League of White Darkness

Following this paragraph will be numerous types of swords. Some information will be taken from wikipedia.

but wikipedia doesn't have everything, and sometimes it's wrong.

In which case I will step in and get the facts straight.

A fully-equipped Roman soldier would have been armed with a shield (scutum), several javelins , a sword (gladius), probably a

dagger  and perhaps a number of darts Conventionally, the javelins would be thrown before engaging the enemy, at which point

the gladius would be drawn. The soldier generally led with his shield and thrust with his sword. Contrary to popular belief, all types

of gladius appear to have also been suitable for cutting and chopping motions as well as for thrusting.

The kopis is an ancient single-edged sword with a heavy forward-curving blade, designed for delivering strong cleaving blows.

Some scholars feel this was developed from the Canaan/Egyptian khopesh. In turn, it is often compared to the shorter Nepalese

kukri and the Iberian falcata and may be their predecessor. The word itself is the Greek feminine singular noun derived from t

he verb κόπτω (koptô), meaning "to cut." The difference in meaning between kopis and makhaira (another Greek word of similar meaning)

is not entirely clear in ancient texts, but modern specialists tend to use both terms referred to a class of curved weapons, the only real

difference being the direction of the blade curvature.

Though kopis is a Greek word, the ancient Greeks did not often use curved blades in warfare, preferring rather the straight, more martially

versatile xiphos. Xenophon however recommended using the curved makhaira for cavalry in On Horsemanship 12:11.

Greek art shows Persian soldiers wielding the kopis or an axe rather than the straight-bladed Persian akinakes.

Khopesh  is the Egyptian name of the Canaanite "sickle-sword". Its origins can be traced back to third millennium Sumer.

A typical khopesh has about 18 cm of hilt, with the blade extending some 40 cm from the hilt before curving into a slight crescent shape

for another 15 to 30 cm.

The khopesh was initially used against the Egyptians in war, but as the kingdom of Egypt improved trade relations with other kingdoms,

eventually it adopted the khopesh. It seemed to have been most popular during the New Kingdom under the united Egypt. Ramses II was the first

pharaoh to have used the khopesh in warfare.

Surviving examples have a single-handed grip followed by a blade about three grip-lengths. The blade was straight at the base, but the lower 3/4

curved into a broad-bladed shallow curve. Surviving examples show that, unlike a sickle, the weapon was edged on the outer side of the curve.

The xiphos  is a double-edged, single-hand sword used by the ancient Greeks. It was a primary battlefield weapon for the Greek armies along with the

spear or javelin. The blade was around 65 cm long. The xiphos was good for both cutting and stabwounding attacks due to its leaf-shaped blade. It was

generally used only when the spear was discarded.

The straight, double-edged design of the xiphos lends it the same overall martial versatility found in the swords used by infantry until the firearm supplanted the sword on the battlefield.

The butterfly sword  is a short dâo, or single-edged blade, originally from the South of China, though it has seen use in the North

The blade length is approximately that of the forearm, for easy concealment within the sleeves or inside boots, and for greater maneuverability

to spin and rotate in close-quarters fighting. The butterfly sword is usually wielded in pairs. As well, they are usually held side by side within the

same scabbard, so as to give the appearance of a single weapon. The sword has also a small crossguard to protect the hands of the wielder,

which can be used to block or hook an opponent's weapon. The guard can also be used as a knuckle duster when non-lethal application of the

weapon is desired. Traditionally, the blade of a butterfly sword is only sharpened halfway, from the middle of the blade to the tip. From the middle

down to the handle, the blade is left blunt. This is done so that the unsharpened portion of the blade can be used for blocking without damaging a

finely honed edge, and to deliver non-lethal strikes. Butterfly swords are used in several Chinese martial art, notably Wing Chun, Lau Gar and Hung Gar.

In Wing Chun, one notable aspect of butterfly sword combat is that its principles are the basis for all other weaponry. In theory, any object that can

be held in the hands of a Wing Chun practitioner will follow basically the same principles of movement as the butterfly swords. This is because the

use of butterfly swords is simply an extension of empty-handed combat.

Butterfly swords are regarded by many Chinese martial artists to hold the most versatility and balance of offensive capabilities and defensive

capabilities of any other Chinese weapon. with many more capabilities than just a weapon.

Dao  is a category of single-edge Chinese swords primarily used for slashing and chopping (sabres), often called a

broadsword in English translation because some varieties have wide blades. In China, the dao is known as one of the four major

weapons, along with the Gun (staff), Qiang (spear), and the Jian (sword), and referred to as "The Marshal of All Weapons"

. Dao is actually a generic word used to denote any member of a family of single-edged, broad-bladed cutting or slicing tools, but in

common, everyday usage means knife. The weapon, also known as dan dao (single knife) when just one is used, is thereby thought

to be an adaptation of the kitchen knives common to Chinese cuisine. Dao also appears in the names of such polearms as the pudao

and guan dao, indicating the knifelike nature of their blades.While dao have varied greatly over the centuries, most single-handed dao

of the Ming period and later, and the modern swords that are based (sometimes loosely) on them share a number of characteristics. Dao

blades are moderately curved and single-edged, though often with few inches of the back edge sharpened as well; the moderate curve

allows them to be reasonably effective in the thrust. Hilts are canted, curving in the opposite direction as the blade which improves

handling in some forms of cuts and thrusts.

The hook sword is an exotic Chinese weapon traditionally associated with Northern styles of Chinese martial arts,

but now often practiced by Southern styles as well. Also known as tiger hook swords or qian kun ri yue dao

(literally "Heaven and Earth Sun Moon Sword"), these weapons have a blade similar to that of the jian, though possibly

thicker or unsharpened, with a prong or hook (similar to a shepherd's crook) near the tip. Guards are substantial, in the

style of butterfly swords, Often used in pairs, the hooks of the weapons may be used to trap or deflect other weapons.

Hook swords are considered a difficult weapon to learn, and the variety of blades projecting from different directions

would make this weapon very difficult to master unless you know someone with experience with swords and a Martial

Arts background. Reliable information on hook swords is difficult to come by. While sometimes called an ancient weapon

and described as dating from the Song dynasty to Warring States or even earlier, most antique examples and artistic depictions

are from the late Qing era or later, suggesting that they are actually a comparatively recent design. They were also an exclusively

civilian weapon, appearing in none of the official listings of Chinese armaments. Surviving sharpened examples point to actual use

as weapons, but their rarity, and the training necessary to use them, strongly suggest that they were only rarely used as such. In the

The jian is a double-edged straight sword used during the last 2,500 years in China.

Historical one-handed versions have blades varying from 45 to 80 centimeters (17.7 to 31.5 inches) in length.

The weight of an average sword of 70-centimeter (28-inch) blade-length would be in a range of approximately

700 to 900 grams (1.5 to 2 pounds). There are also larger two-handed versions used for training by many styles of

Chinese martial arts.

The jian is very often the weapon of the hero in Chinese wuxia or martial arts movies. For example, the possession and

use of a specific fictional jian, the Green Destiny, played a major role in the popular movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

In folklore, it is known as "The Gentleman of Weapons" and is considered one of the four major weapons, along with the

Gun (staff), Qiang (spear), and the Dao (sabre). This was also the sword weilded by Mulan in the Disney film.

A Katzbalger is a short Renaissance arming sword, notable for its sturdy build and a distinctive s-shaped or figure-8

shaped guard. Measuring 75-85 cm long and weighing 1-2 kg, it the was the signature blade of the Landsknecht.

There are several different explanations about the origin of the name "Katzbalger": one is that it comes from the custom of carrying a

sword without a scabbard, held only by a cat's skin (German word Katze means "cat", while balgen can mean "to skin" or "to brawl").

However, this is rather unlikely. Another theory is that the word derives from the second meaning of balgen (brawling), and refers to

intense, close-quarter combat like fights between feral cats. The most common translation is "cat-gutter." Katzbalger also means

"Suitable for the fight".

A katzbalger would often be used by pikemen, archers, and crossbowmen as a last resort if the enemy were to draw too close for

bows or pikes to be effective.

A backsword is a sword having a blade with only one edge. The back of the sword is often the thickest part of

the blade and acts to support and strengthen it.

The term refers more specifically to Early Modern European weapons, usually straight, and typically with complex

protective hilts. It can also refer to the singlestick, which is used to train for fighting with the backsword, or to the

sport or art of fighting in this fashion

Backswords were often the secondary weapons of European-style cavalrymen beginning in the late 16th, early 17th

centuries.The weapon's name was likely derived from the practice of slinging the weapon in a sheath behind the trooper's

back while riding in order to prevent it from clanging against his or the horse’s side as they galloped. Examples of a general

 backsword are the Sabre, Kopis, and Dao.

The term broadsword is used to refer to different types of swords, across many cultures and time periods.

During the 17th through 19th centuries, the term was used in Europe as a name for a specific design of sword,

namely a straight-bladed, double-edged, basket-hilted sword like the Italian schiavona or the Scottish

claymore (which has been used to describe both both basket-hilted blades and the more popular greatsword).

Surviving examples of such swords are around 105 cm long (90 cm of which is blade) with a base blade width

of 3.5 cm and a mass of about one kilogram. In modern usage, "broadsword" refers to a category of swords,

specifically those whose blade geometry is designed for cutting and slashing attacks, as opposed to the fencing

weapons and their emphasis on thrusts and stabs. Since there are many definitions of a broad sword,

a picture is out of the question.

A cutlass is a short, thick sabre or slashing sword, with a straight or slightly curved blade sharpened on the cutting edge, and a hilt often featuring a solid cupped or basket-shaped guard.Best known as the sailor's weapon of choice, the naval side arm, likely because it was also robust enough to hack through heavy ropes, canvas, and wood. It was also short enough to use in relatively close quarters, such as during boarding actions, in the rigging, or below decks. Another advantage to the cutlass was its simplicity of use. The cutlass required less training than the rapier or small sword, and was more effective as a combat weapon than the full-sized sword.Pirates also used the cutlass as well as axes during raids.

A falchion ,  is a medieval one-handed, single-edged sword of European origin, whose design is reminiscent of the Persian scimitar and the Chinese dao. The weapon combined the weight and power of an axe with the versatility of a sword. Falchions are found in different forms from around the 11th century up to and including the sixteenth century. In some versions the falchion looks rather like the scramasax and later the sabre, and in some versions the form is irregular or like a machete with a crossguard. While some propose that encounters with the Islamic shamshir inspired its creation, these "scimitars" of Persia were not developed until long after the falchion. More likely, it was developed from farmer's and butcher's knives.

The name claymore is thought to be from claidheamh mòr—a Gaelic term meaning "great sword". However, another theory suggests it comes from claidheamh da lamh, literally "two-hand sword." Claidheamh is ultimately cognate with Latin gladius. As such the use of the term 'claymore' for the two-handed sword is considered debatable.

The two-handed claymore was a large sword used in the Medieval period. It was used in the constant clan warfare and border fights with the English from circa 1300 to 1700. The last known battle in which it is considered to have been used in a significant number was the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689. It was somewhat smaller than other two-handed swords of the era. The two-handed claymore seems to be an offshoot of Early Scottish medieval swords which had developed a distinctive style of a cross-hilt with downsloping arms that ended in spatulate swellings. The spatulate swellings were frequently made in a quatrefoil design.

The average claymore ran about 140 cm (55") in overall length, with a 33 cm (13") grip, 107 cm (42") blade, and a weight of approximately 2.5 kg (5.5 lb), the blades are most similar to the type XIIIa, using the Oakeshott typology. Fairly uniform in style, the sword was set with a wheel pommel often capped by a crescent-shaped nut and a guard with straight, down-sloping arms ending in quatrefoils and langets running down the center of the blade from the guard.  It had a crossguard that consisted of two downward-curving arms and two large, round, concave plates that protected the foregrip.

A rapier is a relatively slender, sharply pointed sword, used mainly for thrusting attacks, in use in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries.Rapier generally refers to a relatively long-bladed sword characterized by a complex hilt which is constructed to provide protection for the hand wielding it. While the blade might be broad enough to cut to some degree, the strength of the rapier is its ability as a thrusting weapon. The blade might be sharpened along its entire length, sharpened only from the center to the tip (as described by Capoferro), or completely without a cutting edge as called "estoc" by Pallavicini, a rapier master who, in 1670, strongly advocated using a weapon with two cutting edges. A typical example would have a relatively long and slender blade of 2.5 centimetres or less in width, 1 meter or more in length and ending in a sharply pointed tip. 

The small sword or smallsword  is a light one-handed sword designed for thrusting. The smallsword evolved out of the longer and heavier rapier of the late Renaissance. The height of the smallsword's popularity was between mid 17th and late 18th century. It is thought to have appeared in France and spread quickly across the rest of Europe. The comparative lightness of the smallsword and the resulting ease of manipulation led to the development of the sophisticated handwork and the linear footwork of modern fencing, and it can be considered as the immediate predecessor of the modern foil and épée.

A foil is a type of weapon used in fencing. It is the most common weapon in terms of usage in competition, and is usually the choice for elementary classes for Fencing in general.Foils are designed for thrusting, and score a point by depressing a button on the end of the shaft to complete an electric circuit. The blade is very thin, with a blunted (or foiled) tip. Modern competitive fencers often use a technique known as a flick, which uses the foil's flexibility to bend around the blade of an opponent (often in response to an attempted parry) and plant a hit upon the back. Foil blades are flexible enough to bend upon striking an opponent, in order to prevent injuries. There are three main types of foil grips: the French style, with a grip (handle or hilt) designed to facilitate greater finesse, the Italian style, which is designed more for control and power, and the orthopedic, or pistol-grip, which takes the need for a firm hold on the weapon even further. Critics of the pistol-grip, (who are almost invariably adherents of the classical philosophy), claim that this leads to a "deathgrip" on the foil that sacrifices speed and maneuverability for strength and stability (viewed as inferior by such critics), thus inhibiting true mastery. Still, the pistol grip remains the most popular, and it is almost invariably the grip of preference for the contemporary foil fencer.

The Longsword is a type of European sword used during the late medieval and Renaissance periods, approximately 1350 to 1550 (with early and late use reaching into the 13th and 17th centuries, respectively). Longswords have lengthy cruciform hilts with grips over some 15 cm in length (providing room for two hands), straight double-edged blades often over 90 cm in length, and weigh typically between 1200 and 1400 g, with light specimens just below 1 kg, and heavy specimens just above 2 kg^. The longsword is commonly held in combat with both hands, though some may be used single-handed. Longswords are used for striking, cutting, and thrusting. The specific offensive purpose of an individual longsword is derived from its physical shape. All parts of the sword are used for offensive purposes, including the pommel and crossguard.

A Mameluke Sword is a cross-hilted, curved, scimitar-like sword. It is related to the shamshir, which had its origins in Persia from where the style migrated to India, Egypt and North Africa. Adopted in the 19th Century by several western armed forces, including the French Army, British Army and the United States Marine Corps, the Mameluke sword remains the ceremonial sidearm for some units to this day. Mameluke swords were carried as dress or levée swords by officers of most Light Cavalry, Hussar, and some Heavy Cavalry regiments at various points during the 19th Century, starting in the period after Waterloo. The current regulation sword for Generals, the 1831 Pattern, is a Mameluke style sword as were various Army Band swords.There are a number of factors which influenced the fashion for Mameluke swords in the British Army.Napoleon raised a number of Mameluke units during his Egyptian campaigns, leading the adoption of the style of sword by many French officers. In the post Napoleonic period, French military fashion was widely adopted in Britain. The Duke of Wellington carried a Mameluke sword from his days serving in India and continued to throughout his career.

The sabre or saber  traces its origins to the European backsword and usually but not always has a curved, single-edged blade and a rather large hand guard, covering the knuckles of the hand as well as the thumb and forefinger. Although sabres are typically thought of as curved-bladed slashing weapons, those used by the world's heavy cavalry often had straight and even double-edged blades more suitable for thrusting. The length of sabres varied, and most were carried in a scabbard hanging from a shoulder belt known as a baldric or from a waist-mounted sword belt. Exceptions not intended for personal carry include the famed Patton saber adopted by the United States Army in 1913 and always mounted to the cavalryman's saddle. In the United States, swords with saber blades are worn by Army, Navy, and Coast Guard officers. Marine officers and non-commissioned officers also wear such swords. They are not intended for use as weapons, however, and now serve primarily in ornamental or ceremonial functions.

Shashka is a special kind of saber and a very sharp type of single edged, single handed and guardless sword. In appearance the shashka was midway between a full saber and a straight sword. It had a slightly curved blade with double edges and could be effective for both slashing and thrusting. The blade was either hollowed or fullered. There was no guard, but a large, curved pommel. The hilt was frequently highly decorated. It was carried in a wooden scabbard that enclosed part of the hilt. It was worn with the cutting edge to the rear, opposite to the saber.

A waster (IPA pronunciation: [ˌweɪstər]) is a wooden practice weapon, usually a sword. In some period texts, the word waster is sometimes printed wafter. The use of wood instead of metal provides an economic and safe option for initial weapons training and sparring, at some loss of genuine experience. A weighted waster may be used for a sort of strength training, making the movements of using an actual sword comparatively easier and quicker. Wasters as wooden practice weapons have been found in a variety of cultures over a number of centuries, including ancient Ireland, Scotland, Rome, Egypt, medieval and renaissance Europe, Japan, and into the modern era in Europe and the United States. Over the course of time, wasters took a variety of forms not necessarily influenced by chronological succession, ranging from simple sticks to clip-point dowels with leather basket hilts to careful replicas of real swords. This also includes the bokken which was used in japanese culture.

IATO=Most iaitō are made of an aluminium-zinc alloy, which is often cheaper and lighter than steel. This use of alloy and a blunt edge also meets the Japanese legal requirement that restricts the manufacture of swords. As such, iaitō are intended as practice weapons and are not suited for any type of contact. The best alloy blades are rather faithful reproductions of real swords with authentic weight, shape, similarly high-quality finish and fittings. Iaitō may even feature a mock hamon (the temper line of a tempered ferrous metal blade). Some iaitō are made of folded steel, much like a real katana, but with a blunt edge.

Katana  is a type of Japanese backsword or longsword . In use after the 1400s, the Katana is a curved, single-edged sword traditionally used by the samurai. The word has been adopted as a loan word by the English language; as Japanese does not have separate plural and singular forms, both "katanas" and "katana" are considered acceptable plural forms in English. The blade of a katana was made from folded steel. The reason for this was that japan had fewer metal and all was impure, unlike europeans which had iron in abundence.The katana has a advantage/disadvantage over the european swords in that it is super sharp. The reason for this being both an advantage and disadvantage was that it was an effective cuter in expierienced hands, but the sharper a blade is the more likley it is to chip and dull. The katana was typically paired with the wakizashi or shōtō a similarly made but shorter sword, both worn by the members of the warrior class. It could also be worn with the tantō, an even smaller similarly shaped blade. The two weapons together were called the daishō, and represented the social power and personal honour of the samurai. The long blade was used for open combat, while the shorter blade was considered a side arm, more suited for stabbing, close quarters combat, decapitating beaten opponents when taking heads on the battlefield, and seppuku, a form of ritual suicide.

A nodachi  is a large two-handed Japanese sword. Nodachi approximately translates to "field sword". However, some have suggested that the meaning of "nodachi" is roughly the same as ōdachi meaning "large/great sword". A confusion between the terms has nearly synonymized "nodachi" with the very large "ōdachi". Thus, while the original use of the term may have been to refer to any type of long battlefield sword (daitō), including the tachi, it is frequently misapplied to any type of oversized Japanese sword. It is the japanese equivilent to the longsword.

A scimitar  is a sword with a curved blade design finding its origins in western Asia.The name can be used to refer to almost any Middle Eastern sword with a curved blade. They include Arabic saif, Indian talwar, Persian shamshir, and Turkish kilij, among others. These blades all were developed from the ubiquitous parent sword, the Turko-Mongol saber. The difference between a scimitar and a sabre are almost non-exsistant.

The yatagan or yataghan  is a type of Turkish sword (which became known in other countries as the 'Turkish sword') used from the mid-16th to late 19th centuries.

The yatagan is a single-edged, one-handed sword. The blade varies from 60 to 80 cm in length and is curved forward (like the Iberian falcata, or Greek kopis), sometimes reclining backwards again towards the very end. While the back of the blade is made of softer steel, the sharp edge is made of hard, tempered steel for durability. The hilt has no guard, is typically made from bone, ivory or silver, spreading out in two wings to either side at the pommel (a feature which prevents the sword slipping out of the hand in battle). Sophisticated artwork on both the hilt and the blade can be seen on many yatagans displayed today, indicating considerable symbolic value. The yatagans used by janissarie and other infantry soldiers were smaller and lighter than ordinary swords so as not to hinder them when carried at the waist on the march. It is named after the town of Yatağan in southwest Turkey (now in Denizli province) which was conquered by a Seljuk commander and blacksmith named Osman Bey, whose cognomen was Yatagan Baba. Yatagan Baba later settled there, and gave his name not only to the town, but to the swords which were produced there. Later, however, yatagans were also made in all the major cities of the Ottoman Empire.

A katar also known as a Bundi dagger, is a type of short punching sword that is native to the Indian Subcontinent and popular elsewhere for swift and quick attacks. It is notable for its horizontal hand grip, which results in the blade of the sword sitting above the user's knuckles. Typically, katars were used in close range hand-to-hand combat, which is effective in armour piercing. The blade was often folded or corrugated for additional strength. Some knives have a mechanism responsible for making the blades split. This happens when the user pulls the hand grips together. In this variety of katar, two hand grips are used, so that the mechanism can be activated. This feature was often used to inflict a greater damage to the enemy, having the blades splitting inside of them and slashing their insides. "Hooded katars" are katars with a shield extending over the back of the user's hand. Katars ceased to be in common use in the 19th century.

A Pata (Devangar पट) or sword gauntlet is a bladed weapon from Northern India much like a short sword, except that the blade is integrated in a gauntlet. (The use of the term Pata vs. the Devangari पट possibly dates to Portuguese terminology for the claw or hoof which the weapon resembles). In use, it could be employed similar to a katar, though the additional support from being laid along the forearm may have allowed them to be used as a slashing weapon too. It was considered to be a highly effective weapon for Infantrymen against heavily armoured cavalry. It gradually evolved from 10 inch long Katar to sometimes as long as 44 inch long, double edged weapon. Shivaji was believed to be a prominent user of this weapon during his time. One of his Generals Tanaji Malusare used the weapons with both of his hands during the Battle of Sinhagad, before one of his hands was cut off.

The urumi (Malayalam: ഉരുമി) or chuttuval (Malayalam: ചുത്തുവാള്) is a long sword made of flexible steel, sharp enough to cut into flesh, but flexible enough to be rolled into a tight coil. It was used and still can be found in Kerala, and is one of the weapons learned by practitioners of the martial art of Kalaripayattu. It was most popular in the North Malabar Coast of Kerala state, India, and is often mentioned in the ballads of the region. The flexible sword is called Urumi in the Northern System of Kalaripayattu and Chuttuval in the Southern System. The word Chuttuval is derived from the Tamil roots Chuttu (coil/spin) and Vaal (sword) and means Coiled Sword, a very apt description of the way the sword is maneuvered by the swordsman. Since the sword is flexible, and worn curled around the waist or bundled into the belt, it has to be straightened out, which is generated by turning it around the wielder's body mostly in a vertical plane. Urumi is still practiced in all kalaris.

The term macana, of Taíno origin, refers to a number of different wooden weapons used by the various native cultures of Central and South America.The earliest meaning attributed to macana is a sword-like weapon made out of wood, but still sharp enough to be dangerous. The term is also sometimes applied to the similar Aztec weapon, which is studded with pieces of obsidian in order to create a blade, though some authorities distinguish this item by using the Nahuatl name macuahuitl.

  The Flamberge is also referred to as the Flamberg or Flammberg. The name derives in part from the old German geflammten, or flaming and from the French flamboyant.  The flamberge is a form of the two-handed sword popular in Germany between the 15th and 17th centuries, especially among the Swiss mercenaries, the  Landsknecht.Contrary to popular belief the waved blade did not hinder the cuting ability of the sword. The purpose of the wavy, flame-like blade is not clear as there is no demonstrated advantage to such an edge against armored or unarmored opponents. Though it is a widley approved theory that the waves sent uncomfortable vibrations through an opponents sword. In any event, the flamberge was still a formidable weapon.                         

Naginata can be used to stab, but due to their relatively balanced center of mass, are often spun and turned to proscribe a large radius of reach. The curved blade makes for an effective tool for cutting due to the increased length of cutting surface. In the hands of a skilled practitioner, one 5-foot (1.5 m) tall wielder could conceivably cover and attack in 380 square feet (35 m²) of open, level ground with a 5 foot (1.5 m) shaft, 3 foot (1 m) blade, 3 foot (1 m) reach. Naginatas were often used by foot soldiers to create space on the battlefield. They have several situational advantages over a sword. Their reach was longer, allowing the wielder to keep out of reach of his opponent. The long shaft offered it more leverage in comparison to the hilt of the katana, enabling the naginata to cut more efficiently. The weight of the weapon gave power to strikes and cuts, even though the weight of the weapon is usually thought of as a disadvantage. The weight at the end of the shaft and the shaft itself can be used both offensively and defensively. Swords, on the other hand, can be used to attack faster, have longer cutting edges (and therefore more striking surface and less area to grab), and were able to be more precisely controlled in the hands of an experienced swordsman.In europe the equivalent of a naginata is the glaive.

A zanbatō (斬馬刀, literally "horse-slaying sword" or "horse-chopping saber"), also spelled zambatō, is an especially large type of Japanese sword, the historical use of which is completely fictional. The sword closely resembles the nodachi or ōdachi, however it differs from the nodachi by having a ricasso of approximately 12" to 18" inches. This lends more to the theory of the sword having a practical use in feudal Japan. The increased length of the blade, along with the extra grip, would give it dual use both as a sword and as a spear-type weapon used for attacking advancing cavalry. This style of zanbatō sword can be found for sale in rural tourist shops and stands in Kyoto and Nara prefectures of Japan. This sword may have been inspired by the Chinese zhan ma dao or is simply the japanese version of the zhan ma dao. As both were said to have been used for killing the horse and rider in one swing. It is posible that the zanbatō is actually a mis-construction of the zhǎn mǎ dāo, poorly drawn or translated by Japanese travellers who witnessed the weapon being used during battle. In the Anime naruto zabuza gives the zanbato a twist making it a sword on steroids.

A nagamaki ("long wrapping") was a Japanese weapon popular between the 12th and 14th centuries. It is related to the better known naginata and distinguishing between the two can be difficult.Usually however the blade and hilt will be the same length. Since blades can be removed from their original shafts the terms have recently been used interchangeably. The nagimaki tend to have a longer and less heavy/curved blade than do naginata. The blade bears a much greater resemblance to a tachi or katana. However, since the handle that accompanies them is usually much shorter (2-3 feet) the overall weapon may not exceed the naginata in length. Truth be told, rather than a pole arm the nagamaki is similar in construction to a large sword such as the nodachi or zanbato. Its handle is cross wrapped in daito style rather than attached straight onto a long pole. Unlike the zanbato the blade tended to be thin towards the tip making it lighter to wield.