say, really awful. I will confess to not personally attending many HEMA events, but from the ones I have, and from watching videos of various events and people, it's apparent to me that while there seems to be a wide range of skill levels for other weapons, for smallsword, nearly everyone I've seen is mediocre at best. Most people I've seen try to use the smallsword as they would a short, light rapier. And while that may be what a smallsword essentially IS, it's not how it should be USED. The smallsword is held and handled quite differently. The only good smallsword fencing I've seen (with perhaps one or two halfway decent exceptions) are from people who have a background in classical fencing. And this really shouldn't be surprising, as classical foil, as you know, is the training weapon FOR the smallsword, so it's a simple matter to apply the techniques from classical foil and épée fencing to smallsword.

[@scholagladiatoria]

Thanks, very interesting.

[@CollinClary]

scholagladiatoria​ I also have a request, if it's not too much trouble. If you get the chance, could you please post the blade specs for those two smallswords. (Length of the blade, length of the widened forte, blade width, etc.) Just curious as I've been toying with the idea of having someone (perhaps Marco Danelli if he's up to it) make a historically accurate colichemarde blade suitable for practice and sparring. There are a couple people that make practice colichemarde blades, however they're not particularly good blades (poor distal taper and the blade geometry is wrong), and all either have hexagonal or diamond shaped cross sections, rather than the hollow-ground triangular cross sections of the ones shown here.

[@vmark1111]

i think its there to give the blade more rigidity while also bringing the point of balance back to give more point control.

[@KorKhan89]

Just what I was thinking: The colichemarde would bring the balance further back, thus changing the handling of the sword. Maybe that was the intention.

[@m_d_c_t]

I think the additional metal on the colichemarde is so minimal that it probably does barely anything to alter the weapon's weight and therefore balance. 450 grams vs. 500 is a nearly imperceptible difference.

[@emarsk77]

I think 10% of weight difference should be very noticeable, and the distribution of it does really matter, not just total weight and point of balance, but the whole distribution. See this video for a first hand account on that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYHYiGSJgNN7Z6M (the core of if from 5:00 to 6:00, if you're in a hurry).

[@Dhomazhir]

Having moved from Reno, NV (High Desert) to Boston, MA (Humid Continental) has done a number on my wife's lungs. She has been sick for over a month with a persistent cough of some kind along with allergies. Luckily I lived in Portland for a bit so I'm doing OK.

[@sharpie443]

More space for engraving like an Italian cinquedea. The cheaper ones just copy the popular style without the engraving.

[@Strategiusz]

That and it is for better fit (not rattling) in the scabbard. And maybe just for better look.

[@LutzDerLurch]

how on earth would a colichemard small sword have any advantage over a 'regular' one regarding 'rattling in the scabbard'???

[@sharpie443]

The Stoned Videogame Nerd Not sure you know what your talking about. Full strong and full weak binds like you see in the I.33 manuscript are not talking about the strength of the sword. It's referring to leverage in a bind. It has nothing to do with how wide or thick the sword is.

[@sharpie443]

The Stoned Videogame Nerd a wider sword isn't going to help you with any of that. Any sword is going to be rigid at the hilt. It actually has more to do with leverage than how rigid your sword is. If you hold out your sword and I push on the tip(Full weak) or even the last 3/4 (half weak) you are going to have a far harder time controlling or resisting and compared to if I push towards the hilt (Full strong). It has nothing to do with the sword and everything to do with the physics of leverage.

[@Strategiusz]

But in this sword the width of the blade beside the hilt is not optimal, it is too wide, overkill, and that is the reason why we try to guess why it is made that way.

[@patricksnyder8596]

Perhaps the flared portion of the blade serves multiple purposes; I think like you suggest, it maybe to increase leverage in the bind, especially as the opposing blade is drawn down towards the handguard. Also, with the triangular section having the middle-edge inline with the back of the hand, it stacks the weight out further from the central axis of the blade, allowing a faster transition from wrist down to wrist up, similar with how the lobes of the figure-8 handguard are oriented.

[@Boilerz1]

Perhaps when thrusting with opposition, the extra wide forte helps with ensuring that the opposing blade will be directed away from the attacker's body, preventing a double kill?

[@Knight_Astolfo]

MM! YES! Give me more of those chops!

[@GallowglassAxe]

I have two theories for the Colichemarde. One is style and decoration. Kind of like the cinquedea It gives a good surface for etching and designs. It also looks noticeably different and makes your smallsword stand out more. The other idea is that it helps protect the guard (and maybe the hand) from glides and binds. So if someone with a saber for example tries to slide down your blade to hit over your guard it will run into that spread directing the force outward. Since smallswords have very decorative hilts they were ideal for defending with. I also have a question about the tang part. You said they forge weld an iron tang to a steel blade but that seems a lot of work to do that. It would be simpler to just to quench and heat treat the blade and just hold onto the tang while you do that. That's how modern smiths and traditional Japanese blades are made.

[@absolutelyheretical7132]

Yay finally we got to learn about those XD I've been wondering what they were for ages.

[@nicholasbenjamin3826]

I'll go with the obvious her. Fashion. Smallswords were for show+ the occasional duel, so I would not be surprised if someone had a hare-brained idea that looked slightly more militaristic, while accomplishing very little, and all the officers made that fashion choice.

[@AlBarathur]

That enlarged section of the blade serves the purpose of delivering a fatal blow more easily by thrusting all the way to the handgard, and while they are not sharp or heavy enough to deliver fatal cuts and slices, they are for sure sharp enough to enlarge the wound channel opened by the tip. Dueling swords do not need that feature since duel to death was more of an exception than the rule.

[@bmxriderforlife1234]

did small swords with blades able to cut carry on being used at later times? or did they fall out of favor completely? cause potentially the broader base couldve been meant for blocking against more cut oriented small swords or other not really proper cutting swords but things more capable of cutting then itself. also i really like that second small sword.

[@XiahouDun1225]

The broader base might still be to increase it's defensive capacity, thought it looks also like it could help with the stability and/or accuracy of the blade in the fine adjustments required when preparing a thrust, as the center of balance for the blade would be getting brought back towards the hilt.

[@thevelointhevale1132]

Matt - I think the answer to the Question of the 'Colichemarde' form is largely addressed by Castle, which in part touches on your notion that the broader element at the Forte might somehow assist in the bind. Note carefully what Castle states here and I quote ... "This form of blade was eminently favourable to methodical fencing and this is one of the rare instances in which the form of the weapon was not the result of the development of the theory, but one in which the invention of a new shape ultimately altered the whole system" .... Castle goes on to add ... "Soon after its coming into general use we begin to hear of the free use of the 'Cut over the Point', of multiple Feints, and of what especially constituted the essence of Smallsword or French Fencing (Now pay special attention here ... ) ... in contradistinction to Rapier Play, namely, Circular Parries (Contra-degagements) in the Four Lines". I think this tells us a hell of a lot about the use and influence of the Colichemarde style blade in France and its effect as something more than a fad of fashion in design terms. Castle indicates that this type of blade geometry in fact influenced and shaped the French School of Fencing. This deserves further exposition but this really isn't the medium in which to do it - take what I've shared as you find it.

[@apcreed]

Loving the mutton chops my man!

[@StairwayToAsgard]

I could barely even parry a full English Quarterstaff blow with my backsword(unless I overcommited my body and support my right arm with the left).

[@horseloverbouquet]

At the wide base it is even more ridged to defend while maintaining excellent point control .

[@garychurch1632]

You mentioned grabbing the blade so perhaps there was a way to grab the blade down there near the guard on the thin forte small sword and actually snap it or bend it and the widening made it stronger so that could not be done. My best guess. One of the comments says it is to allow it to be carried in a half sheath and perhaps this made it faster to draw. If there are mostly illustrations of it in this half sheath then maybe that is why. I have never seen such a thing myself but I have not made an effort to look at old illustrations of people with small swords. What a wicked little sticker! I have also seen pictures of them with a half-folding guard so it was even more comfortable to carry.

[@Evan-rj9xy]

Perhaps the broad part of the smallsword blade is simply for decoration, like the cinquedea? Anyways, I hope you feel better soon Matt! Keep up the great work

[@hinty6424]

That was my thought. As a weapon worn for duelling it is a weapon used by the wealthy and possessed much more for reasons of image ("Yes I am willing and able to defend myself do not insult me") than most more military swords. Is it not possible that the shape developed from a desire to etch the blade and thus make it give even more of a visual impact and the like. After all, the more money it looks like a man has spent on his sword, the more it might be assumed he has focused upon the sword and his training. It may give an opponent pause before issuing a challenge. Besides. People with enough money will encrust mobile phones with diamonds. Any opportunity to make a status object even more flashy. Perhaps people started getting the wider bases in order to etch them, and thus it became fashionable to have wider bases, whether you could afford the etching or no.

[@Eupolemos]

Nah, I don't think you'd go to the trouble of that unorthodox triangular shaped blade for lightness and rigidity, and then add weight on fancy decoration.

[@Evan-rj9xy]

Eupolemos Etching/engraving doesn't add any weight. If anything, it removes a tiny amount of material. As far as the reliefs on the pommel, knuckle bow and guard, those don't add weight either. It's simply assorted shapes that have been made out of the material that was already there. I guess the addition of gold and other metals could make it heavier, but I think the status symbol is worth the extra weight ;D

[@ryann6067]

Hi Matt, thank you for another interesting and informative video. I have a question unrelated to the particular subject matter of this video, sorry. What kind of hardware/hangers are you using to hang your swords on your wall? I work for a small museum that has a fairly sizable collection of revolutionary war through civil war era and beyond swords. we are currently in the midst of totally rebuilding and rearranging our object storage and I'm looking for proven yet affordable hooks/hangers for wall storage of swords. Most of these swords are sabers cutlasses and short swords, with and without scabbards. Thank you! And keep up the great work! -Ryan

[@3Devilish3]

I was always under the impression that people of stature i.e George Washington who supposedly preferred the colichemarde and also rode as cavalry liked it because of their familiarity with the smallsword but it's improved rigidity for thrusting on horseback as the forces imposed on the blade would be much greater on horseback.

[@etmaxxx]

i believe the best use would be to deflect an enemy blade which is sliding down.

[@Sabortooftigar]

Since the colichmarde seems like a fancy man's sword, it might be wider so they have more room for etching to show off, like the Italian cinquedea seems to be? not sure on spelling either of those.

[@DuncanMcBride]

I'd wager it brings the center of gravity a bit further back, when compared to a smallsword with a blade of even slope.

[@isayaragnes8066]

10:15 - god I love this joke

[@carloparisi9945]

Hi Matt, Bertolini suggests that smallswords with "broader blades" are better at defending thrusts, by way of providing a better opposition

[@scholagladiatoria]

Thanks Carlo, that's proper evidence. Please share anything else you find.

[@samuelcarley7245]

I was thinking something similar. It is a sword for thrusting. wouldn't the sudden widening help to deflect a parry? I would think that would help to ensure an affective thrust against an attempt to parry. I have never used a sword against an opponent.

[@thecaveofthedead]

I was thinking as you were talking, a stronger forte for small-sword vs. small-sword. For the bind, as you say. Gives you an advantage in parrying and engagement perhaps.

[@taylor_green_9]

I've been reading the comments and came across the suggestion that it was to increase rigidity. While I agree with that, I also still maintain my original thought that it must have been to bring the point of balance closer to the hand

[@garychurch1632]

I have been exercising with a boys axe- experimenting with how best to swing it. A Russian guy has a video about axe fighting and it got me interested. This led me to the Indian Bhuj, also known as the elephant knife. What a fascinating range of weapons the Indians produced- to fight the British probably! There does not seem to be anything like the Katar and Bhuj in the European arsenal. Perhaps you could do a video on "this uniqueness." I am also very interested in the use of the flintlock pistol butt as a weapon. Are there alot of historical records of it being discharged and then being used in combination with sword? Thanks for the great video on the small sword.

[@devonhen4238]

My guess , Would be that the width near the hilt could be for balancing purposes, making it more lively in the hand, tip control etc. it also probably keeps the blade from bowing/flexing as much on a good thrust or stab.

[@jfh667]

The back ground i dont mind so much. The weird facial hair are disturbing.

[@sirorlandodecorsica6210]

Yesss I thought I was the only one!

[@myowndata]

+1 for shave

[@lucacali8423]

The sources that I have confirms that the designs dates to the sword used by the franc-toupins, french popular militias born in the XV century and that attacked italy in the italian wars of the XVI century. They were sort of backsword (actually edged) with a pointy-estoc/smallsword on the last third of the sword, imho pretty handy both to hack trough peasants and to halfsword into Someones half-harmour. Maybe the design slowly evolved to a wide and decorated forte when the time for a all-around, anti armour weapon wasn't of much of a use in the late XVI cen. A little curiosity, colichemards in italian are actually called as the name of the militias that "carried" them: frantopini (italianization of franc-tupins)

[@lucacali8423]

Forgive the massive amount of errors and mishshaps, I was consulting the sources while typing so I messed up

[@LibertyLion1776]

Some states have constitutional open carry and this definitely has historical precedence that would definitely make it legal to carry one of these swords.

[@DisdainusMaximus]

Matt, I think the reason why these smallswords are triangular hollow ground is because military bayonets of that era are of the exact same design. Thrust-centric training probably dictated the shape of the blade and standardization probably caused military smallsword design which was copied in civilian life like often happens. Also, the wielder of a smallsword is not expected to go into direct combat, it is purely a last ditch self defense weapon, so it has to be light and unobtrusive. A bayonet blade is all that, and you can still stab bitches with it until they dead. An officer is probably not going to engage enemy cavalry in hand to hand combat.

[@raymondmorad6948]

Just a thought, but the step up to the broader portion of the blade does provide a shoulder that may assist in the bind at keeping the opponent's blade further from your hilt. Not sure how that could be an advantage.

[@daniellanczi-wilson9549]

Suggestion for the purpose of the colichemarde: If it's associated mostly with military smallswords, as opposed to duelling swords, could the purpose be to inflict more grievous injury and/or aid disengaging your sword from an impaled opponent? I remember in one of your earlier videos you quoted an officer's account of "giving point" to an enemy soldier charging towards him and words to the effect of "I encountered no resistance until the hilt of my sword touched his chest". In such a situation, the broader base section of the blade would possibly a) result in a broader wound, causing greater blood loss and a greater probability of hitting a vital organ and; b) make it easier to free your sword from your opponent's body by twisting it to release it. The latter point is particularly important if you're using a sword with a narrow tang, reducing the risk of bending your blade where it connects to the hilt as you disengage it from your opponent's body (the sword is more resistant to torsional strain than lateral, particularly with the triangular cross-section?). Also, on a battlefield and with multiple opponents, being able to quickly disengage your sword is more important than in a duel, as you need to be quickly ready for the next opponent. Just a theory but it seems to fit with the data. I'd be interested in your response.

[@MisterKisk]

Matt, I was wondering about this for a few days and I thought I'd ask you. Regarding cruciform arming swords, I know there are sword and buckler treatises that teach how to fence with the two, but sometimes you don't always have a buckler with you, or it's been damaged to the point or rendering it unusable. I'm wondering if any of the treatises go in any sort of depth of just fencing with the sword alone. Would you happen to know anything about such a thing?

[@DoktorWeasel]

Good question. At first I thought that I saw some on Wiktenauer, but most of what I was remembering were dealing with the later side-sword. I suppose the increased hand protection made it a more reasonable choice to use on it's own (although there are still plenty of treatment of side-sword and buckler). But looking again I'm not really seeing anything. Perhaps Fiore de'i Liberi's Sword in One Hand kind of counts, but it's not as in depth as using two hands and seems to show to using a longsword one handed. Maybe the messer techniques could be used, they're about using a one-handed weapon with no companion in the off hand. But maybe this is one of those things that just isn't covered in the treatises like medieval sword and shield, maces and single-handed axes. I'm curious as to what Matt has to say as well.

[@JustGrowingUp84]

From what I've researched online and read on forums, it seems that there no treatises that deal with that, only a section here and there. People who want to train arming sword adapt from messer, or even later sources like sidesword and backsword.

[@scholagladiatoria]

Well of course there are numerous treatises on using the longsword alone and much of that material can be adapted to one-handed swords. However the main sources are German treatises dealing with the langemesser (eg. Leckuchner), Fiore dei Liberi's sword in one hand (both on foot and on horse) and the Bolognese sidesword treatises such as Marozzo.

[@LordTytusMandarynka]

That pommel joke. :D I believe Skallagrim approves. :D

[@JC-Denton]

It looks to me like a bigger weapon is more likely to glance off at the C'marde and therefore move away from the defender. This deflection might result in an opportunity to launch a quick attack at closer distance... :-)

[@Matt_The_Hugenot]

If the colichemarde were sharpened to some degree, and the shape indicates it would be easier to do so than a standard smallsword, then it would be easier to achieve a good bind against a cutting blade.

[@MickeyCuervo36]

HOOOLY mother of SIDEBURNS, Batman!

[@spikeguy33]

Rocking that beardcut :)

[@commando552]

Could the wider section at the bottom be to make it more robust to be worn, especially in a military context? I can imagine that if you were to fall onto the sword or get it tangled in yours (or someone elses) legs, this is the sort of area where it would bend/break rather than at the tang, and widening it here makes it more robust for general carry without compromising the effectiveness of the thrusting part.

Wouldnt you more guide a strike from a heavyer sword than right out block it? I realy dont know much about the swords in question, but it would instictively seem like a better idea, regardless of the base of the blade?

[@larryscott2548]

A triangular blade will have more structural strength for its weight than most other shapes. Also I was told that a triangular thrusting point leaves a wound which is less likely to heal.

[@ryanricks]

great video. i haven't been able to find any nice small sword replicas, at least not any designed to be sharp

[@rickeymariu1]

I still think he thicker base would be better for blocking heavier blows, if they changed the hilt and tang then it would be a spadroon basicly.

[@thomasf2736]

Would certainly make a wider wound, given that you stick it up to the end in your dueling "partner". Which maybe could be the case if you have to close in. Also i guess it absorbs some of the flexing. Could work in a similar way like tapered arrows, who have to take in a lot of force, while you shoot them.

[@AbenZin1]

Would the thicker base of the sword increase the stiffness of the blade, for better thrusting?

[@edi9892]

Do you think the CS Colchimarde could be used for parrying swords? Its forte has a much better design (double H), but the tang looks still thin for me.

[@vinja89]

Hi Matt, love all of your stuff and longtime subscriber but I think this is my first time commenting. I know this is an old video but I have a question if you could find the time to answer? I'm a big fan of small swordswords (colichemardes specifically actually, I just think they look cool as hell) but not a practitioner at all so this may be a stupid question. But why is smallsword never paired with a buckler? It seems to me, admittedly from my untrained eye, that they would go fantastic together? Am I overlooking something? This just keeps bothering me and any insight you or any other knowledgeable viewers could provide would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for your time sir.

[@anthonyclare6750]

Two things come to mind regarding the Colichemarde, and having only handled civilian style smallswords I could be way off here. First it could be to change the handling of the sword, so that the pivot point is at the tip of the blade, so that the point is online as naturally as possible. Secondly could be to change the angle of "deflection" of your opponents blade when countering a thrust or gaining control of the bind. There does seem to be a strong change in the angle, which could aid somehow. Just something to think about. To those that have a Colichemarde Smallsword does any of this make sense?

[@th_blck_knght]

Could you share some sources in the iron tang steel blade stuff? Not that I doubt you, just interested in learning more about it.

[@thebobbytytesvarrietyhour4168]

So, off the top of my head, could the colichemarde be relevant to stabbing someone. My thought is that it would keep the sword from going cleanly through the person, up to the hilt, and instead stop them at some theoretical ideal distance. Kind of like langets on a boar spear?

[@piotrpiotrowski4681]

Just a loose thought - what if that was designed to maximize damage with REALLY deep thrusts? As in, usually you get a really small entry wound, but if you push through, it gets wider, therefore more lethal - while still retaining low weight and maneuverability of the weapon?

[@gollypo448]

Where's Mett Euston gone? His "I'll roon yoo froo wiv a spodrooooon" Is probably why there is a lingering connection between you and spadroons, Matt.

[@11kakuzu]

hes right below you.

[@nikitaonassis6090]

The reason for the thickness of the blade is simply construction in hope of a more sturdy base. Nothing more. Structurally they would have to redesign the blade tank up to withstand heavier forces.

[@sleddog3092]

Hey I'm new to the Chanel..... Anyway I have a question. Do you know where I could get both a historically accurate and a sparring rapeir ?

[@scholagladiatoria]

Danelli Armouries, Darkwood Armories, Arms & Armor - there are many companies making them, but those are the first three that come to mind.

[@sleddog3092]

Thanks I used to make fun of that fighting style but now that I have a teacher, it's one of my favorites

[@jesseshort8]

We need the sideburns back Matt!

[@zenhydra]

Could the colichemarde just be an attempt to add mass for superior blade presence/primacy in any blade-on-blade interaction? It wouldn't make much of a difference against a sabre (or the like), but against a smallsword without the colichemarde it may give enough of an advantage to be worth the added cost/effort.