34 Iconic One-Handed Swords From History

As the name suggests, a one-handed sword is designed for use with a single hand. Over the years, this versatile weapon evolved into many shapes and styles, with different cultures developing their own unique versions for both attack and defense. In this post, we will explore 34 types of one-handed swords from history, categorized by the regions and cultures that forged them, to highlight their most important characteristics.

European One-Handed Swords

Rapier

The rapier is a European sword that appeared during the Renaissance, between the 1500s and 1600s. It is the longest of the one-handed swords, built with a slim blade and sharp point. Its design favored thrusting rather than cutting, which made it popular for duels and personal defense. Functional rapiers were often made with ornate hilts that not only protected the hand but also displayed style and status. They were commonly paired with a dagger, small buckler, or even a cloak to provide extra defense.

Smallsword

The Smallsword is a light, European single-handed sword that evolved from the rapier in the late 17th century. It became the dominant dueling and civilian self-defense sword for gentlemen throughout Europe during the 18th century. The blade was typically short, narrow, and often had a triangular cross-section. It usually had no cutting edge and was designed almost exclusively for thrusting with speed and precision, making it highly effective against unarmored opponents in duels.

Arming Sword

Arming Sword was used by knights and soldiers during the High Middle Ages (circa 1000–1350). It features a straight, double-edged blade suited for both cutting and thrusting, a straight or slightly curved guard to protect the hand, and a rounded or shaped pommel. Typically paired with a shield, it served as the standard knightly sword of the period.

Gladius

The gladius is a highly effective short sword used historically by the Roman legionaries. The short length of the sword was ideal for stabbing into the gaps of an enemy formation or thrusting from behind the protection of their large shield, a tactic that would have been impossible with a longer sword. There were several variants over the centuries, named after where they were first found.

Viking Sword

The Viking sword was a single-handed, double-edged blade, roughly 70-80 cm long, typically used with a shield. It was a status symbol, often highly decorated and passed down as a family heirloom. The best ones were made in the Frankish Empire, like the famous “Ulfberht” swords.

Xiphos

The Xiphos is a short, double-edged, European one-handed sword used by the ancient Greeks. It was the standard secondary weapon for the Greek armies, particularly for the famous hoplites. The most distinctive feature is its leaf-shaped blade, which was wider in the middle and tapered to a point. This design allowed it to be effective for both cutting and thrusting, making it a versatile weapon in close-quarters combat.

Kopis

Another type used by the Greeks was the Kopis (from the Ancient Greek κοπίς, meaning “chopper”). This distinctive, single-edged blade featured a forward-curving shape that was specifically engineered for powerful chopping and slashing attacks.

Falcata

The Falcata closely resembles the kopis, but has a less deeply curved blade and a sharpened false edge along the second half of its length. It was used by the pre-Roman inhabitants of Iberia (modern-day Spain). Its heavy, axe-like blade delivered powerful chopping blows, making it a devastating weapon in close combat.

Spatha

The Spatha was a long, double-edged sword used in the Roman Empire from the 1st to the 6th centuries CE. It was significantly longer than the Gladius and was initially adopted by Roman cavalry, as its length made it effective for cutting and thrusting from horseback. Many sources says that the Spatha is considered the direct ancestor of most medieval European swords.

Falchion

Falchion was used during the Late Middle Ages and featured a single-edged blade with varying shapes. Some were wider and shorter, some straight with a curve near the tip, and some slightly curved like a sabre. Its simple hilt often had a crossguard and rounded pommel, and it was commonly paired with a shield.

European Military Sabre

Sabre is a general term used for many sword types in different regions, and European sabres also include many types. Here, we refer to those used from the 17th century onward, mainly by cavalry. They feature a single-edged, curved blade designed for slashing attacks, with a hilt that has a knuckle guard or fully enclosed hand guard for protection.

Cutlass

The cutlass is also a type of sabre but specifically adapted for use in the tight, crowded confines of a ship’s deck and rigging. Its key features were a relatively short blade, a robust and heavy design for powerful chopping, and a large basket or knuckle guard to protect the hand. While it was a formidable weapon for close-quarters boarding actions, it was also used as a practical tool for many daily tasks.

Hanger

The Hanger is a short, single-edged sword popular in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. Its blade was typically broad and often curved, designed for powerful chopping and slashing. It was a practical and versatile weapon used by a variety of people, including sailors, hunters, and infantry.

Messer

Messer which translates from German as “knife” was popular in Germany and Central Europe during the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance. While often grouped with the falchion, it is considered a distinct weapon, mainly because of its knife-like hilt construction. Many versions were single-handed and used for self-defense, military, and other applications.

Katzbalger

The Katzbalger was a short, broad Renaissance-era sword, famously used by the German mercenary pikemen known as the Landsknechts from the 16th century. Its most distinctive feature was a large, often ornate, S-shaped or figure-of-eight guard designed to protect the user’s hand. An interesting fact about the Katzbalger is its name. It translates roughly to “cat-skinner” or “cat-brawler,” a term believed to refer to the vicious, no-holds-barred fighting in which it was used. 

Basket-Hilted Broadsword

Also called the Scottish claymore, the single-handed Basket-Hilted Broadsword was used during the 17th and 18th centuries. Its most distinctive feature was the intricate basket hilt, a cage of metal strips that fully enclosed and protected the hand. The blade was usually broad and straight, often of German or Italian manufacture, mounted on the distinctively Scottish hilt.

Mortuary Sword

The Mortuary Sword was a type of basket-hilted broadsword used in England during the mid-17th century, particularly by cavalry during the English Civil War. Its name comes from the design of its hilt, which often featured engraved effigies of human faces or skulls and other death-related motifs. It was a single-handed sword with a straight, double-edged blade and a complex basket hilt that was similar to, and possibly influenced by, the earlier Scottish basket hilts.

Schiavona

The Schiavona was a Renaissance-era basket-hilted broadsword used by the elite Venetian Republic’s bodyguard, known as the Schiavoni, from the 16th to 18th centuries. Its unique hilt featured a complex basket of intersecting metal bars and was typically topped with a distinctive fan-shaped pommel.

Shashka

The Shashka was a type of sabre from the Caucasus region that was adopted by Russian Cossacks and became their signature weapon. Used from the 16th century, it was a short, single-edged, and slightly curved sword designed almost exclusively for slashing attacks from horseback. Its most distinctive feature is its handle, which is mounted without a traditional guard (or with only a vestigial one), and the blade is sheathed deep in a wooden scabbard, leaving only the pommel exposed.

Middle East

Shamshir

Originating from Persia (modern-day Iran), the Shamshir is a type of sabre and part of the Scimitar family. Its defining feature is the extreme curve of the blade, which made it highly effective for cavalry slashing attacks.

Kilij

The Kilij was a type of saber that served as the primary sword of the Ottoman Empire and its cavalry from the 15th century onward. It had a single-edged, curved blade designed for powerful slashing attacks, making it a highly effective weapon in cavalry charges. Its most distinctive feature was the Yelmen, a pronounced flare or widening of the blade in the final third near the tip. This unique design shifted the weight of the sword forward, adding significant momentum to a cut and making it capable of delivering devastating blows that could slice through an opponent’s armor.

Yatagan

Yatagan, also called varsak, is another type used by the Ottoman Empire. It’s instantly recognizable for its unique, single-edged blade with a pronounced forward curve on the cutting edge and a hilt without a crossguard.

Saif

The Saif is a broad term in Arabic that literally translates to “sword.” While it can refer to any sword, it is most often used to describe the curved, single-edged sword of the Arab world. These swords typically have a simple crossguard and a distinctive, hook-shaped pommel, and they were used for both infantry and cavalry.

Asia

Talwar

Influenced by the Persian Shamshir and other Middle Eastern sabers, but developed with its own distinctive features, the Talwar was a staple weapon of the Mughal Empire and later used throughout India. They were less curved than the Shamshir, making it effective for both slashing and some degree of thrusting. Its most notable feature was its hilt, which was made entirely of metal, often with a large, disc-shaped pommel.

Kastane/kasthane

The Kastane was a short, single-edged sword from Sri Lanka, particularly associated with the Kandyan Kingdom from the 17th to 19th centuries. Its blade was typically slightly curved, but its most distinguishing feature was its highly ornate, zoomorphic hilt. The hilt often featured a lion’s head pommel, a stylized cobra guard, and a knucklebow in the shape of the lion’s tongue. Kastane was primarily a symbol of aristocratic rank and authority rather than a utilitarian weapon.

Kris

The Kris or Keris is a distinctive asymmetrical dagger or short sword from Indonesia, Malaysia, and the southern Philippines. It is famous for its characteristic wavy blade and is deeply ingrained in the culture of the region, where it serves as a spiritual object as much as a weapon.

Jian

The Jian was the traditional Chinese straight sword used for over two thousand years across different dynasties. It is distinguished by its double-edged blade, simple crossguard, and balanced design that made it effective for both cutting and thrusting. Often carried by scholars, generals, and nobles, it earned the title of the gentleman of weapons.

Dao

The Dao was the primary single-edged Chinese sword, and it became the most common military weapon throughout much of Chinese history, serving as the counterpart to the straight, double-edged Jian. While its blade could be straight in earlier forms, the Dao is best known for its slightly curved, heavy blade optimized for delivering powerful slashing and chopping blows.

Hook Sword

The Hook Sword (or shuang gou) is a weapon from northern China used by martial arts practitioners and historically by certain regional military forces. It is one of the most distinctive weapons in the Chinese arsenal, easily recognized by its blade that ends in a hook, a sharp crescent guard protecting the hand, and a spiked pommel. It is nearly always wielded in matching pairs.

Wakizashi

Known as one of the most effective among Japanese sword types, the Wakizashi was a short sword carried by the samurai class during Japan’s feudal era. As a companion sword to the longer Katana, it was a vital part of the daisho, the pair of swords that symbolized a samurai’s rank and honor. Its blade was typically between 30 and 60 cm (12 to 24 inches), making it perfect for close-quarters fighting.

Kukri

The Kukri is a heavy, inwardly curved knife or short sword originating from Nepal, famously associated with the Gurkha people. With a distinct forward-dropping blade, it is a versatile tool used for a variety of tasks, including chopping wood and clearing brush, but it is also a formidable weapon in close-quarters combat.

Africa

Khopesh

The Khopesh was an iconic sword of ancient Egypt, emerging around 2500 BCE. This African one-handed sword featured a single-edged blade, initially bronze and later iron, which curved forcefully outwards in a distinct sickle shape. Its heavy, forward-weighted design meant it functioned more like a powerful battle axe, delivering devastating chopping blows. Crucially, the curved section of the blade could also be utilized to hook an opponent’s shield or leg.

Flyssa

The Flyssa was a single-edged sword or dagger from North Africa, originating from the Kabyle Berbers of Algeria. It was in use from the 18th to the early 20th century, and its unique design made it both a formidable tribal weapon and a ceremonial object. Its blade was long and straight, often widening at the tip, and its wooden handle often had a distinctive, bird-like pommel.

Nimcha

The Nimcha often featured blades imported from Europe, but its hilt was a distinctive local creation. The grip was typically made from horn, wood, or ivory, and it had a prominent knuckle guard that was either straight or curved. This guard often integrated additional loops or bars to form a complex, closed hand protection, a feature that made it stand out from most other sabers of the era.

Last Words

This section highlights some of the most iconic and popular one-handed swords used throughout history across various regions and cultures. However, numerous other types exist which, though less renowned, were designed for distinct purposes and applications, often crafted as solutions to the unique cultural and tactical challenges of their time.