Pirate Swords

Pirates are one of the most fascinating subjects in stories. The word pirate brings to mind the image of a person with an eye patch, big hats and their huge pirate swords.

Pirates are the sailors who prey on other ships. They steal valuables from them, harm or sometimes even kill the crew. Their business is of course dangerous and stealthy therefore they equipped themselves with these pirate swords.

Different types of Pirate swords

* Cutlass: This is the most popular weapon used by pirates. These Pirate swords weigh around 3lbs and are about 2 feet long. Cutlass was a perfect weapon to fight in a confined or small areas like on board or below ship decks.

The blade of these Pirate swords is slightly curved, single-edged and sharpened on the outer side. The cutlass was originated by the Buccaneers. These are long knife known as the ‘Boucan’ which was used for cutting meat.

The Cutlass looks some what like a saber, but it is shorter and much heavier. This sword was very useful for pirates not only to combat their opponents but also to slash down doors, cut ropes and canvas.

* Broadsword: These were also commonly used by the pirates, especially the Buccaneers. These pirate swords are heavy and long. These were not quite comfortable to use on board therefore the pirates did not prefer using them much.

However the pirates sometimes used these swords as slashing weapons because they had the ability to cut anything or anyone with just a single stroke. They were either single or double edged swords.

* Small sword or short rapiers: These pirate swords were not very useful in fighting with the opponents. The later versions of the small sword were slightly curved, but most of them had straight blades and were single-edged swords.

These swords did not cause much harm and could be broken easily with any heavier weapon. Therefore the pirates used these swords as personal dueling weapons. They also used them or other small daggers or bucklers in their off hand.

Pirate swords; especially the Cutlass looked very attractive. This weapon was used both as a sword and a shield. It had a very shape blade and a basket hilt. The blade was short and could be swung with ease, causing serious damage to the opponent. Its basket hilt protected the hands and was used as a small shield.

Pirate swords are stylish and fierce at the same time. They appeared not only deadly but often added a distinguished style to a pirate’s appearance.