OAKESHOTT TypeXVIII Swords

On the 15th‑century battlefield, plate armour had reached near‑perfection—full coverage, flexible joints, and extreme hardness. Defeating a knight in full plate required a sword sharp and stiff enough to penetrate the gaps between plates. At the same time, not every soldier could afford such armour. Many infantrymen wore only a helmet and a brigandine (a cloth or leather vest lined with small iron plates). They were vulnerable to thrusts, which could be debilitating, but also to cuts—which could instantly cause amputation, decapitation, or the severing of ligaments and major muscle groups.

The battlefield demanded a sword that could both pierce the gaps in plate armour and deliver devastating cuts against lighter protection. Type XVIII was the answer to that need.

The blade of a Type XVIII is relatively broad at the base, with enough width at the centre of percussion (the optimal striking point) to deliver a fully effective cut, while tapering to a sharp point capable of a lethal thrust.

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

The blade has a flattened diamond cross‑section, sometimes hollow‑ground, and usually features a pronounced longitudinal mid‑rib.

^{Credits: Sword Buyers Guide}

The grip is of medium length, about 3.75–4 inches (9.5–10 cm), usable with one hand or two. The pommel is most often of wheel or scent‑stopper form. The cross is generally curved, with Style 11 being particularly common.

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

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

Type XVIII has more sub‑types than almost any other type in Oakeshott's typology.

Type XVIIIa is the most numerous sub‑type of the XVIII family. Its blade is fairly slender, averaging about 32 inches in length, with the same section as Type XVIII, sometimes featuring a narrow fuller in the upper part.

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

^{Credits: Sword Buyers Guide}

The grip is about 5 inches long, making it a single‑handed sword. Pommel and cross may be of any form.

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

Type XVIIIb is often called the Germanic longsword, particularly popular in Germany during the 15th and 16th centuries. Its blade is long and slender, of flattened diamond section.

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

^{Credits: Sword Buyers Guide}

The grip is very long, typically 10–11 inches, with a distinctive waisted shape—the lower half is slimmer, merging with the slender upper half. The pommel is most often of wheel or scent‑stopper form (Type T or T5).

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

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

Type XVIIIc has a broad, heavy blade of flattened diamond section, the faces almost always flat or slightly convex, generally about 34 inches long.

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

^{Credits: Sword Buyers Guide}

The grip is long, with a sharp swelling in the middle, which is placed closer to the cross than to the pommel. The pommel is usually of wheel form. The cross is often of flat ribbon‑like section, horizontally curved into an S‑shape.

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

Type XVIIId has a slender, stiff blade of four‑sided section, sometimes with a deep, narrow fuller running almost the entire length. The grip is short. The pommel is generally of wheel form. The cross is often horizontally S‑curved or sharply downturned. Some examples feature pas d'âne and side rings.

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

Type XVIIIe is often called the Danish war sword. Its blade is long and narrow, generally with a long ricasso (5–6 inches / 12.7–15 cm) which is narrower than the blade itself. Occasionally it has a fuller running most of the length, but more commonly it is of flattened diamond section. The pommel is of pear form, and the cross is curved sharply downward.

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

Type XVIII and its sub‑types were "the most widely used swords between c. 1410 and 1510 all over Europe", as Oakeshott put it. The blade form can be traced back to the Bronze Age, but in the 15th century it found its most perfect expression. That balance between cut and thrust is exactly why it remains one of the most important sword types in the history of the medieval sword.

Below are some historical examples of Type XVIII swords:

^{^{Type XVIII——Credits: The Museum, Westminster Abbey}}

^{^{Type XVIII——Credits: Musée de l'Armée in Paris}}

^{^{Type XVIIIa——Credits: the Collection at Schloss Erbach}}

^{^{Type XVIIIb——Credits: the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich}}

^{Type XVIIIc——Credits: the Met}

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OAKESHOTT TypeXVIII Swords