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Post by Neil G. on Jun 5, 2012 14:43:16 GMT
I think that is a very, very broad question - both in terms of geography and timeline. Swords were much rarer and more expensive in the late dark ages/early medieval/viking days when sword were painstakingly pattern welded and individually crafted. With advent of through hardened steel, professional armies and the creation of trade leagues, such as the Hanseatic league, and highly specialized cutler/bladesmith guilds throughout Europe the per item cost was driven down dramatically. So much so, that it actually became more affordable in many instances to buy a blade from far away and then have it hilted locally. This actually became so common if I recall correctly that a great many Scottish Claymores (the big two handed kind) actually bear German maker's marks, Passau's "Running Wolf" in particular.
In the late medieval and early Renaissance periods sword production was ramped up to such a level that governments could issue what amounted to "standard side arm" swords for their soldiers and constables without it being considered an extravagant expense - see the Munich/Dresden Town Guard swords for instance...
Okay in retrospect that was kinda rambling, but I think I still got my point across.
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Sam H
Member
Posts: 1,099
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Post by Sam H on Jun 5, 2012 17:09:28 GMT
Interesting that Neil brought up the issuing of swords to soldiers and constables as a standard side arm... rather than make the comparison of a sword to a modern car I personally had described it as a sword is more like the middle age (or earlier) version of the handgun today.
It is a side arm, as a handgun is today, for soldiers and law enforcement. If you had a better weapon with longer reach you'd use that first. Now that said I'd say with swords it was back then much like handguns is today. Not everyone had one and not everyone will own one. Those that do might be numerous or in certain societies might not be. What can be accepted though was that military and law enforcement could be expected to have them.
Cost wise it would be similar too. I mean today you can go buy a Hi-Point pistol for less than $200. That's about a week's wages for a part-time minimum wage job. Will it work as its supposed to? Yes. Is it fairly accurate? Yes. Is it pretty? No. Is it the epitome of handguns? No.
Conversely one could go and spend thousands of dollars on a custom 1911. Then there are all the other guns with price points between the two.
The same could be said of swords "back in the day" too I believe.
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