How heavy do you think a sword is?
I’ve asked this question many times, and more often than not, people guess 20-100 lbs. Many people tend to believe that swords, and armor, is very heavy, clunky, and difficult to carry, let alone wield.
I started taking Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) classes a few years ago, and very often when I gave someone my sword, they were shocked with how light it was. 2-4 lbs will be the normal range of any sword. Long sword, rapier, side sword, etc. Which brings me to another misconception.
It is easy to assume that the rapier, long and single handed, is the lightest weapon, making it the easiest to wield. It couldn’t be more opposite. The rapier is designed to keep your opponent at a distance, so it’s very long, making it almost as heavy as a double-handed longsword. To that, you only hold it with one hand, making it one of the most difficult weapons to wield. Being equipped with noodles for arms, I’ve grown very attached to my two-handed longsword for that reason.
I hope this information was useful or at the very least interesting and informative. For any of you that are writing fantasy and want to venture more into the more realistic and technical side of fighting, I highly recommend picking up that sword and redeem that itch inside of you to become one of the heroic fighters in your book. But if you feel more comfortable sticking to writing about the bloodshed and bruises, (mostly joking, of course) then feel free to ask me. I’m more than willing to test your theories and answer any questions.
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