Indian swords at the Wallace Collection

[@JustGrowingUp84]

Oh man, they are all so beautiful!

[@melchaios]

Oh man!! indians really took sword pimping to the next level!! Seriously though, those are some really nice looking blades. I don't think I've ever seen this kind of sword customization ever before

[@edi9892]

It's so sad that no-one bothers today in the era of mass production to make items as beautiful as these.

[@StairwayToAsgard]

Sweet swords. Could you please make a short video on the benefits and drawbacks of saw toothed and wavy blades shown versus normal blades. I imagine the draw and push cuts with saw-tooth blades cut deeper?

[@shaktikumarbadgujar4285]

I think the wound that saw teeth sword make takes longer to heal.and wounds also look ugly

[@AntiCitizenZero]

Things I want to know about wavy/flamed blades: 1.) Do they cut better, as common/conventional wisdom would suggest? 2.) How is the sword's physical geometric properties affected? 3.) Seems that there will be more metal in the blade for a given length and width of blade. Does this mean the blade is heavier and changes the handling characteristics? 4.) Do the waves change the blade/sword's harmonic properties? Do the center of percussion, vibrational nodes change? 5.) Does it absorb more shock and vibration from a clash? 6.) Seems to me that the obvious advantage would be in the bind or parry, as each undulation is wave is a mini horn/crossguard that trap or hold your opponent's blade in position. 7.) What disadvantages would there be? Weight/fragility? Cost? 8.) What was the method for manufacturing a wavy blade? Sometimes, I wish I were still in university or graduate school so I'd have time and support to research these things....

[@daniyelplainview]

To many of those, who asked about the split tipped blade... it is a pattern imitating the legendary sword (not sure about historicity), Zulfiqar, of Prophet Muhammad (who gifted it to Ali). Similar stylized swords/depictions can be found in a lot of places under Islamic influence (coat of arms of Iran under Phalavi dynasty for example). I think it was not of any actual use though and more of ceremonial in nature. It was also done to show off the skills of the sword maker. Check our the wiki page.

[@Catsincages]

*Gromit, that's it!* Tulwars! We'll go somewhere where there's tulawars!

[@Tullio238]

+Catsincages Not the moon then. Only cheese there ;)

[@ValendianCrafts]

Now this could be a fantastic opening clip for a mysterious movie; great choice of background music for these pictures. I got chills from 0:35 on, as the blue and silver sword-hilt appeared!

[@SlurponMuhdickKillTheState]

Music makes it sound like someone's planning a heist.

[@Ab_someone]

😂🤣😂

[@NoahWeisbrod]

3:02 those are everything I could want in sword.

[@pruthvivernekar2813]

They are maratha sword

[@jeelpatel525]

pruthvi vernekar yes maratha yodhhas

[@rohitastrofpv7975]

Some of these swords may belong to the great Maratha empire of india. Marathas fought with Mughals and never let them take the india. Eventually Marathas surrendered to East india company not Mughals coz Mughals were no where to be seen at that time. Thanks to Marathas we are still hindu or else we would have been Muslims.

[@flavorfeastbyabrar3647]

Marathas were looters and sheeps , they fell under foot of British

[@JoakimfromAnka]

You got to make a video about those strange wavy and saw toothed blades. o_o

[@adrianj402]

+Parrot Macaw They look right of of fantasy, don't they? I imagine they're more aesthetic than functional. Not that I would want to be hit with one.

[@puppyenemy]

+Parrot Macaw And the wavy blade got its tip spliced like a snake tongue!

[@SkullCollectorD5]

+Parrot Macaw That wavy blade form is commonly called a flamberge, although I've only seen those on large two-handed swords and maybe rapiers. As for the two-handed swords at least, apparently the undulating shape caused disturbing vibrations when parrying an incoming blow, slowing down the attacker. I have no idea why the one in the video has such a blade, though, or even if this is actually "just" a unique aesthetic design choice.

[@Drayran]

+Parrot Macaw It reminds me of an italian sword I've seen in the museum of art and history in Vienna. The saw teeths were even more pronounced than on this sabre and it was used to cut ropes and/or the rig during boarding manouvers. EDIT: Ah, I remember it was called a Venetian Saw-Cortellagio of 1560/1570 postimg.org/image/4z8pyyfzb/

[@puppyenemy]

SkullCollectorD5 First time I saw a wavy blade was those kris daggers, which is from Indonesia. So it's definitely close to India. I've mostly seen them in pop culture associated with weird occult stuff involving human sacrifice though.

[@ritumalik2977]

Nothing more beautiful than swords

[@amberframe5902]

who says katanas look beautiful has neever seen indian swords!

[@somnathmajumdar9261]

INCREDABLE INDIA

[@frasersteen]

Hey Matt, you should do a video on wavy blades. Did they work, what were the advantages/disadvantages etc. Loving the content

[@donnyf9247]

beautifully crafted swords. you simply don't see that level of skill or craftsmanship anymore. yet we are so advanced....

[@MegaRami14]

Wow ! Just wow ! These swords are so freaaaaking awesome . Certainly they were very expensive . Would you please tell me to whom they belonged ?

[@bjmccann1]

Please Matt! You must explain the serrated and wavy blades! Thanks.

[@gabrielthomsen3703]

Wow, they are magnificent works of art. I hope I can purchase a replica of one of those some day.

[@khiranmohan103]

ancient sword used by kings

[@Cabbolf]

Very cool, I wanna see several of those up close.

[@StairwayToAsgard]

Freaky background music makes these weapons feel like they are 'alien'

[@CarnelianUK]

I know I'm not the only one to ask, but would love to see you do a short video talking about the wavy and serrated blades shown in this collection (or even just unusual blade types in general)

[@Carbon762]

Gorgeous swords! Do we know whose they were? Could anyone with enough dosh get one of these?

[@RelativelyBest]

The music made it seem like your were planning a heist. You gonna steal those fancy swords, Matt?

[@DuncanMcBride]

Typically I love flamberge blades, but that shamshir around the 1:10 mark has me feeling really conflicted... it seems like a normal blade, but it looks as if someone just severely reprofiled the edge. It looks cool, but I question it's effectiveness. Also, I wonder how a more pronounced wave would look and function on a shamshir with a flamberge blade

[@althesmith]

I was last in the Wallace collection in 1998. IIRC most of the Indian swords were wootz.

[@chazsaw]

That music was disconcertingly dramatic :P Also, the presence of serrated and "squiggled" blades made me wonder if at some stage +scholagladiatoria might talk about the Kris (and similar blades), especially as to what, if any, practical advantages their shape afforded them :)

[@gpgpgpgp1000]

I like the one that looked like hands. Baltimore Knife and Sword sells a fantasy scimitar with a fist pommel, wonder if they were inspired by historical examples of that.

[@grazzitdvram]

aww come on, they didn't let you handle them? Ya know just go in there and say "hey its matt from scholagladiatoria on youtube, I'm here to play with your collection" and voila!

[@scholagladiatoria]

+grazzitdvram There will be a handling session in the future - I have actually handed quite a few items in the Wallace Collection in the past luckily.

[@Amodelsino]

+A.D. Baylis As far as I understand they're the same sword, but shamshir is the Persian word, and also where the name originates from, with scimitar being derived from it.

[@KorKhan89]

+A.D. Baylis I always assumed "scimitar" was a generic European description for curved middle-eastern swords, possibly derived from "Shamshir". The Shamshir, the kilij, the saif, the Mamluk sword and perhaps even the tulwar would all fall under this umbrella term. I can't give you any exact quotes on this, so I'm sure someone else can correct me if I'm wrong.

[@MrBellsBlues]

+scholagladiatoria Do you go to a lot of handling sessions?

[@danhodg1]

thanks for sharing Matt, beautiful weapons

[@discochoir]

I suspect the gentle undulating blade might have been superior at draw cuts. Maybe...or little difference one way or the other. Perhaps it depends on the situation. The saw tooth one I'd imagine is more decorative than anything else. Some gorgeous swords. Awesome vid. Great music. :)

[@Williamstanway]

I can't help feeling Tobias will jump out at any second , must be the tunes

[@lajospapp258]

The music reminds me of the music in Zatoichi (2003), when they're working on the field.

[@Giloup92]

Is the sawtoothed blade as effective as it is impressive?

[@Giloup92]

+Buyaga Dodzyo I wonder if this kind of blades do really cut better.

[@kapitantaryfa]

+Giloup92 if they did all cutting blades would be like that

[@geolan31]

+Giloup92 They cut bread better, that's for sure.

[@Giloup92]

+kapitantaryfa Right!

[@TimmyTurner421]

You guys always forget the fact that flame-shaped blades are more time consuming to make thus are more expensive. If you have the choice between a regular shaped blade and a flame-shaped blade which may be a bit a better at cutting but costs twice as much, you'd most likely choose the regular shaped sword. I think everyone would've carried a flame-shaped sword if they were less expensive and easier to forge.

[@sonny19931]

Is the split point of the wavy blade at 1:10 a reference to Zulfiqar, the legendary scimitar of muslim tradition, or could it have a practical purpose?

[@48mastadon]

With that ominous music in the background, I was expecting you to cut the glass, grab a sword, and make a break for the door.

[@prabhdyalsingh4722]

Beautyful........! So beautyful.

[@b33lze6u6]

that kris bladed one was amazing

[@philvalz]

Such beauties! What's up with that splitted tip on the one with the wavy blade?

[@astrazenica7783]

The Indians are gonna want all these back when they see this, lol. Liking the dark music on these vids btw

[@Joseniltojr]

There is an awesome greenish scabbard shown in 0:39, does anybody knows the material of that piece?

[@turbografx16]

Velvet

[@KincadeCeltoSlav]

Oh My Gods.....Drooooooooollll. (museum Curator) "Oi! No Drooling on the Damascus!!" (Wipes off the Wootz) Thank You @Matt Easton

[@ramisabreur7961]

Indo-Persian swords are very beautiful ! Matt i have noticed a Tulwar with a serrated blade O.o Was this sword practical for battle ??

[@LegendaryGelder]

Why do swords like the one at 1:06 have wiggly blades like that? I've never figured out why

[@MountainStreamSwordDude]

The music - .... huh? also, the flame wave blades are badass. think you'll do a vid about those some day? lastly, it's kinda disappointing that a bunch of them are sheathed. why is that exactly?

[@aniketjadhav5354]

Hey if possible show the blades too! Ty

[@rogerwilco2]

Get a polarizing filter on your camera and you should be able to get rid of most of the reflections in the glass.

[@k0vert]

Holy crap, that serrated blade at 2:45! I can't even...

[@zaboobebop]

that serrated one at the bottom looks friggin deadly

[@nilabhjaiswal1100]

you have to make video on indian war hammer zaghnal

[@user-vc5kj8ct5u]

All swords is beautiful so please turn to all in India

[@nikitaonassis6090]

Whats freaky is that man grinning like a cheshire cat on the reflection of the glass..or the music..or the two suspicious ladies that strolled by? With that music..you could tell that a pommel is about to fly..oo..a royal "blue" handle..erm..

[@subbss]

So beautiful. Love the sword porn hehe! Can you talk about the effectiveness of those blades with saw teeth? Also, what material are the colored bits on the hilts, the blue and green, is that glass, gemstone, stained metal?

[@Tyler_Lalonde-]

I saw they had a forward curved one.what are your thoughts on forward curved swords and their use in different cultures?

[@Aaron.Reichert]

how would the wavy and serrated ones be for push/draw cuts and difficulty sharpening back then?

[@Umbreona]

Ok. I really want you to talk about that curved one that looks like a Flamberge or Kriss with its waving blade and the sawtooth one. Are those just decorative or are those for real?

[@edi9892]

I love them. I need replicas!

[@gideonwhitehead8062]

Wow these are so incredibly ornate!

[@Hissatsu5]

Love the video the swords were Beautiful

[@FullMetalMudcrab]

The swords are great, but what about Indian armor? is there anything interesting to say about Indian armor?

[@VompoVompatti]

How common were "flame blades" and was it really thought that a blade like that would be somehow more efficient? I remember reading from somewhere that some people thought that a "flame blade" would cause more serious wounds but I think that statement might be false.

[@nikitaonassis6090]

You got to give credit to Mat for closeups of..Pommels! yay! To end them rightly. Some interesting serated blades and curves similar to Kris.

[@ishwarthanait3074]

How can we buy it??

[@Virgule]

The easiest way to buy ui is theft 🤔

Why ten youtubers don't like this video, I do not know.

[@chaokontunmoplang3422]

The sad thing is, we Indians don't have such swords in our museums but the foreigners do 😢. Please give back some of them to us 😢 it's our property...you all looted it

[@PieterBreda]

Why the serrations in one of the blades?

[@VictorC1891]

The sword with the serrated blade it's old, or is a reproduction with a modern twist on the subject ? I'm asking because i didn't see any old blade with serrations on it until now. And i don't understand how they would sharpen that type of blade, in that period of time. Not to mention the effort and the skill level would have taken to do such tedious work.

[@scholagladiatoria]

+Victor C It is old - the collection was put together in the 19th century and this sword probably dates to the late-18th century.

[@VictorC1891]

+scholagladiatoria Thank you for the reply Matt ! Excuse me if i bother you with another question, well actually a request. Could you make a video on the subject of serrations on historical blades ? Because i find this topic really interesting, by the way excuse my lack of knowledge on this subject. I wish you a great evening, cheers Matt !

[@p4riah]

That saw-toothed blade is crazy o.0 What would be the characteristics of a blade like that? What advantages and disadvantages would that blade have compared to a normal one? You occasionally see stuff like that in fiction, but I always thought no way could that be a real sword. Or is that a ceremonial blade of some sort?

[@Gaath.Gazmatum]

+P4riah1 My uneducated guess would be that it would cut irregularly and maybe be harder to heal. This would mean that the sword wouldn't cause a quick death like a normal blade, but that it would prolong the possibility for infection, which would have been a serious issue in a time without modern antibiotics. Long story short, a serrated edge is much more suited to causing infection than immediate death. That, or it's ceremonial...

[@The1Helleri]

Mine is so ugly and plain compared to any of these (Although I did only pay $40 total for it). My favorite of these is the one at 1:20 and that Dhal is bigger then I would have expected it to be.

[@yashpallover435]

anybidy tell me where is this pkace i can this all beautyfull sword if anybody know so reply me

[@MediumTim]

Truely shocking! The words "context", "or indeed" and "cheers" do not occur in this video!

[@danielbartleson5746]

The grips don't look very comfortable.

[@Gabbycatty]

Would the blades with serrated edges actually be effective?

[@nikitaonassis6090]

Yes. You need to look for crusty bread to slice through yet have most of the crust intact..

[@levifontaine8186]

Matt definitely wishes he had all of these.(so do I)

[@jacklederer6106]

sword on the top right display looks particularly mean 0:59

[@theknightofbadassness301]

With that music it sounds like your, "casing the joint".

[@davidbradley6040]

I don't think I have ever seen curved Wave or Sawtooth blades on genuine swords(not film props) before.

[@KorKhan89]

Is the sword at 0:13 really that broad, or is it just the scabbard?

[@Tatti12321]

+KorKhan89 You can see loops on the back of it. Its in a scabbard.

[@Tatti12321]

+KorKhan89 You can see loops on the back of it. Its in a scabbard.

[@KorKhan89]

Obviously it's IN a scabbard, there's no debating that. Rather, I was wondering whether the blade inside the scabbard was really that broad, or whether the scabbard makes it look bigger than it really is.

[@jakewolf079]

+Tatti12321 he was asking if the blade is actually as large as the scabbard.

[@benjaminbreeg6214]

+KorKhan89 Some Polish sabre types have a very similar blade so it could be a rehilted one or made in imitation.

[@Derna1804]

What's with the serrated-edged swords?

[@nikitaonassis6090]

European invaders brought bread and demanded their subjects to prepare breakfast with crusty bread..Warrior cum le petite dejeuner cheaper labour..

[@brottarnacke]

Wow, I've never seen a serrated sword blade like that.

[@sky4eyes]

the bgm and your image that reflected on the glasses make the video looks creepy

[@Pizzagulper]

why did the top sword on the first rack have a forked tip?

[@scholagladiatoria]

+Pizzagulper Other people in the comments have answered that - it's in emulation of a famous sword that belonged to Mohammed.

[@pommel47]

+Pizzagulper I believe the forked tip was used for picking up chunks of cheese and meat at a communal table from a distance.

[@isamartell]

+scholagladiatoria not to be anal but a correction, Dhul-Fiqar was actually Ali ibn Abi Talib's sword. He was the cousin and son in law of Muhammad. Though it was Muhammad who gave him this sword. Anyway, great videos.

[@blaf55]

no strait sword ?

[@ramachandrannarayananiyer6274]

Indian's are great

[@kleinjahr]

Very pretty, but can they fight?

[@prajjwalray7030]

No they are glorified lock pickers thank you

[@subratabhattacharya7983]

Obviously 😅

[@voiceactorofdovakiin]

Are these replicas?

[@CorySee]

Thank you for this. There aren't a lot of places in america to see historic blades and whatnot, this is great coverage of some of the pieces I may have never seen otherwise. Thanks a lot!

[@kiba3x]

I want Indian shamshir, can someone send me please?

[@greatkaafir9316]

You got to buy Just to the Rajasthan or Punjab In Both State's you can get talwar and shamshir

[@mukeshjindal5514]

@@greatkaafir9316 in Rajasthan only in udaipur.... Sigligar people's But... In Punjab everywhere But udaipur Sigligar are so good

[@Distracted]

Beautiful, but rather uncomfortable looking hilts.

[@Necozuki_III]

why do they have that round shaped pommel ?

[@Duke_of_Lorraine]

+i Neko more mass = more effective throwing. That makes a nice counterweight allowing the wielder to swing it very quickly. Also, considering the beauty of these swords I don't think any of them were really intended to be used in a fight.

[@scholagladiatoria]

+i Neko Search through my videos on tulwars and other Indian swords, it's explained there. It's because of the way you cut with this type of sword.

[@nikitaonassis6090]

+scarfacemperor Most of what I see here are intended for use in a fight. There are or were more ornate ones out there in private hands such as mine..the ceremonial blades sometimes you would look for tell tale signs as they feel more fragile and or do not hold an edge better.

[@Duke_of_Lorraine]

Nikita Onassis I don't doubt their blades is of the best quality possible. But damaging such swords in a fight would be wasteful. But why not if you can buy 20 of them ? Also, gold plating, precious stones... add unnecessary mass, without any practical use. I'd prefer a sword made of classical materials, made with the same quality, to fight. The golden super-expensive sword only to show my wealth when I don't expect a fight such as in a court, but I would not take it into battle.

[@nikitaonassis6090]

+scarfacemperor For the same reasons in warfare, it is about troop morale, intimidation of the other side, as well as taunting the other side saying come and get it, and showing that you have the finances to finance the war, how long do you think your warlord can last? Besides, what you consider as riches, just like the British considered themselves rich, were gob struck when they saw another country having largers gems than they did and in larger abundance. I know this because I have seen much more intricate and expensively laden blades and sheathes than the one in above youtube. Just like Britain wanted Chinas Tea for trade with cotton, Britain had nothing that China had nor wanted in exchange for tea, so the 5 alliance was formed to force China to trade, to emphaise the point of relative riches. China had silk, why trade with a country offering cotton, which they already had ? Most countries at their height of their Empire, are inward looking, and such decorations were just fancy

[@user-vc5kj8ct5u]

Return our swords

[@kmal2t94]

The music at first made me think I was about to watch a sword porno or about to hear the Top Gun guitar song. Interesting hilts.

[@RyuFireheart]

2:27 My favourite :o

[@JC-Denton]

Me like. But my favorites are still the -ingen-models. :-)

[@EhAmes94]

Haha what's with the Super Metroid like sci-fi horror music?

[@rpc5550]

These are swords from the 10 to the 18th century of Indian kingdoms, looted and smuggled by the occupying colonial forces.

[@Kar90great]

In reality most of these are sold to them or smuggled to them for a price

[@hubert_c]

Beautiful... Except for the music

[@AdityaSharma-fh1wc]

See how the bastards have looted from us these precious items.