Hilt on the long sword was to hit the opponent, Emperor Shivaji introduced the sword, the intention was to have a sword longer than the traditional talwar to have more reach, as his army was lot lesser in number than the Moghuls he had to protect each and every soldier, hence the big cover on the handle, he was the master of Guerrilla warfare
When in India, I spoke with several Nihang Sikhs, who all said that the extension was for two hand use, for extra power. The example most commonly expressed, was for hamstringing elephants.
Not just good looking... Those were deadly too... Made out of what known in today's world as Damascus Steel... Once a man in the Mughal Era... Killed a Lion in One Go... To save his Badshah, Jahangeer (Son of Akbar The Great)... Believe it or not
It's The Khanda... Made out of what known in Today's world as Damascus Steel... If I am not wrong.... Originally developed in India... Khanda was used as The Official Sword of The King... Especially in the Rajputs... A renouned Warrior and Royal Clan of India... Mostly in Rajasthan State... Earlier known as Rajputana... The Land of Rajputs... The Rajputs known for their glory, pride and promise.... This sword history is very old... Centuries ago... And more you can have access... Coming to India to see The Authentic Swords....
Hello Matt, Hindu basket hilt with extension was developed by Maratha King Raje Shivaji Maharaj. extention of the hilt balance the sword wait so you can use sword for long time without hurting your wrist. Extension of the hilt call in Marathi language "Ganjya". Maratha soldiers use long blade because they are smaller than Pathan soldiers. This swords used by one hand because in other hand they hold the shield called "dhal". Thanks for the video.
Sorry bro... That could be Shivaji Maharaj's Swords version... But that hilt was actually designed by The Emperor of Ajmer and Indraprastha or Delhi... Prithviraaj Chauhan... As per details of history I've read
India has great metallurgy. I means steels like woots(also caled damscus stel) technology developed in India. heard of iron pillars still standing from days of maurya samraj.Indian swords were heaviest built ,still move quick in hands of rajputs believe me or go to heaven and ask mahmud of ghor who was hit by javelin of govind rai or govind tai or something at traian first battle.
I've done a couple of experiments adding rawlings extended pommel to their basket hilt and for sparring purposes I really haven't found a downside. You can do everything you can with a regular basket hilt plus every longsword technique I'm aware of. The extra 4 inches makes it easier to pommel strike with and I've even accidental blocked a bodyshot with extended grip. The extra diversity in attacks seems to be a huge advantage. Only downside I see is it's slightly less practical to carry.
Well if you are a proud swordsman, you would like to use that stalk as a hand-rest when your sword is in your belt. And you would easily find such poses of decorated warriors.
The two handed explanation makes a lot of sense. Probably for when a shield is not available or lost, or if the extra power is needed. It seems pretty clever too. I imagine it's cheaper to produce this minimalist extension than a proper two handed grip.
@Scholagladiatoria Is it possible the "spike" used for hooking an opponent's blade when fighting very close - as you can with a dagger in "point down" grip?
The more I see you demonstrate some points about different facets of Indian/Arabian weaponry the more I'm fascinated by them. I cant wait to see you talk more about them, I'd love to see the different major styles and also some of the 'rarer' things you've come across. Good stuff. Oh and one thing, think I've mentioned it before - Please don't ever start using 'gimmicks' and juvenile humour you see readily apparent in other channels of similar content - mentioning no names, but I like your approach to teaching - don't change!
Those swords are amazing ! Would u please talk about the Firangi and Khanda and how they were used .? i heard that Firangi was a cavalry weapon but the Khanda was designed for fighting on foot... I want to know more about those amazing sword :) Thanks Matt
Firangi was made for children and weapon and for training purposes !! It was a short, light weight, often hiltless for foot defence for untrained fighters like farmers and traders in emergency. Khanda in the other hand is made for trained martial warriors !! The name itself in Sanskrit meand to break or cut !! So one swing of khanda was designed to cut the body in half !!
@@truthseeker3404 that's really not the case. Firangi or Dhop was designed in the Maratha empire to overcome the shortcomings of the traditional talwar design. A regular talwar was about 3 feet in length and curved which shortened its combat radius. This proved as a disadvantage for the average Maratha cavalryman as his opponents, who primarily were middle eastern, had a height advantage and hence had a reach advantage too. So Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj asked for a cavalry sword to be designed with a straight 4-4.5 foot blade with double edge and a broad basket hilt to give maximum protection to the user. This design became very popular amongst the cavalry and then the infantry demanded the same sword as standard issue weapon and the Emperor gladly obliged. Firangi is the weapon that has liberated lands from Peshawar to Tanjavar and from Gujrat to Bangal. Its not a childs toy. Khanda and dhop have different uses altogether. Khanda is a last ditch weapon for close range combat when you are surrounded by the enemies and you have to deal maximum damage to them. Using a khanda effectively takes a lot of skill as you cannot stab anyone with it, you just have to hack your opponent to pieces with its destructive striking power.
That second sword you showed is gorgeous, I can't help but feeling like with how articulate it is, they either copped out at the end with the outjut, or there was a nob covering it. Either way, excellent video, love the new acquisitions.
Hi Matt; could the enlongated stalk - just be a counter weight intended on giving a better balance to a 35,5 inch blade which is presumably more "tip heavy" than the average tulwar´s 30inch blade ??? Also - Why were the tulwar blades predominately made in Germany and not by British manufacturer´s considering Britains dominance of the Indian market in all other area´s. Were they considered to be better quality, cheaper or a combination of both perhaps??
Is there any disadvantage to a sword having a stalk? I can't think of any, myself. So is a saber with a stalk generally > the exact same saber without a stalk?
No shubham, it is a khanda. The firangi you are talking about, is a bit different. Just think of an european long sword with an indian basket hilt, is exactly what the firangi ir firangana looks like. I am not saying that wikipedia is always right, but just in this case, wikipedia has an accurate image of firangi in its related page. If you are interested, just go and have a look at the blade of firangi in wikipedia by simply searching 'firangi' sword. I bet you will like it
Oh my god!! i think I'm in love with that blade, didn't know of it's existence until this day. Haven't handled any of those yet but I have to say the design looks amazingly solid, nice reach, and it combines a basket hilt with a 2-h grip option, my dream combo. And yeah, one of the questions I always wondered was why didn't longswords get a basquet-esque hilt treatment at some point (only decent competitors were siderings, clamshells, and similar, but nowhere near a basket). It seemed to me it was because of the way you have to twist the blade sometimes to cut with the false edge, a basket would appear quite restrictive for this purpouse, specially with the german thumb-grip style. In any case great aquisition, and as far as I go i think I can add a new sword design to my all time favourites
I love your collection! Just wondering here, is it possible that it could also have a parrying function? Also, I notice that some of the stalks do become rather small, could it be that it eventually started loosing practicality, and became merely a decorative feature?
Matt: I just found a picture of a late Italian longsword that has a complex hilt with a knucklebow that encloses the primary hand. The hilt then projects past that, with a waisted grip and a fishtail pommel, like a normal longsword. I thought of your video, thinking that this was possibly a European counterpart to the large Indian swords you show...protection for the primary hand, and the possibility of double-handed use. Cheers.
Dear Matt, Could you (or anyone who knows) talk about why rapiers fell out of common use? I may be mistaken but it seems like starting in the 18th century I tend to see less rapiers and more other types of swords becoming more prominent as sidearms. Is this so? If so, why?
***** I think you might be confusing rapier for small-sword there. Rapiers are pretty damn big; judging from Matt's other videos on them they are as capable of cutting, if not more so, than a spadroon and they have greater reach, so are better in the thrust. I suspect their size was the main reason they fell out of use - they were a little too long and the hilts a bit too complex for comfortable every day use
There are several reasons that combined to bring about "the downfall" of the rapier. ;) One one side, you have the continual improvement of firearms and their increasing availability for civilians. Next, in the military, you have the rise of the bayonet for common soldiers, and the fact that the main sword became the saber type sword due to cavalry (and in the navy, the cutlass). This is also important because civilian weaponry often tends to follow military fashion, not the least of which is because military weapons were more available then purely civilian ones. Add to that that the rapier is a relatively heavy and bulky sword - at least when compared to the smallsword - and thus less comfortable, especially for civilians, which were the main target. The smallsword is also cheaper and easier to make. So, in the end, there was no use for the rapier. In the military, it became obsolete. In civilian life, whether for duels or self defense, it was replaced by pistols, the cheaper, lighter, more comfortable (both to wear and to use) smallsword, and saber-like swords due to their availability (especially for military or ex-military men, who also were trained and had experience with this type of sword, and thus did not have to waste time learning another sword style).
JustGrowingUp Was the rapier ever actually used in a military context (well, other than artillery/infantry/non-cavalry officers carrying them as non-standard kit)? It seems to me that, like the small sword, it was always a specialized civilian dueling weapon. So the rise of the saber and cutlass as the preeminent military swords would have had little to do with it, while the rise of the more-convenient-to-carry small sword and pistols would be the main reasons.
Regolith I think there are records of it being used in the military, but obviously it's not a particularly useful sword for a melee. Likely it's a case of people just taking their normal sword to war (especially if they couldn't afford another one).
Those swords look really awesome. Aesthetically, I like them a lot better than the tulwar. I wonder what makes the tulwar so much more well known and represented?
Another element of this sword I find particularly intriguing -- and which is not discussed in this video -- are the two metal "tongues" at the bottom of the blade, right above the hilt. Were these used to catch an opponents sword and disarm them? I can imagine an opponent's blade sliding down to the hilt and with a quick twist of the pommel, you could easily lock their blade. Thoughts?
Cold you use an Indian small shield (basically a strapped buckler) at the same time you use it in 2 hands? I only ask because the lack basket hilt on the second handle may be so that you could use 1 handed and a buckler or 2 handed AND a buckler.
Ive noticed in quite a few of your videos about how the disk pommel is something of a restriction to wrist movement but i believe (i think i heard this from somewhere) the disk is more of an aid for slashing....you can draw (pull) the blade while slashing with its help. More over the disk would prove useful even when attacking with the spike at the end, since once again, the disk allows for good pulling or backward thrusting. Speculations obviously :p
Where do I start buying antique swords? I have a few us made antique ones. But iam looking to broaden my understanding of European and Indian swords. Ebay seems a but shady. And also o can't seem to find any sword schools or workshops in my area any advice.
are these stalks found mainly on the Indian made blades, on the imported ones, or both? could the blades have been manufactured for two handed swords, and that's why they have the long tangs?
Those "Dhop" (maratha Sword) were designed by Maratha warrior king of India, chatrapati shivaji maharaj. All these maratha Dhops swords were made in spain. These swords were inspired by Portuguese blades. And these were made with alloy of five metals all together. That blade was designed to attack the enemy on long distance, mainly attacking on horse, as horses were used my marathas on large scale. Second thing, Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj himself was very short in height (aprox 5.4 ft) so these long blades were used as the enemy was not allowed to come closer to the swordsman. Thank me later. ( Also I'm studying on Maratha weaponry and architecture. Contact me for any doubts)
That two handed slightly curved sabre that you called "the best of all worlds" is why I go katana. Their grips are proper all the way down, though I dig the hand protection on that sword
That handle extention can also assist with paring, the example that you showed have extention curved forward and it can serves to cach oponent weapon under the basket hilt.
I just found out about your channel and I just subscribed, I like your content. My question is where did you buy that Khanda and Talwar from? I've been looking all over for them and are they sharp or so called "battle ready"?
Just my conclusion from watching this video, you mentioned that other blades were often put onto the hilts of indian swords. Could this stem on the end be because the blade was made for a bigger ( possibly two handed) sword and therefore has a longer tang. So that even if the hilt went out of issue the blade could still be used as it was originally designed? I dont have much/ any knowlage of indian swords its just my thoughts.
Beithyr Unlikely - two-handed swords had almost entirely gone out of use in Europe at this time, and in any case tangs were usually made overly long by blade smiths and the cutler who fitted the hilts usually shortened the tang to the required length. There is no point having more tang that you need sticking out of the bottom of your sword hilt.
Looking at it, it appears to have a similar ballance to a longsword, right? Speaking of wierd weapons, I have seen the same hilt with basket and hook for a flanged mace.
Very neat, so it might have been used together with a buckler in the left hand? So you could join them together to parry or to strike two handed. That long saber blade sword looks absolutely awesome
@scholagladiatoria the extended stock was also used as a guard to stop enemies sword from hitting the forearm and the wrist. This thing i know only about maratha warriors i dont know how others used it though
Those are meant for cavalry, right? Cause of the edge of the tip I mean. I have seen other Khanda swords but they look totally different. Could that extra handle be used to give a longer reach when mounted on the charge? Like, you would slash towards the side while riding past the target. I can't quite tell how the grip feels to hold though.
Dear sir . Please give me a brief idea about restoring swords for meausiums . I'm a gun Smith and recently I got a contract to restore some antique guns and antique swords . So please do educate me Regards SATHVIK India
Is it possible the longer stalks are found on some swords because they repurposed older longersword/hand and a half/two handed blades for their designs? Maybe they came across the longer blades, with obviously longer tangs, and reworked the blade for their use.
Hey Matt, are you interested in selling the "two-handed" saber? I don't know how it is called, but when i saw it, i fell in love with it. It looks amazing. Btw, it would be nice if you made a seperate video showing it in action and discussing it. Cheers!
Just a thought: those swords look quite elaborate, even ceremonial. Could their two-handed nature not be intended for beheadings? If it's gonna be a proper utilitarian two-handed hilt it'd have to have a bit more purchase, some grip, or a little pommel of its own, but if it's mainly for looks and the occasional unmolested chop, it's pretty decent.
I'd imagine that you'd also be able to block with the pommel in emergencies since the bottom of the basket hilt is so thick. Maybe that's why they were so thick.
I heard Switzerland and some parts of Germany had some use of two-handed sabers. Does the fact the tuwar´s blades were made in a place that used two-handed sabers lend credence to the theory of the stalks being for a two-handed grip?
I wish I could help, I remember reading of swords being wielded two handed in from an eye witness account but it has been so long since I studied india I cannot remember who it was.
Wow Khanda/Khadga, thank you for your explanation, sir. My ancestors of sriwijaya-majapahit kingdom use this sword since they are indianized kingdom, I made videos about Khadga as depicted on ancients temples relief, seems like Javanese Indonesian Khanda/Khadga developep it's own form. You can check on my vid, seems like our Khadga is not as long the Indian.
Khanda /khadaga initially were short broadsword, had two edges but with time they were made longer, and many new khanda had one edge and a spine to prevent from Breaking.
COuld you make a video about the two-handed swiss saber? I have seen a few pictures online but I never saw a video about it but it seems just what you said was the perfect world a two-handed basket hilted sword
What is your sword purchasing budget like? I had to stop at 2 over 10 years ago and all I've got to show for it is a stainless Steele wall hanger longsword called the agincourt and an antique Indian sabre of unknown background I got at a kiosk with an uncomfortably large collection of nazi paraphernalia.
it really looks a lot like you could use it effectively for an extra hook option, like how people use a karambit as opposed to a more typical knife... (also) almost like a guard on the pommel
2nd comment here. I want to say that I respect you publishing a changed viewpoint as evidence contradicts your prior views. The first basket tulwar you showed has very interesting quillons. They look like they would easily catch a blade rather than allow it to glance off. One part of the quillon behind the pierced discs almost looks designed to fail and trap the blade under a hard blow. Is that made from brass, steel or iron? Do you think it would break under a hard strike?
Check out Shastarvidya Tulwar part 3 of 3, sometime around the six minute mark. I know lot's of people aren't very copacetic with Nidar Singh, and there's lots of good criticisms of the man, but he depicts the use of a similar sword in conjunction with a buckler type shield, and I would argue that the use of half-swording for these with the stalk acting as a hook is more probable. Looking at edge profiling near the base of the blade could clear that up. Are they dull(er) near the hilt?
Matt, does the basket suggest that one could effectively use it to "punch" the opponent's blade? Sort of an active defense rather than a passive protection? Also, when did they get invented? It seems like a bad idea NOT to have a basket hilt on your one-handed sword....
Yes these baskets are substantial enough to basically hit whatever you want to hit. I believe that they first appear in Indian in the 16th century - the same time as in Europe (and possibly partly because both cultures were in contact through trade).
scholagladiatoria what if you block a blow with that, athough unlikely, after you parry with that part with the same movement you can get the opponent's blade away from you and make a drawcut. would that be possible?
Holy Caster That's what I was getting at. If you strike the opponent's blade, that would probably put him out of balance a lot since you can generate so much force with a hit like that.
Marc Ritz The problem is aim. Hitting an edge with a spherical object will more likely glance it around towards the blade or towards the wrist rather than sending it in the opposite direction.
I recently attended a sikh fencing class where they used the flat disk as a backup buckler to parry a strike incase an opponent attempts to feint. They demonstrated a technique for using the stalk to manipulate the opponents blade and prevent it from skidding downwards hence also the hook
hi, does the the sowrd whit the larger blade, the oen you hold with tow hands on minute 5:40, has a name? or is just a varint of the talwar?, wish i could find a replica of that type of saber :)
cheetahx13 You can find various types of blade with that hilt and they are known by different names, for example soussan pattah, khanda, farangi, saif etc
scholagladiatoria Another use I would see for this kind of pommel is for parrying. You could protect your arm and wrist with it in a similar manner than some parries in Irish cane fighting. (Although the two handed grip is probably the main reason for it being there)
I think you need to find a different recording space. it would be very nice to see the whole sword in the frame to better judge the overall shape and length.
How about parrying? It is surprisingly easy to parry with, for example, the bottom part of a longsword when wielding it 1-handed, which is often done in LARPs because they are light foam weapons. Its retarded in reality of course because hand injury is way too likely (and LS is actually better off being used 2handed), but this weapon might actually just go around that problem because of the basket protecting the hand. I could see application for using it to parry if one could get around to getting used to it this way.
![อยู่ได้แล้ว - LIPTA feat. Mirrr [OFFICIAL MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/-9-hpntNym4/mqdefault.jpg)
Hilt on the long sword was to hit the opponent, Emperor Shivaji introduced the sword, the intention was to have a sword longer than the traditional talwar to have more reach, as his army was lot lesser in number than the Moghuls he had to protect each and every soldier, hence the big cover on the handle, he was the master of Guerrilla warfare
Chatrapati shivaji maharaj 🚩🚩🚩
Nope rajputs also use khanda maharana pratap used it too
@@theskull4666 and Sikhs too, respect to rajputs
Don't talk shit. Tulwar with extended tail hilt was present in the country centuries before shivaji was born.
@@truthseeker3404 coz these are used since Gupta dynasty
When in India, I spoke with several Nihang Sikhs, who all said that the extension was for two hand use, for extra power. The example most commonly expressed, was for hamstringing elephants.
You are right!!
This is true. I have also spoken to nihang sikh who state the same
This is true, the Nihang have kept these traditions preserved for centuries now and kept very extensive records along the way.
Man! those indian swords are beautiful!
Welcome to India.... Sir
To find the Authentic Ones...
😎😎
Those are a couple of SERIOUSLY good-looking swords.
Not just good looking... Those were deadly too...
Made out of what known in today's world as Damascus Steel...
Once a man in the Mughal Era... Killed a Lion in One Go...
To save his Badshah, Jahangeer (Son of Akbar The Great)...
Believe it or not
@RNIK Maharana Pratap was 7'2 dude , it would have been easy for him
2:34
I noticed the Sikh khanda imprinted on the blade there. That sword is likely Taksali steel made.
Thats a very attractive sword - (The straight one)
very puny of you
+Jacob Norman Nice one.
ILikeToColourRed firangi😎
It's The Khanda...
Made out of what known in Today's world as Damascus Steel... If I am not wrong.... Originally developed in India...
Khanda was used as The Official Sword of The King...
Especially in the Rajputs... A renouned Warrior and Royal Clan of India... Mostly in Rajasthan State... Earlier known as Rajputana...
The Land of Rajputs...
The Rajputs known for their glory, pride and promise....
This sword history is very old... Centuries ago... And more you can have access... Coming to India to see The Authentic Swords....
@@vikrant9726 Lol it's maratha style hilt and not rajput.
You can say "bollock dagger" all day without cracking a smile, but don't think we didn't see that little grin on your face when you said "knob."
It's true.
Now I'm going to be watching for that and every video.
Brother go to golden temple n ask them to show you the khanda (sword )of great warrior deep Singh
That's the heaviest .n amazing
It is to counter balance the sword ....#respect# Shivaji maharaj
I really like the look of those Indian Baskets.
Hello Matt, Hindu basket hilt with extension was developed by Maratha King Raje Shivaji Maharaj. extention of the hilt balance the sword wait so you can use sword for long time without hurting your wrist. Extension of the hilt call in Marathi language "Ganjya". Maratha soldiers use long blade because they are smaller than Pathan soldiers. This swords used by one hand because in other hand they hold the shield called "dhal".
Thanks for the video.
Sorry bro... That could be Shivaji Maharaj's Swords version... But that hilt was actually designed by The Emperor of Ajmer and Indraprastha or Delhi... Prithviraaj Chauhan... As per details of history I've read
@@vikrant9726 he wasn't emperor stupid.
Narsingh Bairwa 😝😝tere jesa chutiya kahi nahi dekha
@@sanketdeshmukh7490 who said he was not emperor?Under his rule 280 samants were serving him.He was always being called Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan.
India has great metallurgy. I means steels like woots(also caled damscus stel) technology developed in India. heard of iron pillars still standing from days of maurya samraj.Indian swords were heaviest built ,still move quick in hands of rajputs believe me or go to heaven and ask mahmud of ghor who was hit by javelin of govind rai or govind tai or something at traian first battle.
I've done a couple of experiments adding rawlings extended pommel to their basket hilt and for sparring purposes I really haven't found a downside. You can do everything you can with a regular basket hilt plus every longsword technique I'm aware of. The extra 4 inches makes it easier to pommel strike with and I've even accidental blocked a bodyshot with extended grip. The extra diversity in attacks seems to be a huge advantage.
Only downside I see is it's slightly less practical to carry.
Damn that sword looks great.
The last sword you showed looks stunning, I love it!
Matt, we need to see your sword collection!
that may take a while....
make a petition to sign
:-)
Unfortunatelly we were not even allowed to see Matt standing among his tulwars covering the floor :-D
They've got the extended, aerodynamic pommels, meant to fly faster and more accurately through the air when ending people rightly!
Those are some beautiful swords you have there, Matt!
Well if you are a proud swordsman, you would like to use that stalk as a hand-rest when your sword is in your belt. And you would easily find such poses of decorated warriors.
completely new style of sword for me! Fantastic, I want one.
The two handed explanation makes a lot of sense. Probably for when a shield is not available or lost, or if the extra power is needed. It seems pretty clever too. I imagine it's cheaper to produce this minimalist extension than a proper two handed grip.
Absolutely drop dead gorgeous and highly versatile, inventive sword design.
@Scholagladiatoria Is it possible the "spike" used for hooking an opponent's blade when fighting very close - as you can with a dagger in "point down" grip?
I'm really glad you've showed us multiple examples of the discussed feature. I'm hoping for more of the same in the future videos.
The more I see you demonstrate some points about different facets of Indian/Arabian weaponry the more I'm fascinated by them. I cant wait to see you talk more about them, I'd love to see the different major styles and also some of the 'rarer' things you've come across. Good stuff. Oh and one thing, think I've mentioned it before - Please don't ever start using 'gimmicks' and juvenile humour you see readily apparent in other channels of similar content - mentioning no names, but I like your approach to teaching - don't change!
Those swords are amazing ! Would u please talk about the Firangi and Khanda and how they were used .? i heard that Firangi was a cavalry weapon but the Khanda was designed for fighting on foot... I want to know more about those amazing sword :) Thanks Matt
Firangi was made for children and weapon and for training purposes !! It was a short, light weight, often hiltless for foot defence for untrained fighters like farmers and traders in emergency. Khanda in the other hand is made for trained martial warriors !! The name itself in Sanskrit meand to break or cut !! So one swing of khanda was designed to cut the body in half !!
@@truthseeker3404 that's really not the case. Firangi or Dhop was designed in the Maratha empire to overcome the shortcomings of the traditional talwar design. A regular talwar was about 3 feet in length and curved which shortened its combat radius. This proved as a disadvantage for the average Maratha cavalryman as his opponents, who primarily were middle eastern, had a height advantage and hence had a reach advantage too. So Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj asked for a cavalry sword to be designed with a straight 4-4.5 foot blade with double edge and a broad basket hilt to give maximum protection to the user. This design became very popular amongst the cavalry and then the infantry demanded the same sword as standard issue weapon and the Emperor gladly obliged. Firangi is the weapon that has liberated lands from Peshawar to Tanjavar and from Gujrat to Bangal. Its not a childs toy. Khanda and dhop have different uses altogether. Khanda is a last ditch weapon for close range combat when you are surrounded by the enemies and you have to deal maximum damage to them. Using a khanda effectively takes a lot of skill as you cannot stab anyone with it, you just have to hack your opponent to pieces with its destructive striking power.
That second sword you showed is gorgeous, I can't help but feeling like with how articulate it is, they either copped out at the end with the outjut, or there was a nob covering it. Either way, excellent video, love the new acquisitions.
Agreed, that sword was a beauty - I'd love to own it!
Hi Matt; could the enlongated stalk - just be a counter weight intended on giving a better balance to a 35,5 inch blade which is presumably more "tip heavy" than the average tulwar´s 30inch blade ???
Also - Why were the tulwar blades predominately made in Germany and not by British manufacturer´s considering Britains dominance of the Indian market in all other area´s. Were they considered to be better quality, cheaper or a combination of both perhaps??
Is there any disadvantage to a sword having a stalk?
I can't think of any, myself.
So is a saber with a stalk generally > the exact same saber without a stalk?
Really good video. I learned a lot from this one.
This is maratha dhop sword (aka firangi sword) Specifically used by marathi people of maharashtra india.
No shubham, it is a khanda. The firangi you are talking about, is a bit different. Just think of an european long sword with an indian basket hilt, is exactly what the firangi ir firangana looks like.
I am not saying that wikipedia is always right, but just in this case, wikipedia has an accurate image of firangi in its related page. If you are interested, just go and have a look at the blade of firangi in wikipedia by simply searching 'firangi' sword. I bet you will like it
Oh my god!! i think I'm in love with that blade, didn't know of it's existence until this day. Haven't handled any of those yet but I have to say the design looks amazingly solid, nice reach, and it combines a basket hilt with a 2-h grip option, my dream combo. And yeah, one of the questions I always wondered was why didn't longswords get a basquet-esque hilt treatment at some point (only decent competitors were siderings, clamshells, and similar, but nowhere near a basket). It seemed to me it was because of the way you have to twist the blade sometimes to cut with the false edge, a basket would appear quite restrictive for this purpouse, specially with the german thumb-grip style. In any case great aquisition, and as far as I go i think I can add a new sword design to my all time favourites
I love your collection! Just wondering here, is it possible that it could also have a parrying function? Also, I notice that some of the stalks do become rather small, could it be that it eventually started loosing practicality, and became merely a decorative feature?
Very interesting, thanks for sharing this with us. :)
This makes a sense on the massive Khanda swords especially.
A very smart design. Imagine a medieval arming sword with that kind of hilt. That would be cool.
Matt: I just found a picture of a late Italian longsword that has a complex hilt with a knucklebow that encloses the primary hand. The hilt then projects past that, with a waisted grip and a fishtail pommel, like a normal longsword. I thought of your video, thinking that this was possibly a European counterpart to the large Indian swords you show...protection for the primary hand, and the possibility of double-handed use. Cheers.
Dear Matt,
Could you (or anyone who knows) talk about why rapiers fell out of common use? I may be mistaken but it seems like starting in the 18th century I tend to see less rapiers and more other types of swords becoming more prominent as sidearms. Is this so? If so, why?
I'd be interested to know this as well.
*****
I think you might be confusing rapier for small-sword there.
Rapiers are pretty damn big; judging from Matt's other videos on them they are as capable of cutting, if not more so, than a spadroon and they have greater reach, so are better in the thrust.
I suspect their size was the main reason they fell out of use - they were a little too long and the hilts a bit too complex for comfortable every day use
There are several reasons that combined to bring about "the downfall" of the rapier. ;)
One one side, you have the continual improvement of firearms and their increasing availability for civilians.
Next, in the military, you have the rise of the bayonet for common soldiers, and the fact that the main sword became the saber type sword due to cavalry (and in the navy, the cutlass). This is also important because civilian weaponry often tends to follow military fashion, not the least of which is because military weapons were more available then purely civilian ones.
Add to that that the rapier is a relatively heavy and bulky sword - at least when compared to the smallsword - and thus less comfortable, especially for civilians, which were the main target. The smallsword is also cheaper and easier to make.
So, in the end, there was no use for the rapier.
In the military, it became obsolete.
In civilian life, whether for duels or self defense, it was replaced by pistols, the cheaper, lighter, more comfortable (both to wear and to use) smallsword, and saber-like swords due to their availability (especially for military or ex-military men, who also were trained and had experience with this type of sword, and thus did not have to waste time learning another sword style).
JustGrowingUp
Was the rapier ever actually used in a military context (well, other than artillery/infantry/non-cavalry officers carrying them as non-standard kit)? It seems to me that, like the small sword, it was always a specialized civilian dueling weapon. So the rise of the saber and cutlass as the preeminent military swords would have had little to do with it, while the rise of the more-convenient-to-carry small sword and pistols would be the main reasons.
Regolith I think there are records of it being used in the military, but obviously it's not a particularly useful sword for a melee. Likely it's a case of people just taking their normal sword to war (especially if they couldn't afford another one).
Those swords look really awesome. Aesthetically, I like them a lot better than the tulwar. I wonder what makes the tulwar so much more well known and represented?
Brother talwar is a general term used for swords in India. Khanda and katar were the main weapons used in a war.
I have seen mentioned online that Alexander the Great encountered 2 handed swords in India. Do we know what blade types these resembled?
Another element of this sword I find particularly intriguing -- and which is not discussed in this video -- are the two metal "tongues" at the bottom of the blade, right above the hilt. Were these used to catch an opponents sword and disarm them? I can imagine an opponent's blade sliding down to the hilt and with a quick twist of the pommel, you could easily lock their blade. Thoughts?
Cold you use an Indian small shield (basically a strapped buckler) at the same time you use it in 2 hands? I only ask because the lack basket hilt on the second handle may be so that you could use 1 handed and a buckler or 2 handed AND a buckler.
Ive noticed in quite a few of your videos about how the disk pommel is something of a restriction to wrist movement but i believe (i think i heard this from somewhere) the disk is more of an aid for slashing....you can draw (pull) the blade while slashing with its help. More over the disk would prove useful even when attacking with the spike at the end, since once again, the disk allows for good pulling or backward thrusting.
Speculations obviously :p
So very cool! :)
I'd love it if you could discuss the different sorts of Indian/Middle-Eastern blades and their usage.
Where do I start buying antique swords? I have a few us made antique ones. But iam looking to broaden my understanding of European and Indian swords. Ebay seems a but shady. And also o can't seem to find any sword schools or workshops in my area any advice.
are these stalks found mainly on the Indian made blades, on the imported ones, or both?
could the blades have been manufactured for two handed swords, and that's why they have the long tangs?
Those "Dhop" (maratha Sword) were designed by Maratha warrior king of India, chatrapati shivaji maharaj. All these maratha Dhops swords were made in spain. These swords were inspired by Portuguese blades. And these were made with alloy of five metals all together. That blade was designed to attack the enemy on long distance, mainly attacking on horse, as horses were used my marathas on large scale. Second thing, Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj himself was very short in height (aprox 5.4 ft) so these long blades were used as the enemy was not allowed to come closer to the swordsman. Thank me later. ( Also I'm studying on Maratha weaponry and architecture. Contact me for any doubts)
That two handed slightly curved sabre that you called "the best of all worlds" is why I go katana. Their grips are proper all the way down, though I dig the hand protection on that sword
I feel so much better knowing my desire for a hand and a half sabre isn't totally unheard of.
not usually a fan of indian sword but this one is fucking cool!
Excellent. Thank you!
That handle extention can also assist with paring, the example that you showed have extention curved forward and it can serves to cach oponent weapon under the basket hilt.
I just found out about your channel and I just subscribed, I like your content. My question is where did you buy that Khanda and Talwar from? I've been looking all over for them and are they sharp or so called "battle ready"?
Just my conclusion from watching this video, you mentioned that other blades were often put onto the hilts of indian swords. Could this stem on the end be because the blade was made for a bigger ( possibly two handed) sword and therefore has a longer tang. So that even if the hilt went out of issue the blade could still be used as it was originally designed? I dont have much/ any knowlage of indian swords its just my thoughts.
Beithyr Unlikely - two-handed swords had almost entirely gone out of use in Europe at this time, and in any case tangs were usually made overly long by blade smiths and the cutler who fitted the hilts usually shortened the tang to the required length. There is no point having more tang that you need sticking out of the bottom of your sword hilt.
Fair point. What about two handed swords In India ? ( again I know nothing about them )
Looking at it, it appears to have a similar ballance to a longsword, right?
Speaking of wierd weapons, I have seen the same hilt with basket and hook for a flanged mace.
Very neat, so it might have been used together with a buckler in the left hand? So you could join them together to parry or to strike two handed. That long saber blade sword looks absolutely awesome
Do you have a website with high quality images of your swords, I really want to see the details of them. Love you videos.
253637zero2 I don't, but you can see things I am selling/have sold here: www.antique-swords.co.uk
That is a badass looking sword.
@scholagladiatoria the extended stock was also used as a guard to stop enemies sword from hitting the forearm and the wrist. This thing i know only about maratha warriors i dont know how others used it though
Those are meant for cavalry, right? Cause of the edge of the tip I mean. I have seen other Khanda swords but they look totally different.
Could that extra handle be used to give a longer reach when mounted on the charge? Like, you would slash towards the side while riding past the target. I can't quite tell how the grip feels to hold though.
Yep they were meant of cavalry soldiers.
Dear sir .
Please give me a brief idea about restoring swords for meausiums .
I'm a gun Smith and recently I got a contract to restore some antique guns and antique swords . So please do educate me
Regards
SATHVIK
India
Is it possible the longer stalks are found on some swords because they repurposed older longersword/hand and a half/two handed blades for their designs? Maybe they came across the longer blades, with obviously longer tangs, and reworked the blade for their use.
Hey Matt, are you interested in selling the "two-handed" saber? I don't know how it is called, but when i saw it, i fell in love with it. It looks amazing. Btw, it would be nice if you made a seperate video showing it in action and discussing it. Cheers!
Just a thought: those swords look quite elaborate, even ceremonial. Could their two-handed nature not be intended for beheadings? If it's gonna be a proper utilitarian two-handed hilt it'd have to have a bit more purchase, some grip, or a little pommel of its own, but if it's mainly for looks and the occasional unmolested chop, it's pretty decent.
That's an awesome looking sword.
I'd imagine that you'd also be able to block with the pommel in emergencies since the bottom of the basket hilt is so thick.
Maybe that's why they were so thick.
I heard Switzerland and some parts of Germany had some use of two-handed sabers. Does the fact the tuwar´s blades were made in a place that used two-handed sabers lend credence to the theory of the stalks being for a two-handed grip?
I wish I could help, I remember reading of swords being wielded two handed in from an eye witness account but it has been so long since I studied india I cannot remember who it was.
Wow Khanda/Khadga, thank you for your explanation, sir. My ancestors of sriwijaya-majapahit kingdom use this sword since they are indianized kingdom, I made videos about Khadga as depicted on ancients temples relief, seems like Javanese Indonesian Khanda/Khadga developep it's own form. You can check on my vid, seems like our Khadga is not as long the Indian.
hehe lol, Muslim Indo-turks destroyed your state using Talwars.
Khadag is other name of khanda
Khanda /khadaga initially were short broadsword, had two edges but with time they were made longer, and many new khanda had one edge and a spine to prevent from Breaking.
@@itsokimstupid5650 thanks for the info. Very interesting
Lol
Khanda Was First Used By Gupt Period Dynasty
Later Rajput King Harshwardhn Bais And In Rajput Era It Bacame A Common Sword For Indian's "✌️
COuld you make a video about the two-handed swiss saber? I have seen a few pictures online but I never saw a video about it but it seems just what you said was the perfect world a two-handed basket hilted sword
What is your sword purchasing budget like? I had to stop at 2 over 10 years ago and all I've got to show for it is a stainless Steele wall hanger longsword called the agincourt and an antique Indian sabre of unknown background I got at a kiosk with an uncomfortably large collection of nazi paraphernalia.
Hi there
I saw a video on TH-cam of antique swords exhibition in India.
The guy told that those extentions behind the pommel are for weight balancing.
Sword you talking about is called DHOP
So the stalk gives a length for two hands, yet the weapon is light enough to use with one or two. So in a sense, it's a hand and a half sword?
it really looks a lot like you could use it effectively for an extra hook option, like how people use a karambit as opposed to a more typical knife... (also) almost like a guard on the pommel
I love the blade shape on that Indian Basketted sword.
Possibly shown in art being used one handed to show how manly and strong the people in the paintings are as they don't need to use two hands
Were there any basket hilt two-handed swords?
Ask an archaeologist and they will say it was "for ceremonial purposes" -.- I like your thinking about it.
What if the extrusion is there for the same reason as men in Europe wore poulaines and codpieces? Something to think about.
#जय शिवराय🚩
2nd comment here. I want to say that I respect you publishing a changed viewpoint as evidence contradicts your prior views.
The first basket tulwar you showed has very interesting quillons. They look like they would easily catch a blade rather than allow it to glance off. One part of the quillon behind the pierced discs almost looks designed to fail and trap the blade under a hard blow. Is that made from brass, steel or iron? Do you think it would break under a hard strike?
I know this adds nothing to the comments but - man, that last sword was beautiful.
Now I wonder how practical extended pommels like these would be on the larger European cavalry sabres and backswords.
Check out Shastarvidya Tulwar part 3 of 3, sometime around the six minute mark. I know lot's of people aren't very copacetic with Nidar Singh, and there's lots of good criticisms of the man, but he depicts the use of a similar sword in conjunction with a buckler type shield, and I would argue that the use of half-swording for these with the stalk acting as a hook is more probable. Looking at edge profiling near the base of the blade could clear that up. Are they dull(er) near the hilt?
Fascinating stuff.
Hello,
Nice video. I want to get a firang like the one you are talking in this video. Can you tell me where you got yours from.
can you explain more about fighting techniques with khanda sword
Matt, does the basket suggest that one could effectively use it to "punch" the opponent's blade? Sort of an active defense rather than a passive protection?
Also, when did they get invented? It seems like a bad idea NOT to have a basket hilt on your one-handed sword....
Yes these baskets are substantial enough to basically hit whatever you want to hit. I believe that they first appear in Indian in the 16th century - the same time as in Europe (and possibly partly because both cultures were in contact through trade).
scholagladiatoria what if you block a blow with that, athough unlikely, after you parry with that part with the same movement you can get the opponent's blade away from you and make a drawcut. would that be possible?
Holy Caster That's what I was getting at. If you strike the opponent's blade, that would probably put him out of balance a lot since you can generate so much force with a hit like that.
Marc Ritz The problem is aim. Hitting an edge with a spherical object will more likely glance it around towards the blade or towards the wrist rather than sending it in the opposite direction.
KenkageJack not with the pommel but with the Spike at the end and then direct it out words and cut with the same movement.
I recently attended a sikh fencing class where they used the flat disk as a backup buckler to parry a strike incase an opponent attempts to feint. They demonstrated a technique for using the stalk to manipulate the opponents blade and prevent it from skidding downwards hence also the hook
From where did you got all these antique weapons 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
hi, does the the sowrd whit the larger blade, the oen you hold with tow hands on minute 5:40, has a name? or is just a varint of the talwar?, wish i could find a replica of that type of saber :)
cheetahx13 You can find various types of blade with that hilt and they are known by different names, for example soussan pattah, khanda, farangi, saif etc
thank you :D
+scholagladiatoria can you please make a video on dhal and more shields.
scholagladiatoria Another use I would see for this kind of pommel is for parrying. You could protect your arm and wrist with it in a similar manner than some parries in Irish cane fighting. (Although the two handed grip is probably the main reason for it being there)
I think the channel Shastarvidya showed it also as a hooking tool to remove shields, so that you can stab with your shild/dagger combination.
firangi😍😍
I think you need to find a different recording space. it would be very nice to see the whole sword in the frame to better judge the overall shape and length.
Wouldnt the blade that hits the basket slide down on you hand?
I'd like to see the floor of that room, covered with swords. :D
How about parrying? It is surprisingly easy to parry with, for example, the bottom part of a longsword when wielding it 1-handed, which is often done in LARPs because they are light foam weapons. Its retarded in reality of course because hand injury is way too likely (and LS is actually better off being used 2handed), but this weapon might actually just go around that problem because of the basket protecting the hand. I could see application for using it to parry if one could get around to getting used to it this way.
That first blade is absolutely beautiful