List of traditional armaments

This definitive list of traditional armaments tries to include all "traditional" armaments. Essentially anything that is wieldable, excluding "modern" (post civil war) firearms. It lists everything by typography in easy-to-reference tables for your searching convenience.

This catalog does not however presume to list every dialectal variant for the word spear, sword, etc. It only attempts to provide a broad range of designs or unique characteristics of various arms of historical or regional significance, i.e. items that stand out from the standard norm. This catalog may include some modern examples but it tries to lean towards weapons of the past.

For mythological or fictional arms see:


 * Category:Mythological weapons
 * Category:Fictional weapons
 * Category:Fictional swords



How to read this table
Martial uses
 * Implement – (main use is a tool/but has been "known" to be used in battle or modified as a poor-mans weapon)
 * War – (battle tested and usually standard issue)
 * Practice – (hardly functional/can still be dangerous)
 * Civilian – (impracticable for warfare/battlefields, similar to martial art category but not as formalized. primarily used as a deterrent; for self-protection or dueling)
 * Improvised – (makeshift or grabbing/but recorded to have been used)
 * Martial art – (dueling and sparring/more likely to see it in a school than on the battlefield)
 * Historic – (not a type but a "named" blade or of historical significance)
 * Ceremony/ornament – (Main purpose is not as a weapon, but it isn't a toy either)
 * Parry – (A parrying knife/ "sword breaker" Typically used off-hand; Paired with a main weapon to shield from incoming blows, counterattack or disarm)
 * Relic – (surviving example of the ancient past, historic and precious )

First column header Prime example for comparison (weapon style/usage notation)

Era
 * ANCIENT – Dawn of civilization stone/Bronze Age
 * ANTIQUITY – (Mediterranean) Time of Greek & Roman states. roughly Iron Age
 * MEDIEVAL – (Europe) Middle Ages 476 AD to 1450 AD
 * RENAISSANCE – (Europe) 14th-16th centuries Europe
 * MODERN – came into use fairly recently in the human time line
 * TRADITIONAL – Modern use with roots in the distant past



Synonyms

 * Throwing axes – labeled under tomahawks
 * Boomerang – labeled as a shuriken
 * Wooden swords – considered a club or truncheon based on overall shape
 * Cane-sword – under rapier heading due to its blade function.
 * Shikomizue – under long truncheons due to its scabbard form.

Pole arms and staff weapons
'A pole with a weaponized tip; often used to counter mounted cavalry or to aid in infantry charges. Their benefit is their reach. Their hindrance is they are often hard to wield and transport, and tie up both hands; this usually leads to the need of a backup weapon such as a sword.'

surmounted "spear-like" head
conical(spiked) or triangular (dagger) tipped - used primarily for impaling 

Pikes/Infantry
Category:Bayonets—Modern rifle pikes 

Hafted/fitted onto handles
 Socketed heads, fitted on a short staff or stick carved into a handle "HELVE" 

 Used to break armor, shields,and bone by virtue of kinetic impact 

wedge shaped or crescent edged blade used to cleave

Hafted one-handed
Can be thrown or wielded, hafted weapons consist of a heavy head inset on a short handle and are used to deliver powerful blows

Hafted/two hander
Longer helve to accommodate two hands and a heavier tip

Hilted blades/fitted into handles
Tang fitted into a handle, can often have hand guards

Short swords/long knives
'The iffy category between dagger and knife and sword. Most chopping backswords are here as well as daggers over 12"'

Swords-one handed

 * Korean sword – overview—Types & history
 * Backsword – overview—Sabre type
 * Bronze Age swords – overview—Sword beats club
 * Iron Age swords – overview—they rust
 * Sverd – overview—Viking type
 * Migration Period sword—Viking sword stub
 * Oakeshott typology -- 13 Medieval blade designs
 * Sword of State—Symbol of many monarchies

curved/sabre-like

 * Category:British Service Swords – modern sabers

two handed swords
'The two-handed sword's hilt is long enough to accommodate both hands; to increase thrust or chop power. Many can be held with just one hand but are more effective with two'

Loaded fists
Enhances punching power by increasing mass of the hand or concentrating force onto a smaller area

Bludgeons/clubs
'blunt (but not always) weapons. traditionally fabricated from naturally originating material, often using only stoneage technology. Primarily used to cause deep tissue damage (contusions) rather than cuts.'

Clubs/Widening end
'Clubs tend to be hefty and sturdy; typically graduating from a handle to a weighted tip of larger size. Some have an edge that can split open a head. Normally fabricated from a single piece of wood. '

Two handed clubs/bats
'Tend to be heavier and less balanced then the quarter staff, usually made from a single piece of hardened wood or other material. Typically too short to be considered a polearm and too off-balance to be effectively used with only one hand ' 

Soft and segmented weapons
' "soft" as opposed to "rigid" weapons. Typically they consist of a handle and a weaponized tip attached to each other by a flexible body of rope, chain, etc. This gives them a longer reach or incorporates mechanical advantage to increase momentum and thus striking power. The trade-off is that they are more difficult to control and may harm nearby allies or even the wielder himself. they also require open space so not to be snagged on or impeded by nearby obstacles and thus rendered ineffective. '

Oddities/Hard to classify
Just too fantastic to believe, but there is truth in it 

Throwing objects
Uses nothing but old fashioned muscle power, but may utilize a tool for extra leverage

Shurikens/grenades

 * Knife throwing – Overview – Info



Ranged weapons
Objects launched by an engine/device held in hand that impart a velocity unattainable if thrown 

Bows/Cross-bows

 * Composite bow – overview
 * Crossbow – overview



Firearms/muskets
Projectiles often formed from lead and in various shapes; launched by a device using the force of expanding gas created from the burning of black powder (gunpowder) contained in a semi-sealed tube
 * Gunpowder – overview—Learn about this amazing compound.
 * Muskets – overview—Learn about Muzzle loaders.
 * Carbine – overview—concerning article
 * Single-shot—concerning article
 * Category:Firearm components—general info.
 * Category:Early firearms—more information
 * matchlock—trigger type
 * Doglock—trigger type
 * Flintlock—trigger type
 * snaplock—trigger type
 * wheellock—trigger type

Pistols/short barrel 
 * Hand cannon – overview—learn about the first guns
 * Handgun – overview—what constitutes a handgun..Main article

Shouldered guns/long barrel 
 * List of Springfield rifles/muskets

Bullets/Missiles/Projectiles

 * Ammunition—general info



Armor

 * Armour – overview—Types and history
 * Mail armour – overview—Types and history.
 * Ringmail – overview—What is ringmail?
 * Spiked armour – overview—pros and cons.
 * Chinese armour – overview—Style and history.
 * Components of medieval armour—An alternate table.

 Anything worn for protection but not considered as typical clothing 

Waist and Seat
Help to ensure heirs and to attach sidearms 

accessories
broaches/clasps/baldrics/banners/trumps 

{| class="wikitable"

Armor sets
! Full suit/Protection ! Description brief ! Region of association ! Era of association 
 * Bogu||Martial art/kendo suit consisting of pads and a wire mask||Japan||Traditional
 * Almain rivet||German style suit||.||15th-16th centuries
 * Ō-yoroi||Rich mans armour ||Japan ||.
 * Dō-maru||Japanese wrap around style suit
 * Kasten-brust armour||German style||Holy-Roman empire||early 15th century
 * Munition armour|| Mass-produced plate armour ||.||16th century
 * White armour|| full body steel plate without a surcoat ||England || 1420(+)
 * Mongolian armour|| influenced by Chinese and mideast style ||.||.
 * Korean armour||style and traditions
 * Panoply||Fullset of ancient Greek armour
 * Dendra armour||RELICsurviving suite of mycenaean armour ||.||15th century BC
 * }
 * Munition armour|| Mass-produced plate armour ||.||16th century
 * White armour|| full body steel plate without a surcoat ||England || 1420(+)
 * Mongolian armour|| influenced by Chinese and mideast style ||.||.
 * Korean armour||style and traditions
 * Panoply||Fullset of ancient Greek armour
 * Dendra armour||RELICsurviving suite of mycenaean armour ||.||15th century BC
 * }
 * Panoply||Fullset of ancient Greek armour
 * Dendra armour||RELICsurviving suite of mycenaean armour ||.||15th century BC
 * }
 * Dendra armour||RELICsurviving suite of mycenaean armour ||.||15th century BC
 * }

Terminology

 * Sword
 * saif- a sword
 * Daito-Japanese for longsword
 * Dao- Chinese for a sabre
 * Jian- Chinese for a straightsword
 * Ken- Japanese for a straightsword
 * Golok (a catch-all for several types of sword and knife)
 * Blade
 * serrated blade
 * ricasso- Dull edge, blade section
 * Forte- Strong blade section
 * Foible- Weak blade section
 * Fuller - blood groove, reduce weight
 * Fluke- spike/pick mounted on back of an axehead
 * Peen - hammer head
 * Hilt- sword handle
 * quillon-cross guard
 * Tsuba- plate style guard
 * Habaki-Japan style rain guard
 * Scabbard-Sheath, sword case
 * Shirasaya -Japan name
 * Etching
 * Engraving
 * Scrimshaw
 * Horimono-Japan style
 * Equipment style
 * Daisho-samurai, long & short
 * Jintachi- Mounting

List of martial art/styles
weapon play
 * List of martial arts
 * Academic fencing
 * List of Roman gladiator types

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