The Age of Crusaders has marked numerous battles and fights, which appear to be a deathful period in world history. As for the history of armor, crusades did not change a lot in design of swords, armory suits or knives, but there is one significant issue to underline – warriors stopped to consider knives as multifunctional tools. Previously soldiers used knives and swords both as a household appliance and a weapon. However, during lasting crusades soldiers acknowledge the prevalence of swords as deathful armor.
As for crusaders' weapon it was pretty conventional, designed in correspondence of contemporary swords' fashion. It was a momentous period in the history of swords manufacture.
As for crusaders' weapon it was pretty conventional, designed in correspondence of contemporary swords' fashion. It was a momentous period in the history of swords manufacture.
- Swords were in use of every soldiers, especially it was taken by knights and swordsmen. There several types, depending on the character of a combat. The standard was a European handed sword with blade length up to 70 cm and 4 cm widthway. Handed cavalry sword differed with bigger standard blade length (100 cm) and more pronounced tip. The popularity was also attained by the so-called bastard sword, a mix between a standard and a two-handed sword. Two-handed sword was used only on land fights, because its weight did not allowed holding in one hand. It was approximately 2 meters long, including 160 cm of blade length.
- Lances, spears, halberds were used during battles on reasonable distance. Most of them were missile weapon, appropriate for short distance. Lance knights used spears on the distance of 3-4 meters. However, knights recognized spears as "disposable" weapon: the frontal attack with spears was used only against the nearest enemy, and then they usually became unusable. Halberds, that is spear piercing-slashing weapon with at least two blades up to 2,2 meters, were specific weapons and were used for weapons of entire groups, which acted as one system during the battle. Single crusader (loners) did not use halberds, because it is heavy and difficult to use weapons made ??him slow and vulnerable to attacks from the flanks and the rear of the lightly armed enemy.
- Long-distanced attacks were provided by arrows and crossbows, also popular among crusade knights. There were three main types: plain bows, laminated bows with higher flexibility and long English bows. Specifically, the last ones were strongly promoted by Richard the Lionheart and his soldiers, who took part in the Third Crusade. Crossbows were also popular, but they were distributed gradually. Dozens of crossbows appeared during the Age of Crusades in addition to Templar swords and spears.Â