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The following article will focus on the development and change of the medieval sword during the late medieval period. This change was directly caused by important improvements to the armors of the gothic era. During the first mellenium, European swords were simple in design. Short uniform blades of the roman, Germanic and Nordic peoples ending in a somewhat rounded tip (generally type X family). It was not until the 12th and 13th century that important changes were implemented in blade geometry to counter the ever developing platted armor. The first swords were simple, but advanced blacksmithing techniques in the Middle Ages allowed the medieval swords to evolve rapidly. Their evolution was necessary to overcome medieval armor improvements. Because of the changing features in handles and blade typology, they remained the most popular medieval weapons that could compete with evolving armor.
The chain mail is one of the oldest types of armor, but it remained in use until the 17th century. It contains a lot of interlocked metal rings, so it resembles a dense chain. The construction made it useful against both slashing and piercing medieval weapons, so it was effective against various swords and simple arrows.
In the early 13th century, the Norman sword could compete against a simple chain mail. According to Ewart Oakeshott, these medieval swords would be classified as Type XII swords. They introduced a shorter fuller and gradual blade tapering with a sharp point, so they delivered a stronger thrust while maintaining slashing power.
As the chain mail construction improved, they became more resistant to thrusts. However, the chain mail still left the legs vulnerable, so longswords and greatswords rose in popularity. The transition from Type XII to Type XIII swords occurred in the middle of the 13th century.
Type XIII swords featured a grip that was around 6 inches (15 cm) long. The longer grip allowed both one-handed and two-handed wielding, so the attack could deliver stronger slashes. The blade edges were parallel and ended with a round tip. Instead of trying to pierce the armor, the blade length was designed to extend the reach and cut the legs because the chain mail failed to protect them.
The development of other medieval weapons also made the chain mail useless. The crossbow featured stronger arrows and higher velocity, and they managed to pierce the armor easily.
The chain mail became obsolete in the 14th century, and soldiers started using breastplates instead. However, protecting the torso was not enough in combat, so chain mails remained in use during the transition period to full plate armor.
Various other plates were invented to protect the shoulders, forearms, shins, and other parts of the body. In the 15th century, those pieces were assembled into one complete plate armor. The Maximilian is one of the most popular examples of a full plate medieval armor. However, the armor still had its weaknesses on the battlefield.
Only generals and the cavalry could afford heavy armor that would protect them even from crossbows on a larger distance. Battle armor was designed to combine mobility with protection, so the infantry wore lighter armor with less protection around the joints.
In response to medieval armor development, the medieval swords became thinner and the acute tapering blade ended with a sharp point. Type XV swords were designed to find openings in the armor and pierce the opponent rather than focus on slashing power.
After the introduction of full plate armor, the blade typology mainly remained constant. Type XVII swords stand out because they were heavier than other swords. They weighed more than 2 kg, so they could deliver more piercing power. All subsequent medieval swords featured thinner blades and acute tapering blades with sharp points to compete with full plate medieval armor.
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