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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pawsplay" data-source="post: 3093577" data-attributes="member: 15538">First of all, you could grip a sharp blade with the gaunlet. Second, a lot of people seem to be missing that there are structures on the lower part of the blade besides the edge. Many blades had a squarish "base" a foot long or so toward the bottom of the blade, for gripping, blocking, and preventing other weapons from sliding down the edge to the hilt. Particularly, flamberged weapons were rarely sharp all the way down. Other swords had long quillions, and the edge behind them was rarely sharp.But the point and business end of a sword? Very sharp. The weight of the sword might be good for bashing, but classic "can opener" maneuvers like stabbing someone in the face two-handed, going for the armpit, or cutting the back of a knee required sharpness. Also, a good blow from a sword could cut off a finger, even an armored one, hence the use of mittens, clamshell gauntlets, and so forth. Someone who just wanted weight would use a mace or maul; a greatsword's construction would be a complete waste to someone wanting a dull edge. An axe is both sturdier and a stronger wedge than a sword. It's evident you can create a replica sword and put an edge on what you've got, and it's sharp. Why would a sword have a usable edge no one used? Something you cannot do with a mace; once you've broken some links of mail, a sword or axe can go right for the meat. Mace wielders often resorted to pounding someone's own armor into them to create bleeding wounds. It should be pretty evident why, as mail gave way to plate, greatswords gave way to maces, picks, flails, falchions, and dirks.The "edgeless" swords you might find are late-era shortswords and rapiers, the ancestors of the epee. It's not that they didn't have a sharp edge on the sides of the blade, just that they were sharpened to the point for stabbing. Such a weapon couldn't cleave anything, only slash exposed flesh.</blockquote>

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