Edged weapon

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Medieval edged weapons
Winkelried monument with morning star
Saber from the American Civil War
Modern bayonet fighting

An edged weapon , also a naked weapon , is a hand weapon that develops its effect through the direct use of muscle power.

Terms

Edged weapons are a subset of defensive weapons, i.e. weapons designed to harm the enemy (in contrast to protective weapons such as the shield ).

  • Bladed weapons with cut blades (e.g. sabers ) have a splitting effect due to the sharpness of their blades. This type of weapon is called a bat .
  • Blades with stab blades (z. B. dagger ) act by its pointed shape that allows the penetration of these arms in an opponent. This type of weapon is called a stabbing weapon .
  • If the blade is attached to a long rod (shaft), one speaks of polearms .
  • For hunting bladed weapons used are usually cold weapons called.
  • Striking weapons are another type under which the mace , morning star and clubs can be summarized.

In further definitions, long-range weapons are also counted among the edged weapons , in which stored muscle power supplies the energy. These include the bow and arrow and the crossbow .

purpose

Edged weapons are of secondary importance in the military, with the exception of special forces, since modern military close combat is decided with firearms. Edged weapons were used for direct combat with the enemy when soldiers were still equipped in bulk with single-shot carbines or when ammunition was only available to a limited extent due to insufficient supplies.

See also

Commons : Edged Weapons  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Portal: Weapons / cutting and stabbing weapons  - Overview of Wikipedia content on the topic of weapons / cutting and stabbing weapons

literature

  • Heribert Seitz: Edged weapons. A handbook on the history of weapons, history and type development in the European cultural field. 2 volumes. Klinkhardt & Biermann, Braunschweig 1965–1968.
  • Volker Löbner, Tilman Lombard: Frankfurter edged weapons and militaria. 1806-1866. From the holdings of the Historisches Museum Frankfurt am Main . Volume II: Frankfurt military. Löbner self-published, Frankfurt am Main 2015.

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