Castilion Sword

In the 1970's, several swords of this type were found in a wooden chest at the bottom of the French River Dordogne. A little downstream is the town of Castillion, where a battle in July of 1453 essentially ended the Hundred Years' War. The English commander John Talbor, the Earl of Shrewsbury, led his men in a rash attack on the emplaced siege lines of the French. Talbot and most of his 6,000 man army were killed by heavy artillery fire, afterwards a strong attack by the French destroyed what was left of the English. This sword is named after that significant, terrible battle. Its sculpted beauty almost belies its deadliness. An excellent example of a sword type that combined the attributes of the long thrusting sword and the short, wide cutting sword, that were both in use during the early 1400's. The well-tempered high carbon steel blade tapers to a good point but still has the width needed to deliver a strong cut. Although this weapon could be easily used with one hand, the long elegant pommel that extends into the grip leaves room for an extra hand, making this a true hand-and-a-half sword.This functional sword is Circa 1450.