OAKESHOTT TypeXVI Swords

In the early 14th century, European battlefields saw increasingly heavier and more protective armor, with the first forms of full plate armour beginning to appear. Against such defenses, the earlier cutting-oriented swords—even those with some thrusting capability like Types XII and XIV—began to prove inadequate.

What the battlefield needed was a weapon that could effectively handle both cutting and thrusting.

Type XVI was born from that need.

^{Type XVI——Credits: The Sword in the Age of Chivalry}

What makes Type XVI unique is its blade design—the upper part is a cutting sword, the lower part is a thrusting sword.
The upper part of the blade is broad, with a pronounced and deep fuller extending slightly beyond the midpoint of the blade length.
The lower part of the blade features a flattened diamond cross-section with a central ridge, tapering to an acute point—making it highly effective for thrusting.

^{Credits: Sword Buyers Guide}

The blade length ranges from 28 to 32 inches (71–81 cm). The grip is designed for one-hand use, approximately 4 inches (10 cm) long. Tang is stout, often with the fuller running up into it. Pommel forms vary, with the wheel pommel being the most common, alongside variants such as the truncated wedge. The cross may also be of any style.

^{COMMON POMMEL TYPES——Credits: Sword Buyers Guide}

^{COMMON GUARD TYPES——Credits: Sword Buyers Guide}

Type XVI also has an enlarged version—Type XVIa.

^{Type XVIa——Credits:The Sword in the Age of Chivalry}

It features a long tapering blade, broad at the hilt. The grip is long, and it always had a hand and a half or a two-handed handle. The key differences from Type XVI lie in its cross-section and fuller:

Cross-section: The lower half is not a flattened diamond, but a flat hexagonal section.

Fuller: Typically shorter than that of Type XVI, occupying about one-third of the blade length.

^{Credits: Sword Buyers Guide}

Type XVI was primarily in use between 1300 and 1350, designed to counter the reinforced armor of that period, achieving a perfect balance between cutting and thrusting performance. As Oakeshott himself put it, the point of a Type XVI sword is "acute enough even to penetrate plate armour," while at the center of percussion, there is "enough width and edge … to enable the blade to strike a very powerful shearing blow."

Below are some historical examples of Type XV swords:

^{Type XVI——Credits: Bonhams}

^{Type XVI——Credits: Private Collection}

^{Type XVI——Credits:} ^{^{Nationalmuseet Collection}}

^{Type XVIa——Credits:} ^{The Royal Armouries}

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OAKESHOTT TypeXVI Swords