I have always really been annoyed by reenactment viking era swords that have grip length's closer to that of an arming sword because the people who use them think they are more comfortable. It just doesn't look right at all for those sorts of swords and obviously the vikings used them so if they had problems with the grip length, they would have made the grips longer! They didn't make the grips longer, so they felt that it was functional the way they had it. So when reenactors and modern practitioners have issues with the pommel and think that the grip should be longer, I've always suspected that it was because they were doing something wrong. I think that this tip is fantastic and it makes total sense. And it would make those longer grips on modern renditions totally unnecessary. I love the Viking era swords and I love seeing new theories and suggestions on how to make it work. Between you, Thrand, and Roland Warzecha (at least as far as youtube goes), I think we might be starting to get a pretty decent base to work with when it comes to viking era swords and swordplay.
@kyleflanagan9638 жыл бұрын
All Viking reenactment swords don't go past 12 cm :) and 8-12cm is the range for average Viking era swords
@cobrafumantearmado94938 жыл бұрын
+Kyle Flanagan There is legitimatize reason for this. Viking Era sword lengths are bit on the small to grip them while wearing a gaunlet or protective glove. I bet many do this to aviod the risk of having there fingers smashed in reenacting.
@PJDAltamirus04258 жыл бұрын
+Philip Dyer the style of Viking era swords shown in the video were usually not worn with any kind of hand protection (well maybe a leather glove sometimes) they were designed to be used with a shield (usually centre grip) there is a theory that is why the pommel and cross-guard are the same width to assist with stabilising the shield which was the actual primary "weapon" . . . ThegnThrand has some good videos on this subject and so does Skallagrim to an extent
@thefracturedbutwhole54758 жыл бұрын
+The Fractured But Whole I was going to say something about the equal pommel-guard width ratio working well with the shield but you have also seen thrands video on the topic and got here first. *Honorary Fist Bump of Mutual KZhead Interests*
@TheGamersGuild19998 жыл бұрын
TheGamersGuild1999 Knyght errant (misspelled on purpose) also has some great videos but they are more about armor . . . i had a lot of wrong ideas about armor and the weapons that were used with them
@thefracturedbutwhole54758 жыл бұрын
I've just tried this grip with my Darksword re-enactment viking sword & it seems to work pretty well. The weapon now feels quite lively in my hand where before it felt very clunky. I can now make nice flowing cuts from the wrist because the pommel slides along my palm. This virtually guarantees edge alignment as advertised. If my sword grip was a few cm's shorter the top of my hand would fit snuggly against the guard, making for a secure thrust. I suspect the guard on a viking sword serves the same purpose as the guard on a dagger. To keep the hand from slipping onto the blade when stabbing someone.
@wiskadjak8 жыл бұрын
The grip length of that sword - being the Albion Clontarf - is 10 cm, so it's on the large side. Anyway, most viking swords had a significantly longer pommel bar than that of the Clontarf. And personally, in order to not have the pommel bar dig uncomfortably into my hand (mine is an Albion Hersir, type H grip), I have to let the entire pommel slip past my entire hand, which makes for a particularly weak grip. If I have a hammer grip, however, I can still remedy the situation and prevent the pommel bar from digging into my hand by either 1) connecting with a target (a solid one, not one meant to be cut clean through) or 2) if cutting air, turning the blade after the imaginary target is cut, so that the momentum carries the pommel bar away from my hand rather than into it. Or, in other words, transitioning to another position from which I am again ready to strike.
@Gilmaris5 жыл бұрын
Interesting with the hand that low and a flat pummel against your palm, it reduces twisting in the hand. Maybe they knew something there. Thrusting through a shield wall I can see where quick twist could help align a sword through gaps. Also reduces blade torque from parries.
@beckhamhome8 жыл бұрын
Neat. Thanks for making this. Very interesting info.
@pkonneker6 жыл бұрын
Would you expect there to be an advantage to having a custom length grip matching your hand size pretty precisly so that you could get "support" of both the top and bottom of your hand from the pommel AND the guard?
@bjornnilsson18278 жыл бұрын
very informative video, thanks. That sword type seems really unwieldy lol, why not longer handles!?
@xmaxdamage8 жыл бұрын
It gives you more reach as well. Not much, but every little but helps.
@minuteman41998 жыл бұрын
I cant help but feel that this is in reference to Skals recent video?
@DuckcuD8 жыл бұрын
+Kyan Farrelly It is :-)
@scholagladiatoria8 жыл бұрын
+Kyan Farrelly Yea, noticed it too. It kinda bothered me while watching Skall's video, I was all like "You're (Possibly) holding it wrong!" :D
@Askorti8 жыл бұрын
+Kyan Farrelly The viking era part? Isn't that a reference to his own video?
@Tatti123218 жыл бұрын
+Jacek N In fairness, Skall's example in the review video isn't a very good replica of a viking era sword and he noted that the edges of the pommel made it uncomfortable to grip in the way I show here.
@scholagladiatoria8 жыл бұрын
Yes I was hoping for a Matt response. :D
@MisterDusterix8 жыл бұрын
Matt, I was recently re-watching your "Vikings" TV series videos and your viking related videos in general. Could you direct me to some sources/bibliography about arms and armour from the period? I'm writing a paper on a related subject. Also, do you have any published research youself?
@SamFisher3388 жыл бұрын
It would be cool if you could make more videos on foot work. What type of footwork do you use with dark age sword?
@TheVanguardFighter8 жыл бұрын
what are your thoughts on using your pinky finger on the pummel or also the index finger over the hilt. I've a minimal understanding when it come to fencing or swordsmen ship, but can feel the benefits in controlling a blade. to be honest I'm not sure if it is that beneficial if a sword is weighted properly. I've been making blades, sword knives etc.. for the last 26 years but would like to hear what an accomplished fellow such as yourself has to say on the matter. thanks and keep up the good work ver much enjoy your channel.
@terjefiskvatn8087 Жыл бұрын
Matt, another thought here., Maybe the way of griping of the sword is different. If you put your palm rest on the pommel, let you little finger and the bottom of your lower palm (part next to your wrist) rest on the "wings" of the pommel, forming a "90 degree" grip. Your grip in the video is more like a saber type grip, which allows a slight movement of the grip in your palm, and it allows better and easier circular movement. For a saber it is understandable, as it is light, fast and more maneuverable. But for Viking type sword, it is heavier, and more hacking/slashing than a small and quick circular movement like a saber, so the "90 degree" grip will give a better control and more accurate for a heavier one handed sword when a larger force is applied. Instead of using the wrist to create the slash, such "90 degree" grip will be more relying on the hand and shoulder to create the circular motion. Not sure if this is true, just a thought.
@alexcheung95388 жыл бұрын
+Alex Cheung I originally thought that the hammer fist grip and cutting from the elbow and shoulder in drawing cuts would work better with these swords, as with Indian swords. However I just don't find these swords work well that way.
@scholagladiatoria8 жыл бұрын
Matt...I do have a question...the 1977 movie deluge....are the swords in that movie historically accurate for the time period?
@stephenkennywhatup8 жыл бұрын
I know you're not moving your hand much further back, but I was wondering if the balance and therefore handling improves also with this grip? Could be a further corroborative piece of evidence for this theory?
@gavinwolfe37138 жыл бұрын
How sharp are the edges on the pommel of your Albion? The edges on the pommel of my Ronin Katana Viking (Era) Sword are pretty sharp, so the edges dig into the meat of the heal of my hand when I use this grip. Also, since the RK Viking (Era) Sword has a much longer grip than is historically accurate (4,5"), there is a huge gap between the top of my hand and the guard. I'm thinking about shortening the grip and rounding the edges of the pommel a bit.
@Pendraeg8 жыл бұрын
So you should SLASH and WHACK with a lower hand hold grip vs the assumed HIGH grip 90degree at wrist HACKING?
@klyanadkmorr8 жыл бұрын
I think vikings used both techniques (high and low grip) since many hilts were shaped differently.
@johnjohnsonsmith89693 жыл бұрын
There's next to no historical evidence as far as use from the time period so it's all conjecture anyway. And you're right, there probably wasn't any one right way anyway.
@LangstonDev3 жыл бұрын
I don't know. I find with my viking sword, I've got my hand closer to the crossguard, my index finger pushed up a bit, giving me a bit of distance, but the pommel swings about a couple centimeters over my wrist. If I grip towards the pommel, I find it mashes into my palm when swinging. I will have to play around with it I guess, figure out how to get it comfortable. But then, I don't spar. :P
@Swidhelm8 жыл бұрын
How does the loss of fingers effect swordsmanship? Are there any historical accounts of how people thought about this and how they coped and adapted to these kinds of injuries?
@antonymash95868 жыл бұрын
I guess as long and you keep your thumbs your somewhat able to use some type or other of swords. Maybe some lefties became lefties after sword fighting incidents. Nothing serious, just my funny uneducated guess.
@jean-micheltanguay86642 ай бұрын
Hello Matt! Is that a Viktor Berbekucz sword? is that have a good quality overall?
@panoptes65716 жыл бұрын
No, it's an Albion :-)
@scholagladiatoria6 жыл бұрын
I said this on Shad's video on the name of the "viking sword," but i think the word we should use for the Dark Age northern germanic sword should be "maekir," because, like "sverd," it translates as "sword" from Old Norse, but maekir won't be confused with the german "Schwert," swedish "svärd," or icelandic "sverd."
@brokenursa99868 жыл бұрын
+Ryan Cauffman Sorta hard to pronounce in words and without practice in real life in words. Calling it a viking sword is easier and more iconic.
@duksingchau89488 жыл бұрын
Dark age sword is a perfectly good description; and viking sword, while unhistorical, is at least understood. English doesn't need more word :p
@Jacob-Day8 жыл бұрын
+Ryan Cauffman Would that be pronounced MAY-KEER, MY-KEER, MAY-KER, MY-KIR, MAH-AY-KIR or MAY-EE-KEER/KIR respond with correct pronunciation from my list or with correct one in the low chance I didn't get it right with one of those many possibilities
@TheGamersGuild19998 жыл бұрын
+TheGamersGuild1999 According to what i've learned about old norse pronunciation, it would be "my-gir," though "my-kir" would also be acceptable.
@brokenursa99868 жыл бұрын
OK thanks agree with you about that being what they should call a viking sword since the term viking sword is fairly inaccurate
@TheGamersGuild19998 жыл бұрын
I may be totally wrong here but has anyone considered that you would have the sword made to fit your hand and as such you would have both the cross-guard and the pommel in contact with the hand at all times, negating the need for a special grip to stop the pommel striking the wrist? Is it possible that because we live in an age of one size fits all that we assume it was also the same in the past, instead it seems more likely to me that you would pay to have your sword match your dimensions as they're more likely to be "Custom" made instead of mass produced.
@jamesbruce19758 жыл бұрын
+James Bruce It's possible, though many people inherited or otherwise acquired swords of a given size. Swords in this era were sometimes used for generations and even the new ones were often imported as ready-made objects.
@scholagladiatoria8 жыл бұрын
+scholagladiatoria What? Nonsense. Forging your own pattern-welded ubersword was one of the final milestones of becoming a Viking warrior, just after growing an awesome braided beard and just before punching a giant right in the mead sack.
@Xanatos7128 жыл бұрын
+Xanatos712 you forgot the horned helmet part!
@dorsin1748 жыл бұрын
scholagladiatoria Good point I didnt think about the hand me down element, I assumed it was just another case of modern historians over analysing the situation :)
@jamesbruce19758 жыл бұрын
+James Bruce I made myself a (larp foam) viking era sword that fits my hand, it's indeed better imo.
@TanitAkavirius8 жыл бұрын
Would this grip style work on a roman gladius?
@demonlink5838 жыл бұрын
+demonlink583 Well, the gladius is mostly a stabbing sword while the viking-era sword is more of a hacking sword. It'd probably work either way; may not be optimal, though.
@simping4jesus3018 жыл бұрын
Thanks top video.. My favourite swords.. And would like to see more on handling of the sword BUT I have been infuriated by the last kingdom series ever 1 had a good sword except the star who has a 3 handed sword with a very odd blade and in the books the sword in detailed.. And I can't believe he let the bbc do that ... Then I watch berwolf On ITV and every 1 has a good sword like your 1 then tje star has some Conan fricking sword Ggrrrrrr
@kennybrunton93898 жыл бұрын
question: why do we never see hema classes train with maces and axes?
@WolfClant8 жыл бұрын
Because sparring would be dangerous no matter how dull the weapons would be, or how tough the protective equipment. That's just how bludgeoning weapons are.
@andrzejsobanski6752 Жыл бұрын
Can you please answer this question Roman swords ( and antiquity swords in general ) were short and i would like to know why ? Some people say because they had a big shield but this is not convincing because the Vikings were also using big shields yet they had longer swords O.o Thanks in advance :-)
@ramisabreur79618 жыл бұрын
+Rami sabreur with beter metalergy you can make beter and longer swords.
@exploatores8 жыл бұрын
I'd like a knowledgable answer on that as well. If I had to guess (which since I have no actual knowledge on this, I do have to guess), I'd say it would just be what fit their style of combat, as well as what would be practical for them and their technology. It could be that the majority of their sword combat was close so the length was cumbersome or not needed, or that the sword was longer to be able to safely strike around a large shield. Something else that might come into determining the size is the quality of the metal. Poor steel or iron that's brittle might fair better as a short blade. Like I said before these are just guesses. Especially the last bit. Metallurgy is not my strong point.
@gorisenke8 жыл бұрын
The gladius is a shirt stabbing sword, and it's length suits it's purpose. The romans fought in tight formations behind their large scutum shields, creating an impenetrable shield wall. Roman legionaires would stand protected behind their shields and stab the enemy pressing against the shield wall with the gladius. As a short range stabbing weapon, a longer blade would make the weapon unwieldly and less suited to the tight roman formations. The gladius blade was exactly as long as it needed to be for that purpose, thought I'm sure conservation of metal also played a role in it's length.
@EisenKreutzer8 жыл бұрын
+Rami sabreur I have a gladius and I have been training people in gladius and scutum for a TV production, so I have an answer to this, however I'm intending to put it into a video some day :-)
@scholagladiatoria8 жыл бұрын
+Rami sabreur To Expand on Exploatores, weaker metals (bronze, iron, low grade steel) at longer lengths are more prone to breaking. That's why older era swords are not only shorter, but also usually thicker.
@robinthrush96728 жыл бұрын
Wasn't the correct term the "Viking era" sword :P?
@barkunderjord37088 жыл бұрын
I think this viking sword grip issue is sort of "over-analyzed". After all there is only so much we can deduce and theorize just from grip size and pommel shape without additional information. And I'm not sure even if it is that important.
@rasnac8 жыл бұрын
+rasnac Try and use a sword with a hilt this shape and a handle only 8cm long and you very quickly realise how important it is. That's why most reenactors give up and get 12cm+ handles (which are almost entirely unhistorical).
@scholagladiatoria8 жыл бұрын
potop 1974 movie... my bad
@stephenkennywhatup8 жыл бұрын
This begs the question, at least to me. If you stab someone wouldn't your hand slide up? If so, wouldn't that, in a heat of battle, annoyance by having to change your grip?
@MarekDohojda8 жыл бұрын
"Viking" sword are more of cutting type (hack-and-slash) than thrusting type (stab). Some of them even has rounded tip (according to Oakeshott's typology).
@cdf916118 жыл бұрын
I agree Defan, but at least few if not most had a serviceable point which could which means probably were used for stabbing. If my theory (if one can call it that) is true, that would indicate, however, that stabbing was really kinda last resort type of a thing, as having your hand shift could not be fun.
@MarekDohojda8 жыл бұрын
+Marek Dohojda On this type of swords, the grip is almost always conical : thinner at the pommel and larger toward the guard. That would not make a big difference anyway, but I've always though this was meant to strengthen your grip when you stab.
@nicolasmartin81368 жыл бұрын
Nicolas Martin Only one solution, have to get authentic Viking sword and stab with it! I was thinking more about it, and I am wondering if the only reason why there is a choice between lower or upper grip is because of gauntlets. I mean Matt has big hands, but even a man with not so big hands but wearing heavy gloves would have thicker hands. Thereby the hand would be wedged between the grip, maybe with that the issue would go away?
@MarekDohojda8 жыл бұрын
+Marek Dohojda If your hand moved forwards when thrusting in, wouldn't it shift backwards when pulling out?
@Lazyguy228 жыл бұрын
You and Skallagrim should get together to film a video for each other channels. Maybe meet up in a museum in France or something.
@CesarIsaacPerez8 жыл бұрын
+Cesar “Isaac” Perez that would be quite the trip for skall, pretty sure he's on canada's west coast
@alexsitaras65088 жыл бұрын
Alex Sitaras it never occurred to me he might be Canadian... thought he was European.
@CesarIsaacPerez8 жыл бұрын
Cesar Perez i think he's from germany but moved to canada
@alexsitaras65088 жыл бұрын
+Alex Sitaras don't know where he is from originally. But know that before ho moved to Canada, he used to live in Norway
@jbg92268 жыл бұрын
Professor Arkham then that clarifies that
@alexsitaras65088 жыл бұрын
Don't even think I could hold that sword then, my hand is over 10 cm wide without the thumb.
@ChePennyDK8 жыл бұрын
But in the end we shall never know how to grip the Viking Sword properly.
@Midcal98 жыл бұрын
You're assuming that you need to flex your wrist.
@kortoso12208 жыл бұрын
Would people shut up already about the name of this thing? Do you know what the historical term was? It was called a "sword." Medieval people didn't care about finding exact categories for everything.
@NoahWeisbrod8 жыл бұрын
How to grip WHAT?
@Strategiusz8 жыл бұрын
Step one: Do NOT put your index finger above the hand guard.
@Duchess_Van_Hoof8 жыл бұрын
+angelowl89 why not? if the grip is a little small for your hand it could be a good way to make your fist a little smaller
@reddokkfheg94438 жыл бұрын
Then the swords clash, their blade slides down right on your finger. An all too common occurence in the fencing school I was part of. One of the reasons to why I like my italian basket hilted sidesword so much.
@Duchess_Van_Hoof8 жыл бұрын
+angelowl89 But it was done historically. You can find examples in treatises and it led to the appearance of the finger guard. Of course it led to the appearance of the finger guard exactly because it's dangerous as you are saying.
@fizikshizik8 жыл бұрын
angelowl89 Yes exactly but if you have a hard time fitting your hand in the hilt. you will have more space with one less finger
@reddokkfheg94438 жыл бұрын
Just because it was done historically doesn't mean it was a good idea. People get far to caught up in copying exactly what they see in some obscure drawing in an ancient treatise that's been badly translated from the old version of some other language. Many good fencing books have been written in modern times, but so have many bad ones. It's not logical to think that the same wouldn't apply to works written hundreds of years ago. Putting your finger over the guard is stupid no matter how you slice it. You want to do it, fine. But it's a good way to get your finger cut off, and even in practice it's a good way to get your finger broken. Frankly I don't even think it gives better control of the blade, as the blade doesn't really even have a ricasso. If you need to put your finger over the guard to have enough space for your hands, then the grip of your weapon is either too small, or you're holding the sword incorrectly to begin with.
@CollinClary8 жыл бұрын
Oh, come one, everyone knows how to grip their sword.
@TheRadioactiveFX8 жыл бұрын
I think you're better off calling them "germanic-style swords" as the type and mode of sword your holding was pretty revalent amongst all Germanic tribes during most of the early Middle Ages, from the Franks to the Goths, and from the Vikings to the Saxons, jutes, Angles and Frisians, they all used a similar model sword with very little in the way of variations
@Locahaskatexu8 жыл бұрын
first ;)
@MaciejNaumienko8 жыл бұрын
+Maciej Naumienko chiki briki i v damke!
@AnAmbientGrey8 жыл бұрын
+Lendanto, get out of here.
@Saber2thFS8 жыл бұрын
How sharp are the edges on the pommel of your Albion? The edges on the pommel of my Ronin Katana Viking (Era) Sword are pretty sharp, so the edges dig into the meat of the heal of my hand when I use this grip. Also, since the RK Viking (Era) Sword has a much longer grip than is historically accurate (4,5"), there is a huge gap between the top of my hand and the guard. I'm thinking about shortening the grip and rounding the edges of the pommel a bit.
I have always really been annoyed by reenactment viking era swords that have grip length's closer to that of an arming sword because the people who use them think they are more comfortable. It just doesn't look right at all for those sorts of swords and obviously the vikings used them so if they had problems with the grip length, they would have made the grips longer! They didn't make the grips longer, so they felt that it was functional the way they had it. So when reenactors and modern practitioners have issues with the pommel and think that the grip should be longer, I've always suspected that it was because they were doing something wrong. I think that this tip is fantastic and it makes total sense. And it would make those longer grips on modern renditions totally unnecessary. I love the Viking era swords and I love seeing new theories and suggestions on how to make it work. Between you, Thrand, and Roland Warzecha (at least as far as youtube goes), I think we might be starting to get a pretty decent base to work with when it comes to viking era swords and swordplay.
All Viking reenactment swords don't go past 12 cm :) and 8-12cm is the range for average Viking era swords
+Kyle Flanagan There is legitimatize reason for this. Viking Era sword lengths are bit on the small to grip them while wearing a gaunlet or protective glove. I bet many do this to aviod the risk of having there fingers smashed in reenacting.
+Philip Dyer the style of Viking era swords shown in the video were usually not worn with any kind of hand protection (well maybe a leather glove sometimes) they were designed to be used with a shield (usually centre grip) there is a theory that is why the pommel and cross-guard are the same width to assist with stabilising the shield which was the actual primary "weapon" . . . ThegnThrand has some good videos on this subject and so does Skallagrim to an extent
+The Fractured But Whole I was going to say something about the equal pommel-guard width ratio working well with the shield but you have also seen thrands video on the topic and got here first. *Honorary Fist Bump of Mutual KZhead Interests*
TheGamersGuild1999 Knyght errant (misspelled on purpose) also has some great videos but they are more about armor . . . i had a lot of wrong ideas about armor and the weapons that were used with them
I've just tried this grip with my Darksword re-enactment viking sword & it seems to work pretty well. The weapon now feels quite lively in my hand where before it felt very clunky. I can now make nice flowing cuts from the wrist because the pommel slides along my palm. This virtually guarantees edge alignment as advertised. If my sword grip was a few cm's shorter the top of my hand would fit snuggly against the guard, making for a secure thrust. I suspect the guard on a viking sword serves the same purpose as the guard on a dagger. To keep the hand from slipping onto the blade when stabbing someone.
The grip length of that sword - being the Albion Clontarf - is 10 cm, so it's on the large side. Anyway, most viking swords had a significantly longer pommel bar than that of the Clontarf. And personally, in order to not have the pommel bar dig uncomfortably into my hand (mine is an Albion Hersir, type H grip), I have to let the entire pommel slip past my entire hand, which makes for a particularly weak grip. If I have a hammer grip, however, I can still remedy the situation and prevent the pommel bar from digging into my hand by either 1) connecting with a target (a solid one, not one meant to be cut clean through) or 2) if cutting air, turning the blade after the imaginary target is cut, so that the momentum carries the pommel bar away from my hand rather than into it. Or, in other words, transitioning to another position from which I am again ready to strike.
Interesting with the hand that low and a flat pummel against your palm, it reduces twisting in the hand. Maybe they knew something there. Thrusting through a shield wall I can see where quick twist could help align a sword through gaps. Also reduces blade torque from parries.
Neat. Thanks for making this. Very interesting info.
Would you expect there to be an advantage to having a custom length grip matching your hand size pretty precisly so that you could get "support" of both the top and bottom of your hand from the pommel AND the guard?
very informative video, thanks. That sword type seems really unwieldy lol, why not longer handles!?
It gives you more reach as well. Not much, but every little but helps.
I cant help but feel that this is in reference to Skals recent video?
+Kyan Farrelly It is :-)
+Kyan Farrelly Yea, noticed it too. It kinda bothered me while watching Skall's video, I was all like "You're (Possibly) holding it wrong!" :D
+Kyan Farrelly The viking era part? Isn't that a reference to his own video?
+Jacek N In fairness, Skall's example in the review video isn't a very good replica of a viking era sword and he noted that the edges of the pommel made it uncomfortable to grip in the way I show here.
Yes I was hoping for a Matt response. :D
Matt, I was recently re-watching your "Vikings" TV series videos and your viking related videos in general. Could you direct me to some sources/bibliography about arms and armour from the period? I'm writing a paper on a related subject. Also, do you have any published research youself?
It would be cool if you could make more videos on foot work. What type of footwork do you use with dark age sword?
what are your thoughts on using your pinky finger on the pummel or also the index finger over the hilt. I've a minimal understanding when it come to fencing or swordsmen ship, but can feel the benefits in controlling a blade. to be honest I'm not sure if it is that beneficial if a sword is weighted properly. I've been making blades, sword knives etc.. for the last 26 years but would like to hear what an accomplished fellow such as yourself has to say on the matter. thanks and keep up the good work ver much enjoy your channel.
Matt, another thought here., Maybe the way of griping of the sword is different. If you put your palm rest on the pommel, let you little finger and the bottom of your lower palm (part next to your wrist) rest on the "wings" of the pommel, forming a "90 degree" grip. Your grip in the video is more like a saber type grip, which allows a slight movement of the grip in your palm, and it allows better and easier circular movement. For a saber it is understandable, as it is light, fast and more maneuverable. But for Viking type sword, it is heavier, and more hacking/slashing than a small and quick circular movement like a saber, so the "90 degree" grip will give a better control and more accurate for a heavier one handed sword when a larger force is applied. Instead of using the wrist to create the slash, such "90 degree" grip will be more relying on the hand and shoulder to create the circular motion. Not sure if this is true, just a thought.
+Alex Cheung I originally thought that the hammer fist grip and cutting from the elbow and shoulder in drawing cuts would work better with these swords, as with Indian swords. However I just don't find these swords work well that way.
Matt...I do have a question...the 1977 movie deluge....are the swords in that movie historically accurate for the time period?
I know you're not moving your hand much further back, but I was wondering if the balance and therefore handling improves also with this grip? Could be a further corroborative piece of evidence for this theory?
How sharp are the edges on the pommel of your Albion? The edges on the pommel of my Ronin Katana Viking (Era) Sword are pretty sharp, so the edges dig into the meat of the heal of my hand when I use this grip. Also, since the RK Viking (Era) Sword has a much longer grip than is historically accurate (4,5"), there is a huge gap between the top of my hand and the guard. I'm thinking about shortening the grip and rounding the edges of the pommel a bit.
So you should SLASH and WHACK with a lower hand hold grip vs the assumed HIGH grip 90degree at wrist HACKING?
I think vikings used both techniques (high and low grip) since many hilts were shaped differently.
There's next to no historical evidence as far as use from the time period so it's all conjecture anyway. And you're right, there probably wasn't any one right way anyway.
I don't know. I find with my viking sword, I've got my hand closer to the crossguard, my index finger pushed up a bit, giving me a bit of distance, but the pommel swings about a couple centimeters over my wrist. If I grip towards the pommel, I find it mashes into my palm when swinging. I will have to play around with it I guess, figure out how to get it comfortable. But then, I don't spar. :P
How does the loss of fingers effect swordsmanship? Are there any historical accounts of how people thought about this and how they coped and adapted to these kinds of injuries?
I guess as long and you keep your thumbs your somewhat able to use some type or other of swords. Maybe some lefties became lefties after sword fighting incidents. Nothing serious, just my funny uneducated guess.
Hello Matt! Is that a Viktor Berbekucz sword? is that have a good quality overall?
No, it's an Albion :-)
I said this on Shad's video on the name of the "viking sword," but i think the word we should use for the Dark Age northern germanic sword should be "maekir," because, like "sverd," it translates as "sword" from Old Norse, but maekir won't be confused with the german "Schwert," swedish "svärd," or icelandic "sverd."
+Ryan Cauffman Sorta hard to pronounce in words and without practice in real life in words. Calling it a viking sword is easier and more iconic.
Dark age sword is a perfectly good description; and viking sword, while unhistorical, is at least understood. English doesn't need more word :p
+Ryan Cauffman Would that be pronounced MAY-KEER, MY-KEER, MAY-KER, MY-KIR, MAH-AY-KIR or MAY-EE-KEER/KIR respond with correct pronunciation from my list or with correct one in the low chance I didn't get it right with one of those many possibilities
+TheGamersGuild1999 According to what i've learned about old norse pronunciation, it would be "my-gir," though "my-kir" would also be acceptable.
OK thanks agree with you about that being what they should call a viking sword since the term viking sword is fairly inaccurate
I may be totally wrong here but has anyone considered that you would have the sword made to fit your hand and as such you would have both the cross-guard and the pommel in contact with the hand at all times, negating the need for a special grip to stop the pommel striking the wrist? Is it possible that because we live in an age of one size fits all that we assume it was also the same in the past, instead it seems more likely to me that you would pay to have your sword match your dimensions as they're more likely to be "Custom" made instead of mass produced.
+James Bruce It's possible, though many people inherited or otherwise acquired swords of a given size. Swords in this era were sometimes used for generations and even the new ones were often imported as ready-made objects.
+scholagladiatoria What? Nonsense. Forging your own pattern-welded ubersword was one of the final milestones of becoming a Viking warrior, just after growing an awesome braided beard and just before punching a giant right in the mead sack.
+Xanatos712 you forgot the horned helmet part!
scholagladiatoria Good point I didnt think about the hand me down element, I assumed it was just another case of modern historians over analysing the situation :)
+James Bruce I made myself a (larp foam) viking era sword that fits my hand, it's indeed better imo.
Would this grip style work on a roman gladius?
+demonlink583 Well, the gladius is mostly a stabbing sword while the viking-era sword is more of a hacking sword. It'd probably work either way; may not be optimal, though.
Thanks top video.. My favourite swords.. And would like to see more on handling of the sword BUT I have been infuriated by the last kingdom series ever 1 had a good sword except the star who has a 3 handed sword with a very odd blade and in the books the sword in detailed.. And I can't believe he let the bbc do that ... Then I watch berwolf On ITV and every 1 has a good sword like your 1 then tje star has some Conan fricking sword Ggrrrrrr
question: why do we never see hema classes train with maces and axes?
Because sparring would be dangerous no matter how dull the weapons would be, or how tough the protective equipment. That's just how bludgeoning weapons are.
Can you please answer this question Roman swords ( and antiquity swords in general ) were short and i would like to know why ? Some people say because they had a big shield but this is not convincing because the Vikings were also using big shields yet they had longer swords O.o Thanks in advance :-)
+Rami sabreur with beter metalergy you can make beter and longer swords.
I'd like a knowledgable answer on that as well. If I had to guess (which since I have no actual knowledge on this, I do have to guess), I'd say it would just be what fit their style of combat, as well as what would be practical for them and their technology. It could be that the majority of their sword combat was close so the length was cumbersome or not needed, or that the sword was longer to be able to safely strike around a large shield. Something else that might come into determining the size is the quality of the metal. Poor steel or iron that's brittle might fair better as a short blade. Like I said before these are just guesses. Especially the last bit. Metallurgy is not my strong point.
The gladius is a shirt stabbing sword, and it's length suits it's purpose. The romans fought in tight formations behind their large scutum shields, creating an impenetrable shield wall. Roman legionaires would stand protected behind their shields and stab the enemy pressing against the shield wall with the gladius. As a short range stabbing weapon, a longer blade would make the weapon unwieldly and less suited to the tight roman formations. The gladius blade was exactly as long as it needed to be for that purpose, thought I'm sure conservation of metal also played a role in it's length.
+Rami sabreur I have a gladius and I have been training people in gladius and scutum for a TV production, so I have an answer to this, however I'm intending to put it into a video some day :-)
+Rami sabreur To Expand on Exploatores, weaker metals (bronze, iron, low grade steel) at longer lengths are more prone to breaking. That's why older era swords are not only shorter, but also usually thicker.
Wasn't the correct term the "Viking era" sword :P?
I think this viking sword grip issue is sort of "over-analyzed". After all there is only so much we can deduce and theorize just from grip size and pommel shape without additional information. And I'm not sure even if it is that important.
+rasnac Try and use a sword with a hilt this shape and a handle only 8cm long and you very quickly realise how important it is. That's why most reenactors give up and get 12cm+ handles (which are almost entirely unhistorical).
potop 1974 movie... my bad
This begs the question, at least to me. If you stab someone wouldn't your hand slide up? If so, wouldn't that, in a heat of battle, annoyance by having to change your grip?
"Viking" sword are more of cutting type (hack-and-slash) than thrusting type (stab). Some of them even has rounded tip (according to Oakeshott's typology).
I agree Defan, but at least few if not most had a serviceable point which could which means probably were used for stabbing. If my theory (if one can call it that) is true, that would indicate, however, that stabbing was really kinda last resort type of a thing, as having your hand shift could not be fun.
+Marek Dohojda On this type of swords, the grip is almost always conical : thinner at the pommel and larger toward the guard. That would not make a big difference anyway, but I've always though this was meant to strengthen your grip when you stab.
Nicolas Martin Only one solution, have to get authentic Viking sword and stab with it! I was thinking more about it, and I am wondering if the only reason why there is a choice between lower or upper grip is because of gauntlets. I mean Matt has big hands, but even a man with not so big hands but wearing heavy gloves would have thicker hands. Thereby the hand would be wedged between the grip, maybe with that the issue would go away?
+Marek Dohojda If your hand moved forwards when thrusting in, wouldn't it shift backwards when pulling out?
You and Skallagrim should get together to film a video for each other channels. Maybe meet up in a museum in France or something.
+Cesar “Isaac” Perez that would be quite the trip for skall, pretty sure he's on canada's west coast
Alex Sitaras it never occurred to me he might be Canadian... thought he was European.
Cesar Perez i think he's from germany but moved to canada
+Alex Sitaras don't know where he is from originally. But know that before ho moved to Canada, he used to live in Norway
Professor Arkham then that clarifies that
Don't even think I could hold that sword then, my hand is over 10 cm wide without the thumb.
But in the end we shall never know how to grip the Viking Sword properly.
You're assuming that you need to flex your wrist.
Would people shut up already about the name of this thing? Do you know what the historical term was? It was called a "sword." Medieval people didn't care about finding exact categories for everything.
How to grip WHAT?
Step one: Do NOT put your index finger above the hand guard.
+angelowl89 why not? if the grip is a little small for your hand it could be a good way to make your fist a little smaller
Then the swords clash, their blade slides down right on your finger. An all too common occurence in the fencing school I was part of. One of the reasons to why I like my italian basket hilted sidesword so much.
+angelowl89 But it was done historically. You can find examples in treatises and it led to the appearance of the finger guard. Of course it led to the appearance of the finger guard exactly because it's dangerous as you are saying.
angelowl89 Yes exactly but if you have a hard time fitting your hand in the hilt. you will have more space with one less finger
Just because it was done historically doesn't mean it was a good idea. People get far to caught up in copying exactly what they see in some obscure drawing in an ancient treatise that's been badly translated from the old version of some other language. Many good fencing books have been written in modern times, but so have many bad ones. It's not logical to think that the same wouldn't apply to works written hundreds of years ago. Putting your finger over the guard is stupid no matter how you slice it. You want to do it, fine. But it's a good way to get your finger cut off, and even in practice it's a good way to get your finger broken. Frankly I don't even think it gives better control of the blade, as the blade doesn't really even have a ricasso. If you need to put your finger over the guard to have enough space for your hands, then the grip of your weapon is either too small, or you're holding the sword incorrectly to begin with.
Oh, come one, everyone knows how to grip their sword.
I think you're better off calling them "germanic-style swords" as the type and mode of sword your holding was pretty revalent amongst all Germanic tribes during most of the early Middle Ages, from the Franks to the Goths, and from the Vikings to the Saxons, jutes, Angles and Frisians, they all used a similar model sword with very little in the way of variations
first ;)
+Maciej Naumienko chiki briki i v damke!
+Lendanto, get out of here.
How sharp are the edges on the pommel of your Albion? The edges on the pommel of my Ronin Katana Viking (Era) Sword are pretty sharp, so the edges dig into the meat of the heal of my hand when I use this grip. Also, since the RK Viking (Era) Sword has a much longer grip than is historically accurate (4,5"), there is a huge gap between the top of my hand and the guard. I'm thinking about shortening the grip and rounding the edges of the pommel a bit.