Why Were Short Swords Sometimes Better For Military Soldiers?

[@zerograv185]

Ah yes, the legendary blade of middle management.

[@carebear8762]

@@GuitarsRockForever Not shown, the clipboard and coffee cup which balance the belt.

[@hurpldurp]

+2 Sword of Middle Management

[@thomasdee1980]

Imagine how funny it would be if people in companies wore swords. You could soon tell the good departments from the bad. In the good departments the manager would be wearing an unsharpened ceremonial sword, whereas in the bad ones the manager would be wearing a sharp long sword and instead of gathering around the coffee machine, all their employees would be gathering around the grinder to sharpen their swords

[@jdavison8551]

Essential of course for pointing during the inevitable PowerPoint presentation.

[@virgosintellect]

The Carbine of edged weapons.

[@cwmyr]

Thirdly, fighting in trenches etc. (as pioneers especially might do) a shorter sword might also be more useful in actual fighting (if movement is restricted and initial range is already shorter), kinda how rifles with bajonets were not as good as clubs and knives in WW1 or how naval cutlasses are often shorter. Similarly in a shieldwall the front guys might prefer to use short swords, like a sax, a gladius or a xiphos (with the Spartan one being notoriously short, perhaps showing their eagerness to actually push the shieldwall forward into close engament).

[@allenmciver1888]

I had a M-60 machine gun for Desert Storm. It was hell to move around, in and out of vehicles and do work while hauling around this giant weapon I never fired.

[@richardbale7077]

Also Desert Storm. My company was assigned three M-60's. All three were deadlined AFTER we were in Theater. We were lucky not to need them, but I totally get your point. My M-16 was enough of a bitch to care for.

[@arthurpendragonsyt]

Damn, that must have sucked. D: Especially with the heat.

[@rainsmith4460]

I have to disagree. I’ve seen Rambo a historical movie M-60 machine gun with are very easy to walk with carry and fire with one hand while carrying a 200 round box in the other as long as you arent wearing a shirt and have on a headband.

[@allenmciver1888]

@@rainsmith4460 Literally LOL

[@virgosintellect]

M-60 20lbs plus 1oz per round at 800rd issued load. Yikes. M-240B 37lbs plus load and spare barrel. Neither are fun to carry but the m240 has more uncomfortable edges and pointy parts.

[@eliasgordon4321]

Naturally, the word around military encampments is sword length is not nearly as important as either girth or skill.

[@1911Zoey]

😂

[@lelandsmith2320]

are you talking about thrusting ability?

[@orkstuff5635]

I like that you finally got there - it's less of a trip hazard for soldiers who actually have work to do :-D

[@daaaah_whoosh]

I like the blue-collar feeling of short swords. Cutlasses, dussacks, messers, they just feel like something I want at my hip.

[@cmikles1]

Yes! I saw his video on the cabbage chopper and I fell in love with it. Now I want the short hanger he had a while back.

[@penttikoivuniemi2146]

@@cmikles1 He already sold that. I was considering buying it, but decided against because I'm too broke to buy expensive toys...

[@woltews]

have you considered a machete it is sort of the modern version of that idea of tool/ defensive , unless you live in England in which case maybe a pool nodal

[@djh6997]

Matt, since you briefly hit on the Frog Button on this sword, could you do a video on the different 18th and 19th Century sword mounting/carrying methods? Such as when the Sam Browne was adopted and who used it, as well as the double or single ring mounts on scabbards, and horse carried swords. Keep up the great videos and congratulations on the new home!

[@Dominator046]

Always impressive to see different sword lengths and shapes finding their unique niche in the bigger picture of history. Very cool!

[@segrientboar5954]

You still find 'Assault Pioneer' platoons in Infantry Battalions in some countries, Australia for one, but I would guess many commonwealth countries. They are light engineers, but belong to the battalion, unlike Engineers which are more concentrated and heavily equipped, and belong to brigade or higher. So they get around in the bush with the rest of the infantry, carrying petrol powered jackhammers, chainsaws, axes and all sorts of other tools and copious explosives. They get used a lot to dig in battalion headquarters, but also make gaps in minefields and wire entanglements, they operate most of the assault boats, they blow things up, clear helicopter landing zones and generalised stuff like that. They also simply get thrown into things like any rifle platoon at times. It isn't a standalone career stream. An experienced and competent Rifleman will get a 3-4 year posting to the Assault Pioneer Platoon (Or the reconnaissance, mortar, ant-tank, signals or some other specialist platoon, like transport) and returns to a Rifle Company afterwards on promotion. Back and forth between the two with each promotion for the rest of ones career. It means lots of specialist skills are spread around the unit.

[@minuteman4199]

The Canadian army is organized like that too.

[@kuri8339]

Wow Matt, what's a wahaiki doing in your wall?! I've spent all my life in England but my family are Maori and when I saw that on your wall I was amazed!

[@prechabahnglai103]

Just wondering, would you categorize it as a club or a knife?

[@bretalvarez3097]

Definitely a club, but a fancy one

[@kuri8339]

100% a club. Typically more bulbous in the centre and taper gradually to a "blade" like edge but I've never seen or heard of them being sharpened. Putu have a symmetrical edge that runs round to both sides of the hitting surface where as his wahaiki is more like a kitchen knife where the striking edge is on one side and often a decorative warrior is carved on the back of the paddle. They're said to be used as an off hand/ secondary weapon to the main fighting staff known as the taiaha and one handed clubs like this would have be used in a stabbing motion towards the ribs and jaw, I've a basalt putu and I've just made one of oak and the stone one is so heavy that swinging it uncomfortable but thrusting it is really the choice way to go, more control I reckon but at the end of the day i'm not a warrior haha. These clubs were made from wood, whale bone, basalt and jade, I've heard that that is the ranking order too, only chiefs had the nice jade ones according to my whanau/hapu but today they are a cultural status symbol were i was gifted mine on my 21, a lot of people in my iwi are gifted clubs on their 21 but i'm unaware of other traditions people might have out side my iwi.

[@jeffreyquinn3820]

Thanks for answering my unasked question. I wondered if that was Maori.

[@tanegurnick5071]

Kia ora kautou. There is a TV series called kairakau which demonstrates mau rakau, taiaha, tewhatewha, pouwhenua, patu etc etc. kzbin.info/www/bejne/boKXqYxtoMpoqMk

[@SonsOfLorgar]

And an NCO had very good reasons to keep his sword sharp as they were much more likely to end up having to use it than a comissioned officer.

[@InceyWincey]

Nonsense, when it got to that point the officers would be fighting alongside their men, even lieutenant colonels (especially the Scottish ones) were known to get their hands dirty that way.

[@Fæust]

ThomasRichardHaroldson you’re absolutely mistaken. An officers role in combat is command and control at large, always has been, and still is today. An NCO’s role is to directly control small groups the men and stand in front of them

[@InceyWincey]

Dakota Miles, I’m afraid it is you that is mistaken. Up until the invention of modern rifles and machine guns, the NCOs job in battle was primarily to keep the units dressings coherent, make sure everyone was doing their musket drill properly, remind them to aim properly, pass on the orders of the officers, and make sure nobody had any ideas about running away. For this purpose they would be at the back and sides of the men in the battle line. The officers would be at the front, setting an example. When the bayonets were fitted and the order given to advance, the officers would be at the front with swords drawn, wile the sergeants would be at the back pushing men into line. Although doubtless they would get stuck in once they actually reached the lines - it was a sergeant after all who captured a french eagle at the battle of barossa.

[@maomekat2369]

@@Fæust true, if you were fighting you were most likely dead. And commissioned office ers were from rich educated families who didn't like dieing

[@maomekat2369]

@@InceyWincey true to certain extent but no commissioned officer would ever be the front charge as they would & leave the unit without someone on charge. What you are saying is the more theory fantasy versiob

[@deithk4605]

This is awesome, can't wait for my new sword to arrive :)

[@ahab145]

What sword are you getting?

[@ahab145]

@Colin Cleveland God fucking damm it I'm retarded

[@den2k885]

For the same reason some classes of soldier are equipped with subguns and PDW.

[@gdk7704]

I was just looking for something to watch and boom, this drops. Sweet!

[@igt3928]

"If I just grab another sword..." *nonchalantly grabs one from the massive pile of swords he keeps in his floor

[@BigWillyG1000]

I'd also look into naval provenience for some shorter blades. Neumann and others have pictures of short yet obviously officers and even presentation quality swords that are very short because they were to be carried and used aboard ship.

[@carloparisi9945]

Could it be a gift to a very good NCO, from his men?

[@peterk2455]

The Sargeant Major of a Company or Regiment was often chosen by the most senior officer, who would often present them with their sword. Each regiment had their own way of singling out the role.

[@davidbunner6708]

Wait a minute; that's not a superdry shirt! Who are you and what have you done with the real Matt Easton!

[@zaqzilla1]

The question of what to arm artillery men with went right up into WWI. Obviously they needed some sort of small arm to defend themselves in case cavalry or infantry got too close. However their primary duties were the man the artillery, something a full length rifle would get in the way of. The experimented with strapping rifles to the artillery pieces and carriages. Eventually it mostly came to short carbines, pistols, and the famous artillery Luger, which was a pistol with a long barrel that a stock could be attached to. C&Rsenal has a lot on WWI weapons.

[@JimBow70]

Great video! Makes me want to get started collecting again. My first "sword" was a French bayonet from the 1800's I think. Got it when I was 6.

[@anonymousbosch9265]

Easier to make, less material, cheaper which all makes it easier to outfit large groups of soldiers also for practical use, sidearms need to be easy to carry as most military life throughout history had the soldiers doing lots of marching and laboring and only small amounts of fighting

[@mattlentzner674]

Been waiting for this video for a LONG time :)

[@peterk2455]

Sgt and other senior NCO's were usually issued with shorter swords than officers, hanging from a frog vertically it would reach to above the ankle/boot. A Regimental Sargeant Major was the most senior NCO of that regiment, their sword could have been etched, eg Sgt R Glasgow of Royal Artillery and Sgt Maj James Beardsley Royal Horse Artillery

[@UnintentionalSubmarine]

If I were digging, building or handling artillery, I think I would much prefer to carry a shorter sword if it had to be on my body. Long scabbards could get in the way much more.

[@jeffreyquinn3820]

I thought the same thing. I'm trying to imagine wearing a long sword during some of the 'menial' jobs I've had. It's more likely to result in death by falling on my face than to be used against an opponent. I've read a few accounts of situations in Asia where 19th-century British soldiers such as gunners and sailors were used as more or less marines, but even then, the sword was still a secondary weapon.

[@gungriffen]

Is a Pioneer a British term for Combat Engineer? (Nevermind, I finished watching that segment)

[@minuteman4199]

In the British army, an infantry battalion has a combat support company consisting of a mortar platoon, an anti armour platoon, a reconnaissance platoon and a pioneer platoon. The pioneer platoon do light engineering tasks (mobility/counter mobility/construction), but they are infantry soldiers who have specialist training, not field engineers that you would find in a Royal Engineer field Squadron. So yes, they are engineers, but they are members of the infantry, not the engineering branch. Up until the creation of the Royal Logistics Corps (early 80's I think) in the British army, there was an organization called the Pioneer Corps. They, with the Royal Ordnance Corp, Royal Corps of Transport, and many other smaller formally independent elements of the British army came under the new RLC. At the time of the creation of the RLC there was only one pioneer battalion left, with recent downsizing of the army they might not exist any more either. In WWII the Pioneer Corps was actually very big. Long story longer the Pioneers are actually labour battallions. They are trained as infantry but their purpose is to provide bodies to do whatever labour is needed. The one existing Pioneer Battalion was deployed to the first gulf war, where the planners thought they would be needed to dig graves, clean up dead bodies and salvage equipment from the battlefield.

[@Riceball01]

@@minuteman4199 I think that this also applies to other militaries as pioneers aren't something that's exclusive to the British. I believe that some countries even maintain a distinctive dress uniform for pioneers and are often seen carrying axes with them on parades to signify their job. In the US military, while we don't have pioneer units we do actually have pioneering kits. These are what the combination of shovel, pickaxe, and axe mounted on vehicles are called.

[@minuteman4199]

@@Riceball01 You are correct. We call those things pioneer tools as well.

[@Tyrhor]

From my many years in the reenactment, I would like to add that common soldier (sergeants as well) are more likely than higher officers to get to what we call extreme close combat. It is the situation when you engage your opponent not really prepared for fighting him face to face. If you have a rifle/crossbow, your objective is to shoot the opponent, rather than to fight him hand to hand. There is only a small chance you will start melee fight from the proper distance. Usually, when you try to get the ground by charging, or you fight in difficult terrain, when you engage your opponent, you are simply too close to draw a standard length saber or to manipulate it properly. Also, I have seen multiple times a fighter in that situation to try to grab and manipulate his opponent with his off hand. In a situation like that, it is more optimal to have a shorter blade. (I'm 185cm tall, my officers saber is 90cm, but as a rifleman, I prefer 60-70 cm long sword) Lately, you can say a knife/dagger would be better. For the first moment, it is, yet usually, the fight doesn't end there. You commonly find yourself fighting in complicated situation multiple opponents. In that case I still prefer the shorter blade.

[@MrBottlecapBill]

An "actual" officers sword. Very nice!

[@wendigo1619]

I own a gunners sword, was my great great grandfather, an artillery sargent who fought in the indian mutiny, but it was a highland artillery unit so

[@Bicornothetwoheadedanvil]

"The NCOs sit between the privates and the officers." So, that makes them the military taint?

[@Tallus_ap_Mordren]

Indeed. The spot between the useful part and the odious part.

[@chemusvandergeek1209]

I chortled, FYI.

[@deathsythelui]

The analogy can be pushed even further to say that officers are assholes, so NCO's being between the privates and the assholes would definitely make them the taint of the military...

[@davidtuttle7556]

@@Tallus_ap_Mordren if you consider enlisted useful.

[@MtnTow]

Funniest thing ive read in a while.

[@beachmaster3486]

Recently rewatched your videos "Smallswords which can cut" where you show us a dress smallsword with a ridge that is closer to the back of the blade rather than being centred like most are. While it could cut it the compromise had also made it more flexible. Do you think you'd be able to get a more rigid cut and thrust hybrid if you had a typical smallsword blade for half of the blade but from the centre of percussion and up it's flattened diamond cross-section?

[@Makrillol]

Great video. It would be awesome if you did a follow up on the "ringing swords" video, where you test lots of diffrent sword sounds. Cheers!

[@Ukrainevictory2025]

i would love to get one.. very cool

[@orsettomorbido]

Ah, i was thinking about close quarters combat. Interesting video!

[@Verdunveteran]

Very interesting! As always! :)

[@ftdefiance1]

Interesting how different from the U S. Where Officer's frequently carried multiple firerms and left swords in garrison

[@scholagladiatoria]

Fighting in the 19th century in places like Afghanistan and New Zealand was very different to conditions in the USA.

[@ftdefiance1]

@@scholagladiatoria I understand for much of United States History our industrial base made multiple handguns feasible. Also our conflicts tended to involve relatively small groups of Native Americans using stealth and speed. As an example they first hand accounts I have read of the Apache Wars speak of the dangers of the bow not the club.

@@ftdefiance1 also, we burgers have always had an extensive gun culture. A boy even in the nineteenth century was much more likely to arrive in military training having used a gun versus ever having been trained in the use of a sword.

[@teromustalahti2903]

@@ftdefiance1 I think you will find that most of the multiple handguns carrying in the US Army happened in the cap & ball era, when the US was not yet an industrial superpower. In fact, in the pre Civil War era the UK had considerably higher industrial production, since the Industrial Revolution had started there and it took a few decades for it to spread elsewhere for real. So, the real reasons for the US preference of guns over swords for officers' self defense in that era must have been a product of different enemies, tactics and traditions. As for carry of multiple handguns, European infantry officers sometimes did carry multiple single shot pistols before revolvers became the norm, and for cavalry multiple handguns was common in some armies all the way to the introduction of automatic pistols, since loading a revolver while riding a horse was quite slow and difficult.

[@jeffreyquinn3820]

@@teromustalahti2903 There is a stereotype of southern officers being well versed in swordsmanship and pistol dueling, as quite a few were 'gentlemen'. AKA rich guys with time on their hands. Whether or not this is an accurate stereotype, however . . . I also suspect that American gun culture of the civil war era and earlier was largely fictional and anachronistic, the product of dime novels and wild west shows, made politically mainstream a few decades later by the Turner/Frontier Thesis. It's unlikely there were many 'marksmen' from east of the Mississippi, and at most a few thousand skilled shooters on the west. North American military encounters are mostly characterised by a complete inability to hit anything beyond fifty yards; Gettysburg & other Civil War battles with high casualty rates came after Union forces started using repeater rifles (and developed the logistics to supply them -- something not possible at the beginning of the war.) The types of powder that gave short guns and rifles their modern effectiveness wasn't developed enough to be employed by militaries for another few years after the Civil War. 'Frontier' guns were mostly shotguns, muzzle-loading unrifled muskets and various types of short range, low accuracy 'trade guns'.

[@shanewilson7994]

I have a question. Why is the button on the side side where the hand guard curves out? Or am I imagining how it connects wrong? Because it would seem to me the curve of the guard would be digging into the wearer.

[@scholagladiatoria]

The button faces outwards and goes through a hole/slot in the leather 'frog'.

[@jcorbett9620]

The frog is a loop of leather and the scabbard fits inside it with the button through a slit in the leather to hold the sword in place and prevent it falling through the loop to the gound. The majority of frogs I have seen for bladed weapons (mostly bayonets) have the button face outwards and on show, rather than inwards against the side of the wearer. If the button faced to the outside, then the hilt would be curving away from the wearer. If this link works, the NCO with his back to the camera has a bayonet frog with the button clearly showing to the outside. upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Changing_the_Guard_ceremony_in_Qu%C3%A9bec_during_the_summer_09.jpg

[@shanewilson7994]

Thank you both for this info, I was just imagining it wrong in my head.

[@Teach59]

Am I right in thinking, from your analysis in the video, that this is probably a Crimean war, British Royal Artillery, Gunnery Sergent's sword? I can't remember the ranks for gunners, despite growing up around Woolwich (Southeast London, UK) the home of the Royal Artillery and frequenting their old museum in the Rotunda on Woolwich Common. I believe the museum is now called "Firepower" and moved to the old Woolwich Arsenal site (where my grandfather was a draftsman working for Seimens, during WW2).

[@penttikoivuniemi2146]

I was just expecting this to be a 5 second black screen with CONTEXT written in massive letters in the middle.

[@TheRealmDrifter]

One is designed for foot soldiers, the other is designed for confounding historians in the future.

[@Tezcax]

I was a combat engineer, we trained with rifles but sometimes just carried pistols for that reason, very hard to dig something while holding a rifle.

[@davebeningfield]

That would be ideal for opening a bottle of champagne.

[@jordanhicks5131]

More ideal is the pair of thumbs that come as standard equipment for every human being.

[@BruceEEvans1]

I have a Musician's sword from the American Civil War. It is rather short so as not to interfere with their instrument while carrying it. It is remarkably similar to the NCO sword. So much so that it makes me think it might have originated as an NCO's sword that got broken or bent and the armorers simply ground a new point on it.

[@jon-paulfilkins7820]

Outside idea: This was the days before medals were common, it could be a gift to a junior NCO/Rating acknowledging meritous service.

[@SonsOfLorgar]

My dad, admittedly an Officer, unlike most officers in my country, got awarded a ceremonial sword in the late 1960ies, ceremonially handed to him by His majesty Gustav V, for graduating at the top of the class at the marine officer's academy. My long retired dad still keeps that sword and his full costal artillery Lt.Col. dress uniform along with a runic picture stone that his colleagues comissioned for his retirement that tells a summary of his professional life both in and out of uniform.😁

[@davidw6684]

Matt, is it possible that the odd nature of the sword before you is by way of a mix up? What I mean is (and you would know better than I as your knowledge of bladed weapons far exceeds mine) could it be possible that the sword and scabbard got mixed up? The assumption (and maybe there is a reason for it) is that the sword and scabbard belong together but maybe they do not. War is a chaotic affair and sometimes there are dead men lying around with all manner of gear near them. Soldiers often bring back "trophies" and "souvenirs" from both their side and that of the enemy. Could it be an officer or NCO sword in an junior enlisted man's scabbard? Maybe the sword of the unit is the same type (or at least dimensions) for all but the officer's (and/or NCO's) commanding it had a different scabbard?

[@toddellner5283]

I'll thank you not to frog and mount Baldric. Only the Blackadder can do that

[@mrd7067]

What about daggers&knives of that period? The only things about short fixed blades at that time that i found in europe are in context of the french parisian apaches.

[@FortyTwoBlades]

Aren't there police swords of this size as well?

[@vedymin1]

"Stop resisting !!!" Slash ! "Oh s&%*"

[@scholagladiatoria]

Yes

[@reddevilparatrooper]

Yes I can see it as an artillery NCOs short sword. All crew members of a gun section would have been armed with the same short swords as a personal defense weapon against fast moving cavalry and infantry if their gun positions were overrun. Artillerymen were rarely armed with carbines at that time. Artillery would have been protected by a small detachment of infantry from the infantry regiment or battalion that they are supporting in combat. The artillerymen and their guns were far enough from effective infantry musket range. They had to move their guns forward or back so their swords had to be short enough so that they can work and fire their guns effectively as they move with the infantry.

[@alwaystinkering7710]

Even into the age on modern guns it was recognized that second-line troops such as engineers, logistics, and even cooks needed weapons, they were hampered by carrying the full size rifles that front line troops used. Also tank and APC crews whose vehicle was the main weapon needed something else should their main weapon fail but the cramped space ruled out carrying full sized weapons that would rarely be needed. Thus weapons like the M1 carbine were created to fill that need. I'm sure you're right that this sword fills the same kind of role.

[@brainplay8060]

The trooper short sword is to the officers swords as is the M1 Carbine is to the M1 Garand. The carbine was issued to engineers, mortarmen, and a host of other specialists who were typically either weighed down by specific gear or they're busy doing something else.

[@northumbriabushcraft1208]

I prefer shorter swords. I love 17-19th century artillery sidearms like the French 'cabbage chopper' I also love swords which also can be used as tools. That's why I love modern 'swordchetes' or 'machete-swords' like the cold steel gladius machete and the condor bush cutlass for modern equivalents. I love things which are a tool, are a weapon and are handy. That's why I like kukris. I love that short pioneers sword you have.

[@ChromeMan04]

Ur kukris are knives

[@gordonlawrence4749]

Someone once said there are two important ranks in the Army. Sergeants and Captains. Sergeants to get between the enlisted men and the officers for the sake of the sanity of both, and Captains to get between the Sergeants and the paperwork so the Sergeants can actually get on with Seargenting.

[@seandahl8441]

An officer's primary weapon was the soldiers under there command

[@rockgamiasedes677]

Yup. grab a soldier by the leg and aggressively attack the charging adversary.

[@AMoistEggroll]

Essentially to beat motherfuckers with your motherfuckers

[@pyronicdesign]

Aha!! I have been wondering for a long time when you were going to get to these and what exactly they were. My first guess was it was a decorated sword because the soldier had been honored in some way. Really interesting.

[@KJAkk]

Your description of the reasons for this shorter sword instead of a dagger or full length sword are almost the same as those that saw the US adopted the M1 Carbine in WWII. In that case it was the need for support units to be armed with something that was better than a pistol but lighter and handier than a full battle rifle.

[@BigWillyG1000]

Non-mounted carbine use in general going back to the flintlock era. A lot of SMG use as well. US artillerymen in the Mexican War got a special version of the M1847 Musketoon and the M3 Grease Gun remained in use through Desert Storm in tanks because both were compact yet useful weapons for people whose primary arms aren't small arms.

[@ycplum7062]

I would like to suggest that the sword could have been used as a "management" tool. The sword can be used to point and direct. Raised high, it can allow a small band to follow the officer. One American Civil War officer was known to have put his hat on the tip of his sword has he personally lead a charge. Alzo, the sword can be used as a prop to inspire the officer's troops.

[@The1larian]

Could it be a broken officers blade that was reworked?

[@vitorb.macarthy348]

Up

[@vitorb.macarthy348]

Up

[@scholagladiatoria]

No, it was definitely made as a short sword with matching short scabbard.

[@vitorb.macarthy348]

@@scholagladiatoria That is pretty strange

[@EEDIR-DK]

Pioneers or as you call them royal engineers are also today equipped with shorter rifles, the carbine. It is because long weapons often get in the way, while short weapons can be put on the back and you can work freely, while still have access to your weapon fast. Video totally makes sense, since the same thing still applies in modern armies, but with rifles instead. Added benefit for Engineers is that they often are used in urban fighting, for gaining access to houses, breaking through walls etc., the distances are shorter and a short rifle is a better when moving around in tight areas. However I have a question you may know the answer too... Did it also happen in medieval times, that pioneers and miners were handed short weapons (a lot of digging to undermine walls and stuff like that in this time period) ?

[@MizanQistina]

Shorter weapons are better for defensive position, so overall it is better than longer ones. Defending is easier than attacking, using less energy and small exposure. Only duelist favor long weapons because of need to attack often. In battlefield however, enemy will attack you no matter what. Another reason is, depends on surrounding, South East Asia for example, having thick forest, people often fight on boats and tight places, so shorter weapons having advantage rather than longer ones.

[@JETWTF]

Not only will having a shorter blade be better when working but in jungle/forest and interiors a shorter sword is better.

[@SpikeyNorman47]

Do these same ideas apply to earlier periods as well? Like the middle ages or renaissance?

[@tigdogsbody]

Grappling,! Have you done a video on hand to hand fighting while fencing? Thank you.

[@waitingisfun]

What is that sword with bone white grip in the back?

[@bapro1715]

👍...of course!

[@arthurpendragonsyt]

I have not started the video yet but I am going to guess usage on ships, trenches and storming fortifications are going to be the cases.

[@arthurpendragonsyt]

Ah ok, it's more about being encumbered.

[@macfilms9904]

The fact that it has an etched blade makes me suspect it is a Sr Sgt's sword - as, if I recall correctly, senior sergeants had to purchase their kit like officers did. I don't think you see that kind of customization on weapons that were issued by the service, as most other ranks. It is interesting that it has a metal scabbard, as most sergeant's swords issued had a black leather scabbard with brass fittings.

[@Skylifter1000]

A common saying in modern military for officers is "If I ever need a gun in battle, there'll already be enough lying around."

[@BigWillyG1000]

George C. Neumann wrote in the 1960s and 1970s about weapons in Colonial and Revolutionary North America and he treats short sabers as officers blades that were specifically fighting weapons. He based that on extant examples with provenience to British and American officers who used them in combat and the shorter length being more useful in a North American combat environment where terrain is often wooded and many officers aren't mounted. An evolution similar to how long arms are more common as officers weapons. Special carbines were issued in the French and Indian and Revolutionary Wars to light infantry officers because fighting style is unlike Europe.

[@awareofvacuity1]

Is that a patu hanging on the wall behind Matt?

[@rogerhooper7050]

What is the blade length on that short saber?

[@johnmatkinson]

Question - would it have been unusual for a sergeant to be given a gift upon retirement? One of my officers gifted me a bayonet on a wall plaque just before I retired. If a Sergeant Major or Color Sergeant were to retire, might not the officers get a Sergeant's sword etched or engraved as a momento?

[@Anzmal]

Hi Matt, thank you for posting such great videos. Can you teach us about Hungarian shields which appear in Gladiatoria fechtbuch? Sorry if I have made any errors in my English writing.

[@viridisxiv766]

"i came here to build a bridge."

[@richard6133]

I had a feeling going into the video that it was going to belong to a NCO. Let's not forget the officer combat attrition rates back then, and how often a NCO might have to temporarily do the actual job of their wounded or slain officer. Besides being a weapon, the sword is also symbolic of authority. If you're going to carry one, I would think you would want to carry the best one you can. That being said, I was a Staff Sergeant in the US Air Force. As such, I have an appreciation for being prepared with the right tools for the job. I didn't carry a sword, or even have one at all. However, when I whip out my Leatherman tool, you had better stand by; because you're about to see something special... ;)

[@Jay-ln1co]

The No. 2 Mark 1 pointy stick.

[@STEVEN-STEELE]

I enjoy your videos very much. I had thought the sword perhaps was a Naval Gunnery sergeant Idk But did the Royal Marines NCOs also carry swords. Apart from the Idk the military name of the lowest rank in the navy. In the U.S. its Seaman. They carried hangers right? Cutlass? So an NCO in HMS might of carried one of these too. Short for close boarding enemy vessels and the repelling of enemy boarding parties. Just an novice in terms of such I am. Again Great video Sir. Educational as well as entertaining all in one swing

[@mysss29]

Would soldiers issued with these also have had musketoons or carbines? I suppose if you're going to forego bayonets for artillerymen, as was almost always the case, you might as well give them swords instead of something smaller, but it still seems like an odd choice...maybe it was assumed their primary defense was canister shot instead of a wall of bayonets?

[@patrickstewart3446]

Most people (at least those who have stands) have an umbrella stand by their door. Matt Easton has a sword stand. :)

[@fallskjermjeger.]

How often do you find Infantry NCO swords?

[@richardn2129]

What about the sword of the RIFLEMAN. Because rifled barrels were shorter and the sword was added to the end of the rifle for extra reach.

[@peterk2455]

The rifles carried a long bayonet, it was called the Sword Bayonet, but at 24'' was half way between the two. Placed on the locking bar of the Baker Rifle, which was 12'' shorter than an infantry musket. Rifle Officers did carry swords, as did senior NCO's

[@vampyrjack]

It's often heard that armor went out of use with the growing use of guns more or less. But why didn't armor come back into use with the introduction of bayonets? I mean maybe it's not gonna help much against bullets but a bayonet to the gut might very well also kill you. Was it cost of giving some sort of armor to soldiers that was the factor for it? Was it simply because bayonet charges were a pretty rare thing? Or something else?

[@Afro_soviet]

because at that point, armor would aggravate your injuries so it was not worth it

[@taylor_green_9]

Super interesting sword and talk, Matt; lots of common sense, as I expect of you

[@greylocke01]

Matt, have you ever examined a Zaitoishi, style sword?

[@firestorm165]

Spartan: We use short swords because they allow us to get closer to our enemy

[@BlueCR055]

Walking through the jungle, narrow spaces and hills made me realize a shorter machete is more practical to be carried around.

[@icaliu1]

Is sword also used for signaling and commanding?

[@woltews]

an I thought he was going to talk about how short weapons are more useful in confine spaces an or how a lighter / shorter weapon might be better then no weapon for people who already have a lot of stuff that can get cought on things

[@iroscoe]

notesabouthistory has a similar but more etched version of the same sword .

[@bgurtek]

Could the etching be applied at a later date?

[@HayrettinBalci]

what about artillery officer?

[@takumamedia]

Hello Matt, would you know where to look for the arms and armour import requirements into Japan? Thank you for the exquisite content as always ;)

[@sufuan8]

Normal people holds umbrellas in that place next to the doors. But not Mrs. Easton.

[@cadethumann8605]

Hey Schol. I have this sword that was worn by some Nazis for decoration (I was told about it by my grandfather, the nephew of my great uncle who found two of those swords when he served in ww2). What are your thoughts?

[@londiniumarmoury7037]

It's cute, maybe a nice first sword for my 3 year old son.

[@mallardtheduck406]

Get them started early and they shall not depart.

[@kasumikojiro7221]

Haha. You sound like the guy in "The Thirteenth Warrior" .

[@YouTubalcaine]

Do you have date on that piece? The 1821 pattern covers a lot of history and in this case it seems there would be more antique interest in a more recent example. A short sword is most useful in close order combat, but even after rifled and repeating firearms were developed it took some time for military thought to catch up with the technology. I think it would be difficult to say why this particular sword was issued when a weapon from the first Anglo-Ashanti war needs to be understood in a completely different context than one from the fifth. Short swords from earlier periods are as common as blades of grass, but one from the late Victorian era represents the last stand of the line infantry, and the inherent cultural struggle which took place during the massive historical shift that the industrial revolution imposed on the art of war.

[@seandavidr]

Did the Army have Warrant Officers at the time? This could be a Warrant Officers weapon. In the modern era Warrant Officers are often experts in a specific field like engineering or artillery.

[@krystofdayne]

"But what this is, is possibly not an officer's sword. Or is it?" *Vsauce music starts playing*

[@arpioisme]

can we compare those to briquets?

[@scholagladiatoria]

Yes definitely

[@thelonerider5644]

So it's like a later period hanger?

[@bobashmore6442]

Matt, I jumped on over to Easton Antique arms to admire the pictures of swords and noticed that you have recently sold an Italian M1871 cavalry sword. I'm curious about the M1871 sabers because I have one but I am unclear whether it is a cavalry saber or an artillery sword as I cannot find enough information about this type of blade to be certain which one I have. How can I tell the difference?