Big but QUICK! An original Two-Handed Sword (Montante / Zweihander / Spadone)

[@alexanderren1097]

The fact that Matt is at an auction house examining and talking about old weapons keeps making me expect Ian McCollum to make an appearance

[@j.f.fisher5318]

It's a great format. I hadn't realized it was a thing but now seeing two creators doing it I really enjoy it. I guess The Chieftain has done similar with vehicles too. Anyway good stuff!

[@johnflorio2351]

Matt as a maker these videos are awesome. In the US some of the museums/ collections are thousands of miles away. this kind of thing are a public service to blade culture everywhere. Please do 10,000 more of these even if they devolve into shorts. Thanks, keep being Matt Easton!

[@jonahmarlow3816]

Absolutely!

[@j.f.fisher5318]

And I really enjoy the auction house format. It seems to accentuate the feeling of discovery and bring out the best in you as a historian and speaker. Cheers!

[@disky01]

I love the proportions of this piece, and the relatively understated ornamentation.

[@Helldiver_Sete]

"Even with his launch scraping the bottom, Antonio grappled the galley from the stern. At once five Portuguese knights, wearing suits of armour that covered them from head to foot, jumped into her and, wielding their two-handed swords, created havoc all around them. Within minutes the galley was fully cleared of enemies! But by a stroke of ill fortune, just at the point when Antonio de Noronha was about to board the galley an arrow hit him on one of his knees, causing a serious wound that made him fall helpless inside the launch. Concerned only in saving Antonio, the launch’s crew pulled away, leaving the five knights alone in the galley facing hundreds of enemies that pressed them from all sides. Then an epic fight took place in which those five performed prodigies of valour with their two-handed swords, not allowing the Adilkhan’s soldiers to return to the galley. From his vantage point atop a high parapet Adilkhan watched, in amazement, the way in which the Portuguese were fighting and could not restrain himself from praising them. Some launches tried to go in aid of the five isolated knights, but the low water prevented them from doing so. It was then that the boatswain of one of the «naus» who happened to be in one of the launches, had the presence of mind to tell the crew, except for the six oarsmen, to pass to the other launches in order to lighten the one in which he himself was. In so doing he was able to quickly approach the galley’s stern, and collect the knights that were inside her except one, named João de Eiras who, in order to cover the retreat of his companions, rushed into the midst of the enemies for never to return." Portuguese Sea Battles Volume I The First World Sea Power 1139-1521 Saturnino Monteiro

[@uncletiggermclaren7592]

João de Eiras is the name of a bad-arse.

[@j.f.fisher5318]

Wow! That's a great story. It feels disrespectful to the memory of those brave warriors to make Skyrim references though omg I want to.

[@ericlayton8888]

João de Eiras deserves a movie, what an absolute legend

[@necroseus]

I do hope you're getting measurements for all of these!!! I would love to see some windlass designs based on some of the gorgeous swords!!

[@nathanaelsmith3553]

I think the re-attached tip makes this sword more attractive. It tells a story and suggests it was valued enough to repair. The edge damage also suggests that it was put to use. Sets the imagination racing.

[@notspacekeeper]

Swords definitely look nicer with some patina and wear. The mass-manufactured modern replicas are far too pristine and neat. It's the same with tools, brand new tools look horrible, but once they've been through the wars, they suddenly seem better. Reminds me of something else - a youtube channel where an older man with a large car collection drives an 80s Ferrari Testarossa in the desert in North Africa IIRC, and says "It looks better with some dust and sand on it, doesn't it?". And it really does. I think people who use things (tools, weapons, whatever) have an instinct that something that looks like it's seen heavy use is probably good, whereas something that looks new/perfect hasn't proven itself. The firearms community has its own version of this as well.

[@me.ne.frego.]

@@notspacekeeper It happens too with classic film cameras with brass body painted black, everyone loves faded paint on friction areas leaving some naked brass, it looks good and implies heavy carry and use, making you look like a pro. Even Leica made a limited edition body with the black finish all damaged from factory, but I think it's super lame when the wear is not from authentic use. There's also electric guitars with false heavy wear from factory, I believe those are called "relic" models.

[@notspacekeeper]

@@me.ne.frego. I didn't know that, that's so stupid. Who's buying a film camera anyway that isn't an enthusiast? I'm thinking it's for people who imagine they're amazing photographers but don't want to do all the work.

[@CDKohmy]

I like how the lugs look more sophisticated than I commonly see: more trappy than the equilateral triangle lugs and more elegant than the beefy crescent lugs.

[@pexobestia]

I can add one more use, as dcumented in sword and cape spanish novellas: in practice duels, the sergeant of arms/referee used a montante to interrupt the duel if needed, crossing it between the duelists..

[@polymathart]

This video screams "Forgotten Weapons" energy.

[@j.f.fisher5318]

Same. And I'm loving it.

[@Kaiyanwang82]

"Forgotten Weapons, but melee"

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Yet another on-site examination video of an amazing antique! Beautiful carving on the lugs, pommel and quillons, but that thick ricasso and hexagonal cross section on the blade really take the cake! Though it doesn't seem to have a ton of profile taper (rather typical for zweihander and montante), the thick ricasso at almost 10mm really helps a ton with the mass distribution, as a rectangular cross section has twice the area as a diamond one of the same height and width, and that convex distal taper of course! Keep the bottom half rigid and the foible nimble and thin for enhanced cutting. Genius!

[@agentoranj5858]

The term 'masterwork' springs to mind.

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

@@agentoranj5858 indeed.

[@FiliiMartis]

I knew about the Spanish using the montante on ships. But I didn't know that the simple guard (no side rings) was a sign it was Spanish. I associated the look with the Italian spadone; I need to check more carefully places like "The spadone project" and correct my views. Btw, those heads on the lugs are sea-serpents. Just check how they were represented in medieval art. For some reason (well, cuz no one actually saw one), they gave them those round ears (I double-check with a simple search, so others can easily find this as well). All signs (including the shell motive on the quillon block) ties in with your assessment that this is a Spanish montante that was used onboard ships. Edit: yea, Marozzo's images in his manuscript on the use of the spadone gave me the idea that this look is Italian. Oh no, there are people that think that the Bolognese tradition has Spanish roots (I disagree; they can claim south Italian traditions though). Wait, does this count as evidence towards that? Nooooo! 😭

[@hic_tus]

i think the restauration on the blade is pefectly ok, it is visible, it keeps the sword together, less chance to lose the tip in the future, great for display... i think there's nothing wrong with that! loving the episodes matt, i'm so jealous you can handle that stuff haha! and yes btw i'm from sardinia and my region was under spanish domination for 100 years. there's a town in the north west of the island, called Algero (beautiful, i strongly recommend if you fancy a holiday, history, beaches, even fortifications and coastal defence towers...) where they still speak a mix of sardinian language and catalan. i have dear old friends there and honestly i can't understand them when they speak dialect hahaha! food and wine are great too. not sponsored, just love 😜

[@Sirsethtaggart3505]

That sword is absolutely beautiful. I've really enjoyed these recent vids, looking at original pieces.

[@bl4cksp1d3r]

I love the look of the secondary guard on the blunt section of the sword. A lot of finer details paired with clean lines

[@Uruz2012]

Constructed in a very strong way too. Looks as if the blad was shaped and then a hot chisel was used to make cuts. Then the lugs would have been bent out. This leaves the grain of the metal intact from the lugs through that massive ricasso.

[@cypherfunc]

I absolutely love the style of this. I always think of two-handers as having broad flat blades; but the proportions and elegant styling of this are stunning.

[@UnintentionalSubmarine]

I'm glad to went over the possible edge damage by other blades, as I noticed, on the close overview, that one of the lugs appears to almost have a slight peel to it (4:27), and a little up the ricasso there is another (4:29), but this time repaired. While those could absolutely be from 'whoops' scenarios or stupid play, they are in an area that points more strongly to actual combat, or at least serious training.

[@dracxiometal_drolf8157]

It is an absolutely beautiful piece of history and I personally wish more modern sword making companies would make swords of this style and size

[@IIDASHII]

Those blade stops look like sea-monster heads to me. Perhaps to go with the seashell motif?

[@thepagan5432]

Really nice looking sword, so much more manageable than the broadsword I've got. The small cross guards are a good addition. Being used on ships is a good way to keep boarders at bay. Strangely they used smaller siege weapons on board ships like catapults, ballistas and even trebuchets etc, something that surprised me during research into "Protecting ships from pirates and other ne'er-do-wells.😂 Good post.

[@GrandDungeonDad]

I would love to see Tod remake this thing! It looks amazing.

[@bencoomer2000]

Currently making a Danish style two hander and just hearing that mine seems within range of a historical one is gratifying.

[@Joe___R]

That sword would be great for your third batch of replica swords you are making with windless.

[@paulwilson8672]

How cool is it to get to handle all those antique swords. I'm jealous. Enjoy your time. Great Video!!!

[@TheKiltedYaksman1]

That is a lovely piece. I would love to even have a repop of this particular sword.

[@tirionpendragon]

This sword is majestic!! Wow.

[@PalleRasmussen]

That is a beautiful sword. And no more worn that my Viking reenactment fighting sword from... 1997. And the edge damage is more evident at 04:34 where I noticed it first.

[@lalbus1607]

That is such a high-end decoration! I really aprecciate the amount of details your videos bring us, such as the measures of the thickness, the weight, point of balance and the closes on the decoration. That makes your channel special!

[@juanmolinafernandez3983]

The montantes in Spain had another use: they were the weapons of the fencing masters, used not only as symbol of mastery, but to separate two fencers in the fencing school.

[@tirionpendragon]

That's actually really cool. Saluti dall'Italia. 💪🏻🇮🇹

[@iDEATH]

Lol, I was just thinking, "that looks like it'd be delicious if it were made out of icing" right before Matt said it looked like a sweetie. Totally a cake decoration on a big sword. Love it. If I had the money that's exactly the slender bladed type of two-hander I'd love to have.

[@Chertoff88]

I've always wanted to see a real one. What beautiful detail.

[@JDre_Karn]

THE LEGEND NEVER DIES..

[@batteredwarrior]

What a beautiful sword!

[@offyourocker]

the zweihander is my favorite sword type/style/design. thank you, this sword and this video was really cool.

[@CapitaineNautilus]

Thanks for showing us all the details of this weapon.

[@lunacorvus3585]

Gorgeous sword! Big, slender, and quick

[@Solemngolem]

What a remarkable and beautiful weapon.

[@Leftyotism]

Very beautifully preserved piece of history! 🥰

[@WhatIfBrigade]

By the way, I'm loving the auction house videos. Hopefully this will lead to you getting access to some unique weapons and maybe even some weapons with a documented history where you can tell the story.

[@level98bearhuntingarmor]

These Greatswords are so cool

[@davidsachs4883]

Even though I have no intention of bidding on any of these, I’m enjoying these videos from the auction house better then videos of Swords from his personal collection .

[@cptamazingone]

Good lord! I hope you too very detailed notes on this piece. That sword is stunning!!! I would love to see an accurate modern replica of this.

[@ryanwalker8843]

Clicked immediately. I've been eyeing that sword up in the background of the previous videos.

[@JT_Soul]

Great video. I'd like to hear about the Katzbalger on the far left.

[@kleinerprinz99]

A beautiful & elegant artefact!

[@housedelarouxmotion]

This is a great and informative breakdown, I learnt a lot listening to this!

[@jamesfrankiewicz5768]

Definitely a different style to the German ones I saw at a few different castles in southern Germany and northern Switzerland. Those ones generally had the blade stop further up than that Spanish example (although I think I remember seeing one example without blade stops), the crossguards and pommels looked a bit more stout, and maybe a third of the examples were flamberged.

[@ilcuzzo12]

Very cool Matt

[@brittakriep2938]

Galeeren had a ramming sporn (?) well into 18th century. Last french ones had been build arround 1730. Last military use was in late 18th century (1770s or 1780s) during a naval battle between Russia and Ottoman Empire on turkish side. When in 1799 napoleonic troops conquered Venice, there was still an unarmed represenation Galeere of Venice Ruler called Doge. French troops took away pompeous decorations, and transformed the ship into a swimming gun battery. Ramming was in mediterran naval warfare never forgotten, in 1866 austrian admiral Tegethof won a naval battle against italian admiral Persano , still using ramming.

[@EriktheRed2023]

Another gorgeous piece! Thank you.

[@akumagouki8668]

Amazing thanks again Matt!!!

[@A_Medieval_Shadow]

Interesting sword. The parrying hooks look like they are in northern german style, the Crossguard is as short as a Spadones and the rest looks like a iberian Montante. A real beauty.

[@KingTrouser]

Does the distal taper change suddenly at the repair point? I'm wondering if the smith doing the reattachment also aimed to bring the POB back a bit by thinning down the tip. Just a curiosity...

[@bobwehner7881]

Very interesting. I'd enjoy seeing a co-production with you and Drachinifel on shipboard employment of these types of weapons.

[@DemianX6x6x6X]

beautiful yet simple, i like it!

[@baltasartranconywidemann5129]

The Landsknecht greatsword types were called "Doppelsöldner", literally "double mercenaries", who supposedly where worth double wages.

[@StevenBunker-d6v]

Need to add this sword to the royal armory collection!

[@lalli8152]

Such lovely sword

[@ShagShaggio]

Awesome piece. Cheers!

[@thormusique]

Thanks, Matt, this is truly a beauty! I may be grasping at straws here but is it possible that the beautiful shell medallion or boss was intended as a Camino de Santiago connection? Cheers!

[@agish3169]

beatiful example!

[@shovelchop81bikeralex52]

Gorgeous!! I'd love a replica! I have a functional Scottish Lowlands Claymore that is very similar to a montante except it doesn't have the long ricaso or lugs but does have guard rings, lovely sword to swing and very effective at cutting down higher up small branches! I can't help but wonder how on earth this could be used effectively on a ship though, even a mastless gally, the usual sweeping arcs of continuous figure of eights would be totally impractical I would have thought causing all kinds of collateral damage. That would leave it to only be used as a very expensive pike would it not? I must be missing something, I watched your great video on naval boarding actions but it wasn't mentioned there as they were about much later periods. Any info on more of how this could actually be used justifiably on a ship would be fascinating, cheers!

[@Lowlandlord]

That is an awesome sword!

[@leoscheibelhut940]

It would be very interesting to know what this beauty fetched at auction so we can start saving up!

[@Leftyotism]

When the auctioneer is excited about a blade I am inclined to pay more. 😊

[@kaoskronostyche9939]

Cool sword. Thank you.

[@-RONNIE]

Thanks for the video ⚔️

[@basilbrushbooshieboosh5302]

Beautiful

[@tomasnemec5680]

Hi Matt, that is a beautiful sword! How much did it weigh?

[@Ptaaruonn]

My guess, 1.2 -1.5 kg

[@beafraidofinsectattack]

Epic video as always! 😎

[@illmade2]

How about getting windlass to reproduce that?

[@365berhane]

Really cool video, love me some greatsword.

[@bobrobinson1576]

I'd love to know how they repaired something like that. Was it simply forge welded together or was there some way of keeping or rescuing the temper?

[@darrinrebagliati5365]

Interesting piece.

[@drzander3378]

I’d love to get a quality reproduction of that montante, ideally a sharp for cutting practice.

[@zurcarak]

Great sword! I also liked your shirt + watch, suits you well

[@Heulerado]

Great greatsword, even

[@bigdaddydinglebe]

I am new to this channel and I

[@311Bob]

You should have never mentioned that repair how I wanted to see it up close to see how it was done. And if it would actually hold up in combat or was it repaired for a wall hanger as a family heirloom . Oh the loss of a segment squandered. Very interesting piece non the less

[@UnbeltedSundew]

Can you talk about boarding pikes in one episode (or maybe you already did)? I never understood exactly what they were or why they seem like they were preferred by the royal navy for arming their men during sea engagements. Edit: Ah never mind I see it in the linked collab vids at the end lol.

[@dashcammer4322]

Now I have to watch the vid to see if you tell us where the CG is.

[@peterchristiansen9695]

Interesting how oversized swords - that could reasonably be designated as ‘area denial weapons’; used in the cramped streets of late medieval or renaissance cities, or conversely in open battlefields - was deployed on certain types of warships! We often tend to think that ships - with their innumerable confined spaces - naturally "favors" shorter weapons, like axes or ‘short-swords’ like shorter messer/falchion, hangers, cutlasses, wakizashi, daggers etc. But warships were, obviously, regularly built like floating fortresses… Good stuff, this video! 😊

[@Anon_571]

Notice how it is not overbuilt, it's like a longer long sword.

[@emblemarms]

I am so jealous! What an amazing opportunity to see, and touch, and smell those works of history.... Did you lick any of them?

[@ianwinter514]

if you had just stood a bit to the side one could have had a pretty good view of the Zweihänder in the background as comparison

[@tboudewijns113]

4.45 you mention cuphilt rapiers being popular in the Netherlands. Do you have any source for that, since i have looked into this in the past and i was surprised by the lack of cuphilted rapiers in Dutch art aswel as a lack of surviving examples. Yes there was allot of Spanish influences in the lowcountrues especialy in what is now Belgium. But cuphilted rapiers dont seem to have been as popular, same goes for the Spanish sailguarded dagger and the montante (germanic style two handed swords seem to have been the norm) So i would realy like to know the source to see if i have missed something.

[@EndorFine-h3r]

The Prodigal Son in the Tavern Rembrandt and Saskia, c1635

[@tboudewijns113]

@@EndorFine-h3r good point, though Rembrandt is hard to take seriousely since he liked to ad exotic alagorical and fantasyfull eliments to his paintings.

[@ThisHandleIsDefinatelyTaken]

good video

[@hashimrahman51]

Would that guard actually hold up to a good thwack? It looks awfully thin and I assume it’s not tempered steel.

[@Myomer104]

"This damage may have been done by children playing around." "By the way, this sword still has a sharp edge." ...Say what?

[@davidribeiro1064]

What the hell??? How did I miss this video?

[@fredrikbreivald388]

Will they let you try some test cuts? 😄

[@HypocriticYT]

I “almost “ feel bad bidding up others on online auctions😂 Now auctions realize top prices and no longer a pickers price. However even if you pay a bit more the sword will rise in price given time. Rare swords you can’t lose even if you pay a premium at the time. The best swords tend to disappear into collections for decades so unless you’re willing to wait and pay much more later 😢

[@riyadislam3441]

Beautiful sword. Hope someone makes a decent reproduction of it.

[@Odin029]

I didn't know superdry made button downs.

[@josecoronadonieto6911]

Before i watch the video, That's what she said!!

[@holstensolar4648]

Exelente video 🤌

[@mysticonthehill]

I never like when Matt talks about features of actual artifacts that might be possible interrupted as they should be wielded or excessively handled.

[@dirckthedork-knight1201]

That's what she said

[@lindleyfrancis4034]

What is the weight of the sword?

[@RealZeratul]

He wrote in another video that he wasn't allowed to measure the weights, but I'd love to know why.

[@lindleyfrancis4034]

@@RealZeratul Pity.

[@trancamortal]

Renaissance galleys had rams.

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

I heard blade length but I didn't hear (if you said) overall length.

[@nowthenzen]

If I had a dime every time I heard 'Big but QUICK' ... I would have a nickel ..😥