OAKESHOTT TypeXVII Swords

In the 14th century, the evolution of armour accelerated at an unprecedented pace. In the early 14th century, knights still relied primarily on chainmail, supplemented by helmets and simple plate defences for the legs. But as the threat from longbowmen and infantry grew, knights began adding more and more iron plates to their bodies. By the mid-to-late 14th century, full plate armour had taken shape, and traditional cutting swords had become almost entirely ineffective—a blade sliding across a steel plate left nothing more than a scratch.

This created a situation on the battlefield: against plate-armoured knights, the most effective weapons were no longer swords, but warhammers, battle-axes, and maces. These blunt weapons could transmit impact force through the armour to injure the wearer, or even dent the steel plates themselves.

The sword had to change, or it would be rendered obsolete.

Type XVII was the product of this arms race.

The defining feature of Type XVII is its hexagonal cross-section. This cross-section gives the blade exceptional stiffness, meaning that during a thrust, the blade does not flex and dissipate energy—all the force is concentrated at the point.