What are the types of bladed weapons. Piercing, chopping, cutting edged weapons: broadsword, saber, saber - which is better? What is a melee weapon and what is not

Bladed weapons usually consist of a blade, a handle (hilt) and a limiter (guard). Blade - an extended metal warhead of cold steel with a point (sword, stiletto oval or round in cross section, etc.) and one (hunting, army knives, etc.) or two (dagger, swords, etc.) blades.

The blade is the sharpened part of the blade. The part of the blade opposite the blade is called the butt. The bevel of the butt is a part of the butt, sharpened towards the blade and forming with it the edge of the blade. The unsharpened part of the blade between the blade and the shank is called the fifth.

Blades in cross section are flat, multifaceted, round, oval. The side surfaces of flat blades may have notches (valleys) or stiffeners. The longitudinal line on the side surface of the blade, from which the sharpening of the blade begins, is called the sharpening line.

The handle is attached by a rider, riveted (plaque) methods or using a thread on the shank. The handle of a bladed weapon usually consists of a handle, a bushing (ring), and a pommel (tip). Cheren - the main part of the handle, directly captured by the hand. As a rule, the handle sleeve is a metal part covering the handle from one or two ends. The tip fixes the handle on the shank. The part installed between the handle and the base of the blade, with its parts protruding beyond the edge (edges) of the blade, which protects the hand from slipping onto the blade blade and serves to protect against blows, is called a limiter or cross (guard).

The ancestor of bladed weapons is the knife. The presence of a short blade with one blade along the longitudinal axis distinguishes it from other types of melee weapons. Knives are divided into clumsy, folding and collapsible (Fig. 1, 2).

Rice. one.

1 - knife length; 2 - blade length; 3 - handle length; 4 - limiter; 5 - heel; 6 - blade; 7 - butt; 8 - combat tip; 9 - bevel butt; 10 - subdigital notches.

Rice. 2.

1 - blade; 2 - shank; 3 - rotary axis; 4 - latch.

Throughout its existence, the knife has not undergone significant changes in design features. Over time, all peoples developed their own forms of the blade and handle in their various constructive combinations. Hunting knives are widely used among them (Fig. 3). Hunting knives must comply with the requirements of GOST R 51500-99.

The features of hunting knives include the following.

The blade of a single-edged knife is formed by the meeting of a smooth rounding of the blade with a bevel of the butt or butt at an angle usually less than 45 °. In this case, the bevel of the butt can have a rectilinear or concave shape. Hunting knives must have a limiter (emphasis) or a one- or two-sided cross, or sub-finger recesses on the handle, ensuring a strong and safe hold of the knife when stabbing. The length of the blade is not less than 90 mm, the thickness of the butt is not less than 2.6 mm at the thickest point of the blade. The hardness of the blade must be at least 42 HRC, regardless of what steel. Factory hunting knives must have a registration number and a brand of the manufacturer.

Rice. 3.

The excess of the width of a one-sided or two-sided limiter over the width of the handle must be at least 5 mm. The depth of a single sub-finger recess on the front sleeve or handle shaft in the absence of a limiter is at least 5 mm. The depth of the sub-finger notch on the handle shaft, which has more than one sub-finger notch, is at least 4 mm.

Folding hunting knives related to cold piercing and cutting weapons must necessarily have a mechanism that locks the blade both in the open (combat) and in other positions. Collapsible hunting knives have a set of blades: knife and tool.

A bayonet-knife is a piercing and cutting edged weapon, it is an accessory of combat hand firearms (carbines, machine guns). The blades are flat, at least 150 mm long, 4 mm thick and have attachments for attaching to the weapon barrel. Army (military) knives are piercing and cutting edged weapons, the blade, as a rule, is formed by two-sided sharpening, the convergence of which with the butt at an angle of 30-40 ° forms a point. The blade length is more than 130 mm, the thickness is more than 3.5 mm, the handles can be wooden, metal, rubber, plastic.

A stylet also belongs to short-bladed weapons, a characteristic feature of which is a straight or slightly curved pointed blade of a round, oval, three or four-sided section without pronounced cutting properties. A handle that is comfortable to hold almost always has a limiter.

It should be emphasized that the dagger also refers to short-bladed melee weapons. The blade at the dagger is usually 200-250 mm long, the length of the handle is about 100-120 mm, there may also be a figured limiter between the blade and the handle.

Of particular note is the medium-bladed weapon, one of the types of which is the dagger. It has been known since Neolithic times as a hunting and combat weapon, later as a national one. The blade is straight or curved, with double-edged blades sharply tapering to the point.

Factory-made hunting daggers have a registration number and a manufacturer's mark, which are applied by stamping, engraving, etching, and burning. The main technical characteristics of the blades of hunting daggers are as follows:

Length not less than 150 mm;

Thickness not less than 4 mm (in the thickest place);

Width not less than 25 mm (at the widest point);

The ratio of the length of the blade to its width is not more than 6:1;

The excess of the width of a one-sided or two-sided limiter over the width of the handle handle is at least 5 mm;

The hardness of the blades is not lower than 42 HBC.

In addition to hunting knives and daggers, short-bladed civilian weapons include survival knives. They are intended for use both in conditions of commercial or sport hunting as hunting knives, and in difficult (extreme) hiking conditions, travel and sports tourism, including its special types (mountaineering and water tourism).

Survival knives and their accessories are also used for household purposes as a set of tools and accessories.

Fig 4.

A survival knife must comply with the mandatory requirements of the current state standard. It also applies to imported products.

Design features and technical requirements for survival knives practically do not differ from the requirements for hunting knives and daggers.

Survival knives are divided into two types according to their design:

Non-separable (including transforming);

Collapsible.

Survival knife designs are based on corresponding military combat knives and clumsy hunting knives.

A survival knife must consist of a blade and a handle, have a limiter or under the finger recesses on the handle, which ensure a firm hold of the knife when delivering striking stabbing blows and the safety of using weapons. The connection of the blade of a survival knife with the handle, including the hinged one in the transforming one, must be tight and strong. For a collapsible (with removable, replaceable blades) knife, the strength of the fastening of the blade with the handle must be ensured by the appropriate connection.

The design of the blade (shape, weight, dimensions, etc.) of a survival knife, as well as the materials used for its manufacture, must have the strength and hardness necessary for cold bladed weapons, provide sufficient damaging properties, the possibility of using it when performing heavy chores and durability of operation .

The blade of a survival knife must be sharpened. Special types of sharpening are allowed both for the entire length of the blade and for its part, and additional sharpening on the bevel and part of the butt for a length of up to 2/3 of the blade (from its tip), which improves its damaging properties.

The handle of a survival knife must be carefully crafted to ensure safety when using the weapon.

The technical requirements for survival knives are as follows.

The length of the blade is not less than 90 mm (the length of the blade is determined by the size from the point to the limiter, and in its absence - to the front end of the sleeve or the shank of the handle), the thickness of the butt is not less than 2.6 mm (the thickness of the butt is measured in the thickest part of the blade, for example on his heel); hardness should not be lower than 42 HBC.

Factory survival knives have a registration number and a brand (logo) of the manufacturer, which are applied to the heel of the blade in various ways (stamping, engraving, etching, burning). The method of applying the registration number and the brand of the manufacturer must ensure their safety for the entire period of operation of the weapon.

In addition to the short-bladed, there are medium-bladed civil edged weapons (hunting cleavers) and medium-bladed household items structurally similar to them, which are not related to edged weapons. All of them must comply with the GOST project approved by TC 384 and the State Standard "Hunting cleavers, tourist machetes, cutting and tools for restoration and rescue work (IVSR)".

The standard applies to all hunting cleavers, tourist machetes, cutting and tools for restoration and rescue work (IVSR), including imported ones.

Hunting cleavers are divided into two types according to their design:

Non-folding (non-separable and collapsible with interchangeable additional items or tools (shovel, ax, etc.);

Folding with lock.

The designs of hunting cleavers can be based on the designs of military models of edged weapons. The general layout and design features of blades and handles, combined with strength characteristics, must ensure durability and safety of operation and sufficient damaging properties for civilian edged weapons. The connection between the blade and the handle must be tight and strong.

The blades of the blades can have one or two-sided sharpening. Special types of sharpening are allowed, but not more than 1/4 of the total length of the blade. Additional sharpening can be performed on the bevel or part of the butt for a length not exceeding 1/2 of the length of the blade (from its tip or working end).

Blade golomeni can be equipped with narrow or wide valleys. A single or double row saw for wood or bone can also be placed on the butt of the blade.

The handle of a hunting cleaver must be carefully processed and ensure safety when using and wearing it. Handle designs may vary. The handle must be equipped with a cross, a protective bow or other protective device. It is not allowed to equip the handle with a shock cone, characteristic of military weapons.

Hunting cleavers, which are civilian edged weapons, must meet the following technical requirements.

Limit dimensions for blades of hunting cleavers:

Length from 210 to 500 mm;

Blade thickness not less than 3 mm;

Width from 25 to 45 mm;

Point angle less than 70°;

Blade hardness not less than 40 HRC.

The blades must be strong, resilient and have a residual deformation during bending tests of not more than 1 mm. Hunting cleavers must be assembled with a safety handle (hilt).

The handle is considered safe if:

The excess of a one-sided or two-sided limiter (cross) over the shank of the handle is at least 5 mm;

The depth of a single sub-finger recess on the front sleeve or handle shaft is at least 5 mm;

The depth of the sub-finger recesses on the front sleeve or handle shaft, which has more than one sub-finger recess, is at least 4 mm;

The heel of the blade, which acts as a limiter, has a thickness of at least 3.5 mm (in the absence of a wedge-shaped bevel towards the blade);

The difference between the maximum diameter in the middle part of the barrel-shaped handle and the minimum diameter in the pommel area exceeds 8 mm;

The difference between the maximum diameter of the wedge-shaped handle limiter and the minimum diameter in the pommel area exceeds 8 mm;

The handle is equipped with another protective device (for example, a protective shackle) or is made of materials with increased adhesive properties (for example, grooved rubber).

It is mandatory to check hunting cleavers for safety and ease of intended use as a cold bladed weapon, for which it is checked the convenience of holding the weapon in the hand, the safety of applying blows of various strengths and directions (the effectiveness of the protective devices of the handle).

Travel and cutting machetes are household items and do not belong to edged weapons.

The main purpose of tourist machetes is to use them to perform a wide range of household work in field conditions when practicing health and sports tourism, as well as their use in everyday life as household items.

Chopping machetes are designed for cutting carcasses and skinning, as well as for other economic purposes in the conditions of commercial or sport hunting and in everyday life.

Tourist and cutting machetes in their design belong to two types:

Clumsy (non-separable and collapsible with interchangeable additional items or tools, such as a shovel, ax, etc.);

The striking properties of tourist and cutting machetes should be absent or reduced due to their design features and technical characteristics.

The connection of the machete blade with the handle must be tight and strong.

The length of the blade of folding machetes necessarily exceeds the length of the handle.

It is allowed to manufacture machete blades using thermal or mechanical processing technologies, applying special coatings that provide an anti-reflective effect on their surface.

Machete blades have one or two-sided sharpening. Special types of sharpening are allowed, for example, serrated, on a part of the blade from the side of the handle, but not more than 1/4 of the total length of the blade. It is possible to perform additional sharpening on the bevel or part of the butt to a length not exceeding 1/2 of the blade length.

On the blade of a machete, special shock grooves are not allowed, which are characteristic of cold combat medium-bladed weapons and are intended for inflicting lacerations.

For the manufacture of machete handles and their parts, various materials are used. The designs of the handles can be different (mounted, pressed, cast or with dies), with or without a lanyard attachment. Handles are made both with protective devices and without them.

Machetes must be equipped with protective sheaths or cases, including artistically designed, made of natural, synthetic materials or their combinations, ensuring safe transportation and storage of products.

GOST establishes the following technical requirements for tourist and cutting machetes.

Tourist and cutting machetes, which are household products, are equipped with a blade with a point that does not provide damaging properties when applying targeted piercing and cutting blows.

Limit dimensions for machete blades:

Length from 175 to 500 mm (determined by the size from the tip to the protruding part of the handle);

Thickness not less than 1.5 mm (measurement is made in the thickest part of the blade);

Width (maximum) not less than 35 mm;

Point angle over 70°.

It is allowed to reduce the angle of the point less than 70° in the presence of a safety handle in cases where:

The point is excessively removed from the middle line of the blade towards the butt or blade;

There is no wedge-shaped descent of the blade towards the tip;

There is no additional sharpening or chamfer on the butt or its bevel;

The sharpening width directly at the point is not more than 15 mm;

The excessive thickness of the blade, etc., does not allow the use of a machete for delivering targeted piercing and cutting blows (assessed as a whole).

The hardness of the blades is not less than 25 HRC.

The blades can be straight or curved (along the butt), both with and without an extension from the point.

The blades must be sufficiently strong and resilient, however, the value of residual deformation during bending is not regulated and can exceed 1 mm.

The value of the angle of the point is not regulated in the presence of:

Safety handle and blade thickness no more than 2.4 mm;

Traumatic handle.

The handle is considered traumatic (in the absence of a lanyard) if:

The excess of a one-sided or two-sided limiter (cross) over the measure of the handle is less than 5 mm;

The depth of a single subfinger notch on the front sleeve or handle shaft is less than 5 mm;

The depth of the sub-finger recesses on the front sleeve or handle shaft, which has more than one sub-finger recess, is less than 4 mm;

The heel of the blade, acting as a limiter, has a thickness of less than 3.5 mm;

The difference between the maximum diameter of the wedge-shaped handle limiter and the minimum diameter in the pommel area does not exceed 8 mm;

The handle is not equipped with any other protective device (such as a safety bail).

A large group of bladed weapons is made up of long-bladed stabbing, slashing and cutting weapons. It includes a saber, a checker, a sword, a sword, a rapier, etc. The main feature of a long-bladed weapon - its relevance only to a weapon - was originally incorporated in the design, which distinguishes it from the short-bladed one, which was also used in everyday life. Currently, most of the long-bladed edged weapons are museum exhibits or exhibits from private collections.

The main technical characteristics of sabers, checkers:

Total length from 730 to 1150 mm;

The length of the blade is from 650 to 900 mm (the length of the blade is determined by the size from the combat end (point) to the guard, and in its absence to the cross (stop) of the hilt);

Blade thickness not less than 4 mm;

Blade width from 23 to 55 mm;

The height of the curvature of the blade is from 42 to 73 mm;

Total weight from 1,000 to 2,000 g.

Main technical characteristics of daggers:

Total length from 400 to 600 mm;

Blade length from 300 to 440 mm;

Blade thickness not less than 5 mm;

Blade width from 25 to 45 mm;

Total weight from 450 to 750 g.

The hardness of the blades of sabers, checkers and daggers made after 1994 must be at least 42 HRC. For blades made before 1994 and belonging to national costumes and Cossack uniforms, as well as their antique samples, the hardness must be at least 40 HNS. In cases where the hardness is less than 40 HPC, the hardness data of the submitted sample should be correlated with the indicators of cold steel samples of the same period of time.

In expert practice, very often there are objects that resemble melee weapons, but they are not. Among them are carving and skinning knives designed both for use in conditions of commercial or sport hunting (including underwater), and for household needs. Skinning and carving knives can have both original designs and be based on the designs of folding and non-folding hunting and survival knives, but their combat properties should be reduced due to design features and mechanical characteristics. Carving and skinning knives are clumsy, collapsible and folding. The blade of a folding knife in the open state can be rigidly fixed (i.e., a lock is allowed). On the blade, additional elements for household and special purposes (a saw for a bone, a tip in the form of a screwdriver, etc.) can be made, which are folded into a knife handle or placed in a sheath, case.

Technical characteristics of carving and skinning knives (GOST R 51644-2000):

1. The length of the blade is up to 90 mm, the thickness of the butt of the knife and its hardness can be similar to cold bladed weapons.

2. The thickness of the butt of the blade is less than 2.4 mm, the length of the blade is up to 150 mm if the design of the knife has a one-sided or two-sided limiter or sub-finger recesses on the handle.

3. The thickness of the butt of the blade is more than 2.6 mm and is independent of the length of the blade, if:

The knife handle is traumatic, i.e. there are no protective devices;

The excess of the width of a one-sided or two-sided limiter over the width of the handle shaft is less than 5 mm;

The depth of a single subfinger notch on the front sleeve or handle shaft in the absence of a limiter is less than 5 mm;

The depth of the sub-finger notch on the handle shaft, which has more than one sub-finger notch, is less than 4 mm;

The difference between the maximum diameter in the middle part of the barrel-shaped handle and the minimum diameter in the pommel area does not exceed 8 mm;

The length of the working part of the handle (from the limiter to the pommel) does not exceed 70 mm;

The magnitude of the deflection of the butt upwards from the conditional straight line connecting the tip of the blade and the lower end of the handle exceeds 15 mm;

The amount by which the tip of the blade protrudes above the line of the butt exceeds 5 mm;

On the oblique butt of the knife blade at a distance of not more than 1/3 from its tip, a special hook with a blade (hook) is made for cutting and skinning;

The blade of the folding carving knife and the skinning knife does not have a rigid fixation;

The design of the blade does not provide for the possibility of inflicting striking stabbing blows, characteristic of hunting knives;

Butchering and skinning knives, regardless of the thickness and length of the blade, include knives with blade hardness below 25 HHC and intended for skinning and butchering carcasses of wild and domestic animals, fish and birds;

The length of the blades of carving knives (for example, for cutting fish), regardless of their hardness, may exceed the above values ​​if the thickness of the blades is less than 2 mm;

The hardness of the blades of cutting and skinning knives has no restrictions.

Tourist knives and special sports knives are items of tourist equipment. They are designed for use in field conditions when practicing health and sports tourism, as well as its special types and in certain sports. They consist of a blade, a handle, have an emphasis or sub-finger recesses on the handle, which ensure a firm hold and safe use of the knife.

Specifications (GOST R 51501-99): 1. Maximum maximum dimensions for blades with a hardness above 25 HNS of tourist and special sports knives, which are household knives, structurally similar to cold short-bladed weapons:

Length up to 150 mm if the design of the knife has a one-sided or two-sided limiter or sub-finger recesses on the handle;

Length up to 220 mm in the absence of a one-sided or two-sided limiter in the design of the knife or sub-finger recesses on the handle;

The thickness of the butt is not more than 2.4 mm.

2. The thickness of the butt of blades with a hardness above 25 NPO of tourist and special sports knives can be more than 2.4 mm in cases where the length of their blades is less than 90 mm.

3. The length of the blades of special sports knives (for example, sling cutters) with an automatic spring or other design that provides quick removal of the blade with one hand and fixing it in the working position may be more than 90 mm if they do not have a blade edge.

4. Tourist and special sports, regardless of the thickness and length of the blades, include knives with a blade hardness below 25 HNS and intended for use in field conditions and when practicing special sports.

5. Tourist and special sports, regardless of the thickness and length of the blades, include folding knives that do not have a rigid fixation of the blades in the working position and are intended for use in field conditions and when practicing special sports.

6. Tourist knives, regardless of the hardness of the blades, also include folding knives (with the exception of the dagger and stiletto type) with a blade length of not more than 105 mm and a butt thickness of up to 3.5 mm, having handles, the design of which does not ensure the safety of using the knife as a weapon through:

The arc-shaped side concave for the entire length of the handle opposite the straight back (the so-called "pump-type" handle);

The width in the middle part of the “pump” type handle, which should be no more than 20 mm;

Absence of limiters and pronounced subdigital recesses;

Applications in the manufacture of materials and technologies for their processing, which reduce the frictional properties of the “pump” type handle (metal, wood, plastic, etc., subjected to grinding, polishing, etc.).

7. The length of the blades of special sports knives for climbers, regardless of their hardness, may exceed the values ​​specified in paragraph 1 if the thickness of the blades is less than 2 mm.

8. The length and thickness of the butt of the blades of special sports knives intended for scuba diving (scuba diver's knives) and water tourism, regardless of the hardness of the blade, may exceed the values ​​\u200b\u200bspecified in paragraph 1, if the design of the tip of their blades does not provide for the possibility of inflicting damaging stabbing blows, characteristic of hunting knives intended for spearfishing. In these cases, in place of the tip of the knife blade, the working parts of additional tools or devices, such as screwdrivers, chisels, spatulas, wrenches, etc., can be made.

9. The hardness of the blades of tourist and special sports knives has no restrictions.

Souvenir products, similar in external structure to cold (blade, shock-crushing) weapons, are made according to certain models of cold weapons, correspond to the types of specific imitated samples, but do not fully possess their combat properties. Distinctive features of souvenir blade products:

The attachment of the shank of the blade with the handle is significantly weakened in various ways in order to destroy when trying to use it as a weapon;

Blade hardness must be below 25 HBC;

Long-bladed souvenir products should not withstand more than one or two impacts on a log with a diameter of more than 150-200 mm during strength tests.

Tools for restoration and rescue work (IVSR) are household items and do not belong to edged weapons.

The main purpose of the IVSR is to be used as a trenching and chopping tool in the aftermath of natural disasters and catastrophes.

According to their design, IVSRs are of two types:

Non-folding (non-separable and collapsible with interchangeable additional items or tools - a shovel, an ax, etc.);

Folding (with or without lock).

The connection of the IVSR cloths with the handles must be tight and strong.

We rarely think about the things that we hold in our hands every day: a toothbrush, a comb, a knife - we are used to them and do not pay attention. But if you look into the past of the objects around us, you can make a lot of amazing discoveries. Some of the objects accompany man throughout his history, and yet the most ancient of our man-made satellites is the KNIFE.

It was the knife that became the first tool used by man. And today it does not matter whether it was a shell with a sharp edge or a broken piece of stone - a BLADE appeared. This happened before the advent of fire and the domestication of the dog, before man spoke and drew the first drawing with charcoal. The making of the knife marked the beginning of the first tools. Since that time it KNIFE - the main human tool and helper.

It is amazing, but, having finally taken shape in the Stone Age, the knife has not undergone fundamental changes since then. A point, a blade, a handle... And no matter how eras and technologies, materials and tastes change, the basis remains the same. Having appeared so long ago, the knife is not going to retire. There is no other such multifunctional tool in our everyday life: to cut food and expose a wire, sharpen a pencil, cut a flower ... up to the protection of life. And all this we are talking about an elementary knife, and not about a universal mechanical workshop like a Swiss officer's folding set!

Today, the polished steel of a blade fascinates us as much as it did at the dawn of civilization, and the functional possession of it can turn into a passion for gathering. Love for melee weapons is inexplicable, but far from bloodlust or viciousness. Rather, it is a tribute to history, a worship of what faithfully served a person from the moment he realized himself as a Human. This desire should have been imprinted in the genes, and it was imprinted.

We live in a country with a long and tragic history. The fact of its existence is that for almost three generations the state fought against the right of its citizens to own weapons. The very idea of ​​owning cold steel or firearms was introduced into the minds of our compatriots as incompatible with the image of a law-abiding citizen. The desire to express artistic inclinations in the refined lines of a steel blade could lead to barbed wire, where a completely different aesthetics dominated.

As a result, the strong traditions of weapons business in Russia were almost lost. Now the situation is being restored, but, in addition to manufacturing traditions, there must also be traditions of consumption and taste, which are impossible without knowledge. In order to replenish this cultural baggage a little, this article was written.

When forming the publication, difficulties arose not so much in the selection as in the exclusion of material. The world of knives is immense, and it is impossible to describe everything, because where descriptions begin, the problem of systematization and classification arises, and where the question of classification arises, a new problem immediately arises: after all, a rational principle must be put at the basis of any system. On the other hand, the variety of types of knives is incalculable. An attempt to squeeze them into some kind of, always artificially erected, boundaries cannot but give rise to errors.

Sometimes such “violence” serves certain purposes, for example, the purposes of a criminological examination to determine whether a given knife belongs to a cold weapon in accordance with the Criminal Code. But when such a classification begins to be applied everywhere, it loses its meaning, and does not become universal.

Nevertheless, it is in criminological expertise that the origins of the most common classification attempts are found. The established approach consists in highlighting sections with approximately the following content:

— national knives and daggers;
- combat knives and daggers (often this group also includes bayonets, as well as specialized throwing knives);
- Hunter knives;
- survival knives
- folding knives;
- utility knives (culinary, garden, highly specialized).

In fact, such sorting is convenient for a forensic edged weapons expert or a specialist store manager, but it is not a classification in the strictly scientific sense of the word. Moreover, it will not clarify anything for a person who wants to pick up a universal blade or knife for some specific purpose.

So how are knife blades divided?
Firstly, along the side profile of the blade.
Secondly, according to the shape of the cross section of the blade.

After reading this material, you can easily determine the type of blade of any knife, as well as find out which type is more suitable for what purposes. let's consider main types of blade side profile:

finca- this type of blade has a straight butt and is able to pierce with a point.

Clip-point or Bowie Named after Texas national hero James Bowie. It was developed in the 19th century for combat knives and has a beveled butt in the form of a duck nose, but it can also be straight. As a rule, there is also a sharpening on the butt. A blade of this shape is equally good for cutting and for pricking, due to the location of the tip on the axis of application of force upon impact.

Tanto- the shape of the blade was born in the fascinating world of Japanese edged weapons, according to some sources, and according to others, it appeared recently in an American knife manufacturing company. A blade of this form has an extreme stability of the point due to the fact that the massiveness of the blade is preserved up to the very point. Most often used for combat knives, but sometimes comes across on other types. You can argue for a very long time about the convenience of this blade shape for various cuts.

Scramasax- most often, professional knives and folding multifunctional knives have this blade shape. Due to this shape of the blade, the knife becomes safer in terms of piercing and allows for a precise, controlled cut.

Spear point- most often this form of the blade can be found on ancient daggers, and today on combat knives. This shape of the blade is very well suited for thrusting. Usually it has a double-sided sharpening, which on combat tactical knives allows you to carry out a large number of movements without turning your hand and without rotating the handle (for example, in the dark you don’t have to think about which side the blade is on).

trailing point- usually found on national knives. A blade of this shape is best suited for cutting non-hard materials.

drop-point- a blade of this shape has a lower butt line and is equally good for both cutting and stabbing. Usually the butt without sharpening. It was created as a tool, not a weapon, and is more often used for hunting knives, which are excellent helpers in the field.

In addition to the fact that all short bladed weapons are divided into two large groups - KNIVES and DAGGERS - the longitudinal pattern of the blades appears in the following varieties:
- straight;
- curved up;
- curved down;
- with several bends, up to wavy.

Both knives and daggers can have any of these shapes, but, unfortunately, not everyone clearly understands the difference between them. And it is very simple: no other differences play a role, except for one:

The dagger is always double-edged, that is, both the upper and lower sides of the blade are sharpened.

On the contrary, the knife is always sharpened only on one side, in extreme cases, it can have sharpening of the front upper third of the blade, thereby acquiring some of the properties of a dagger.

And whatever form the blade has, its classification as a knife or dagger is determined only by the agreed principle.

But, along with "unambiguous" items, there is a category of products that is, as it were, outside such a bipolar classification - this blades with the so-called one and a half sharpening. From the tip to about the middle of their blade is purely dagger, and then the sharpening of the upper edge turns into the usual back (butt) of the knife, smooth or with a fashionable notch, up to sawtooth teeth.

This is a versatile, very practical type of blade that combines the advantages of both families, but traditionally such specimens are still referred to as knives. As you remember, the "pedigree" sign of the famous Bowie knife is precisely the sharpening of the front upper (concave) third of the blade, which made it possible to cut in reverse in battle.

Straight Blades are the easiest to manufacture and the most versatile in operation. The tradition of using straight blades is international, but in the countries of the Afro-Asian region there is a clear tendency to curve, bent up or down weapons, while Europe has always loved straight knives and daggers. A straight weapon is most suitable for stabbing, and even chain mail was pierced with a thin and strong blade.

The Asian tradition gravitates towards everything intricate, ingenious, and the strength of this passion leaves its mark on the weapon business. Blades curved up, it is good to cut and stab with an upward movement, and bent down - chop with a broach and pierce down. These forms are illustrated by the Moroccan dagger, the Arab knife and the Nepalese kukri.

Putting both principles together straight and curved up), we get a convenient thing that works equally easily in various modes. Such knives and daggers with a double deflection, which have become very popular these days, look defiantly exotic.

Recently, a similar style has begun to spread among combat knives, including those suitable for survival in difficult conditions. The concave middle part of the blade is well suited for cutting thin elastic branches and reeds, and the end, heavy, acts like an axe. An agricultural sickle works on a similar principle, collecting flexible ears into a bundle. True, sometimes it is absolutely incomprehensible what the developers were guided by, giving their offspring a completely inexplicable form. For example, here combat knife of the Chilean special forces:

It is difficult to suspect the inventors and users of this strange product of incompetence, but what else, besides cutting branches and cutting necks and limbs (you should forget about injections), can be done with it - a mystery.

And finally, we cannot pass by the notorious Malayan kris, since they traditionally have a very rare shape - wavy or, as it is also called, “flaming”. Of course, such a refinement is of little use as a universal tool. It is either a combat or ceremonial weapon.

Kris blades were made of layered, plywood-like, welded Damascus, but they did not possess any special qualities inherent in classic damask steel, apart from intoxicating beauty. Separate layers sometimes consisted of porous iron, so that, being impregnated, according to local custom, with a strong poison, such a blade remained deadly for its entire long life. As for external forms, it is difficult to call them otherwise than infernal.

On this, the review of the longitudinal forms of the blades can be considered exhausted, since any fantasy will definitely fall into one or another group.

As for various types of cross-section of the blade, here the picture is somewhat different - there are much more of them than three or five, and they by no means fit into logical sections. Nevertheless, we will try to somehow classify these wilds, based on some fundamental geometric characteristics.

Perhaps we should start with the undeniable assertion that every cutting or piercing tool is a wedge and only a wedge. The physical essence of the process of separation of one object by another is to reduce the contact area, because in this case, in accordance with the laws of nature, the pressure force increases in inverse proportion to this area itself. The sharper your knife is sharpened, the more pressure its cutting edge exerts and, therefore, the easier and cleaner it pushes the object that comes across.

Mentioned above obsidian stone knives have an edge of atomic, that is, the minimum possible thickness. Therefore, a light touch is enough to apply a cut. The same thing happens during the notorious experiments with damask steel and a silk scarf, since real damask steel has a phenomenal ability to accept sharpening.

The cross section of the blade of most daggers differs in only one thing: symmetry(occasionally there are daggers with a "shift" of form).

In the light of the above, knives are no different from daggers. Here are some of the most characteristic and popular types of knife cross-sections, unchanged for centuries, because there is nothing new to come up with. As you can see, these are all variations of an ordinary wedge. We can make its side surfaces concave, convex, cut through them with any number of fullers of the most diverse shapes and widths, change the sharpening angle - but the essence remains the same.

Blades with convex edges are noticeably stronger, but also heavier. Concave forms are light and elegant, but they lack solidity and reliability. The presence of fullers allows you to find compromise solutions, lightening the thick blade and giving it additional rigidity. The most common type of back is straight, flat, but occasionally there are knives with a rounded back, and the Japanese prefer to decorate it with a “house”. The strange fashion of throwing a decorative saw through the butt increases the likelihood of injury without adding anything to convenience.

stilettos, designed to inflict deadly injections (once directly through the armor or tiny gaps in their joints), most often take the form of awls, narrow, thin and predatory. Requirements for maximum axial rigidity gradually pushed flat blades in favor of square and triangular ones. In addition to stilettos, classic piercing rapiers had such a section.

Strictly speaking, the type of section affects only the strength and mass of the blade (and, of course, beauty), without interfering at all with the actual cutting and piercing processes, since only the cutting edge and the tip are responsible for the latter. Whatever thicknesses of metal hang from above, they inevitably converge to a ghostly thin line of the blade.

The angle of convergence of the faces is always sharp, and the sharper the better, but up to certain limits. A kind of "razor" sharpening, so named after the cross-sectional shape of straight razor blades, is incomparable in sharpness, but any other objects, except for hair and skin, will immediately destroy the delicate edge.

Reverse case - legendary Japanese swords (and all their other melee weapons) had a convex section. This allowed the brave samurai to cut dashingly at their pleasure, and the inhuman patience of the polishers provided the notorious sharpness that makes the classic blade a truly scythe of death.

Here it is necessary to stop and consider in detail the process of separating an obstacle with blades of various shapes. The concave section of the razor easily penetrates into the thickness, but it is not destined to completely divide it, because as it deepens, more and more new areas of the blade come into contact with the material, which seems to “suck in” the knife, squeezing it in a suffocating embrace. The further the blade plunges, the more rapidly the resistance force grows, and the dependence here is by no means linear, but almost geometric.

Surely many of you have experienced similar sensations when you tried to cut a slice of cheese or a piece of frozen meat with such a knife. Difficulties arise even during the extraction of the blade back - as if something is holding it. Therefore, this form finds application almost exclusively among the now rare straight razors.

The most common wedge with flat edges. From the standpoint of the foregoing, it has average characteristics. Although the resistance of the object increases as such a knife deepens, the relationship here is linear. Steel pushes the unyielding thickness to the right and left not so intensively, and the main losses are due to friction.

But the most remarkable is the third type of shape - slightly convex. Entering an obstacle, such a blade touches the walls of the cut only with a small section of the side faces directly adjacent to the edge. The rest is already moving in the void, and there can be no talk of any friction. An elementary experience will clearly demonstrate what has been said - try to split a block of wood (preferably raw) with an ordinary ax, and then with a cleaver. The first will certainly get stuck in the middle of the path, and the second will fly through, and even with a margin of speed.

In the same way, a good katana flies through a thick (in the hand) pole, leaving behind an oblique polished cut. This is not even negotiable - if you need to not only cut the surface, but break the object in half, you need to get

a piece of iron with a convex section. By the way, this is the shape of the classic blades of the legendary Persian sabers - without any dol, "eyeliners" and other excesses.

Wanting to deal with the problem of reducing weight and maintaining rigidity, edged weapon manufacturers have long found a compromise solution in which the razor concavity is combined with the flat or convex wedge-shaped shape of the blade itself. Although the blade in this case is not so strong, it is light, but it cuts well, since the obstacle separates a small section of the edge in the form of an ordinary wedge, then the steel recedes from the walls of the cut, without interfering with going deeper.

A thin rib at a break in the shape slides over the incision with minimal resistance, as if “splitting” it. Even a convex section is recommended to be completed by sharpening with the formation of such a rib - then your dagger or sword will gain absolutely fabulous agility in work. Blades of almost all checkers, both Don and Caucasian, have a similar (with various variations) pattern.

The weapon tradition of India and adjacent regions is very interesting in this sense. There, as a rule, the main thickness of the blade is chosen to a fair depth, following a concave shape, but this is not a smooth surface, but an extremely developed relief in the form of ornaments, an ingenious system of valleys, or entire genre scenes from life, hunting, war, etc.

In fact, only a narrow strip of the cutting edge is left for work, and all other space is given to the artist. Sometimes even the blade itself is decorated with a gold notch, and it is not entirely clear how to hone it in this case? It is probably unnecessary to repeat that once such products were made from real Indian damask steel with all the inherent set of extraordinary qualities.

In addition, we never meet blades in the West (with the exception of broadswords) with a protruding longitudinal stiffener on both sides. Frankly, I have little idea how it is possible to practically make something like this - perhaps by cutting off extra layers of precious metal from a thick workpiece? We see similar daggers today on the stalls of merchants and in the belts of the swarthy local population.

Of course, the rigidity of the ribbed blade is maximum, significantly surpassing all other designs in this sense, but such a weapon is simply not able to plunge deeper into the body than to the middle. Accordingly, you will not be able to cut sausages or cut off the enemy’s hand, at least qualitatively.

In modern armies, the problem of strength is solved simply - by increasing the thickness. To prevent weapons from becoming abnormally heavy, such blades always have deep, milled or stamped valleys of very large dimensions. I have had occasion to hold in my hands similar products with a strip thickness at the handle up to 8 mm. These are not quite knives, but universal tools for rough power work.

For example, they can be used as a wedge, lever, hammer. Being driven into a crevice of a rock or into a tree, they will serve as an absolutely reliable step or crossbar, on which you can safely lean with all your weight without the risk of breaking. A good illustration will be two samples - a US naval aviation knife and a Canadian-style army knife (USSR).

US Naval Aviation Knife (top) and Canadian-style Army Knife (USSR).

/Alex Varlamic, based on materials stylet.pp.ua, guns4.narod.ru and chop72.ru /

Archaeologists are still finding prototypes of edged weapons that still served primitive people. Of course, they look primitive and far from the modern look, but in those distant times there was simply no other way. It was a means for hunting, butchering animal carcasses, as well as for protection against attacks from other tribes and wild animals. Over time, it improved, modern, familiar species appeared.

Before the development of firearms, cold was the main thing in defense, attack and just helping a person. Now melee weapons serve as an auxiliary, complementing the capabilities of small arms. Also, edged weapons can serve as equipment for a military uniform and national costume, or can be rewarded.

Russian edged weapons

How long has humanity existed for so many years and edged weapons. Each age is marked by a certain type of weapon, a club, a club, spears, daggers made of stone and bones. A huge breakthrough in the development of edged weapons occurred after the discovery of copper. Due to the hardness, toughness and lightness of the metal, swords arose, which became indispensable in hand-to-hand combat. And in the fight with the beast, the sword was not superfluous at all. The spears have metal tips.

Over time, the bow gained wide popularity, and the mace and club began to lose ground. Under the Roman Empire, the bow was replaced by a crossbow, but with the use of shells, chain mail, helmets, it also lost its effectiveness in use. Therefore, the main weapon for some time becomes an iron sword.

The emergence of small arms reduced its main role, and the primacy passed to sabers, as an addition to small arms. The encyclopedia of edged weapons describes in detail its varieties, starting with primitive clubs and ending with modern types.

I would like to pay special attention to Russian melee weapons.

From ancient times to the 14th century, they were armed with princely warriors and people's militias. In Rus', not only swords, spears, saber blades were used, but various types of axes, percussion instruments were widely used, such as:

• clubs;
• coinage;
• six-feathers;
• pernaci;
• clubs;
• flails.

The same Russian epics tell of heroes who were armed with heavy clubs. The work "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" tells about the battle, "how the sabers rattled against the helmets, the spears crackled."

In a battle with the Swedes in 1240 on the Neva River, the Novgorod warrior used only one ax. Also, konchars were used, boot thin sharp knives that easily penetrated chain mail. Over time, konchars were replaced by swords, and boot knives were replaced by daggers.

Even centuries later, interest in melee weapons has not been lost, it is still relevant to this day.

Each type of edged weapons has gone its own historical path in development. It was modified in conjunction with fighting techniques and the improvement of firearms.

Some weapons turned out to be more durable, others were no longer used. For example, the spears of the prehistoric era were an ordinary pointed stick, then a stick with a stone tip, later iron. They reached the beginning of the twentieth century in the form of peaks, which were used by uhlans and Cossacks. The swords that armed princely warriors eventually became broadswords and were used by heavy cavalry in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The saber proved to be durable. In the Russian cavalry, she began to appear in the 10-12 centuries. Subsequently, the saber came to the fore in armament and, although it took on the form of a checker, is still in combat formation. Devices that strike in battle were eliminated from service in the 17th century. Russian melee weapons are:

• sword, broadsword, konchar, sword, rapier, saber, semi-saber, saber, cleaver, dagger, knives, dagger - this is the so-called "white weapon";
• a spear, a pike, a horn, an ax, a reed, a halberd, a protazan, an esponton are polearms;
• club, donkey, shestoper, pernach, mace, bludgeon, puffins, klevtsy - these are strike weapons.

Since almost all of them went out of use, they naturally turned into antique edged weapons.

What is a melee weapon and what is not

The official definition of this type of weapon is given by legislation No. 150-FZ "On weapons" dated 13.12.1996. However, some citizens, consciously or not, confuse household items with edged weapons.

According to the law, a bladed weapon is a device that is designed to hit a target with the help of human muscular strength in direct contact with the target.

It includes:

1. Knife, dagger, Finnish knife.
2. Saber, dagger.
3. Swords.
4. Checkers.
5. Swords.
6. Brass knuckles.
7. Stylet.

The standard features of edged weapons are indicators that are defined in special documents:

• blade length not less than 90 mm;
• butt with a thickness of 2.6 ... 6 mm;
• blade with a hardness of more than 42 units according to the Rockwell method;
• safety handle;
• double-edged blade.

There is also a thrown melee weapon, but it should not be confused with a throwing device, which cannot be classified as a melee weapon.

Thrown objects are designed to hit the enemy at long, ultra-long distances and in hand-to-hand combat. The most common of them are:

1. Sling.
2. Chakra.
3. Boomerang.
4. Shureken.
5. Dart.
6. Tomahawk.

According to the definition of the legislation, household appliances, such as penknives, garden knives, kitchen knives, do not belong to the type of edged weapons, but they can also injure a person.

Classification

Bladed weapons have a varied classification, and there is no generally accepted order in this.

In wide use, the definitions that law enforcement agencies use in their activities are more often used:

• by appointment. It is divided into combat and civilian. In the first version, these weapons are used in military, combat, operational and service operations by state paramilitary organizations. In the second version, it is used by some subjects for self-defense, hunting, and playing sports. Serves as an addition to the national costume of some nationalities of the Russian Federation;
• manufacturing method. It can be produced in several ways: at the factory - the product meets the technical requirements, standards, a marking is applied to the product, by the artisanal method - gunsmiths make it according to a certain standard, sample, the manufacturer can put his own brand, home-made - people are engaged in manufacturing without special professional skills or, remake weapons by adding elements to it or eliminating existing ones;
• by location of production. These weapons are produced by domestic and foreign manufacturers;
• according to the established standard. There are standard and non-standard products;
• by destructive effect. There are chopping edged weapons, piercing-chopping, piercing, piercing-cutting, shock-crushing, throwing weapons, combined action;
• according to the features of the constructive device. It happens not with bladed and bladed melee weapons;
• according to the design features of the blade. Weapons come with one blade or two blades.

Scientific literature uses other classifications of edged weapons. For example, well-known weapons experts E. L. Smolin, A. I. Ustinov, K. V. Asmolov, the founder of Israeli hand-to-hand combat I. Likhtenfeld proposed their own classifications of edged weapons. Most likely, future generations will have to deal with the creation of a unified classification in this area.

Video

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Saber duel of German students (Georg Mühlberg, circa 1900)

Steel arms- a weapon designed to hit a target with the help of human muscle power in direct contact with the target. From the general environment of edged weapons, bladed, polearm and throwing edged weapons are distinguished. Bladed weapon - a type of edged weapon, the warhead of which is a blade. It appeared in ancient times.

In 1998, the State Standard of the Russian Federation adopted GOST R 51215-98 “Cold weapons. Terms and definitions”, which establishes the terms and definitions of concepts in the field of edged weapons. These terms apply both to edged weapons and to types of household products that are structurally similar to them. The use of these terms is mandatory in all types of documentation and literature on edged weapons that are within the scope of standardization work and (or) use the results of this work.

For each concept, this GOST establishes one standardized term. The part of the term enclosed in parentheses can be omitted when using it.

GOST R 51215-98 introduced the following general concepts:

• steel arms(the term "White weapon" is not allowed): A weapon designed to destroy a living target with the help of human muscle power.
• type of melee weapon: Melee weapons of various types, grouped according to some classification feature (for example: according to the principle of destruction, melee weapons are divided into two types - contact and thrown; according to the method of manufacture, they are divided into three types - home-made, industrial and handicraft).
• type of melee weapon: A group of melee weapons characterized by the same set of design features (for example: the following types of melee weapons belong to the “contact” type - knives, daggers, brass knuckles, etc.
• cold weapon sample: a specific design of some type of melee weapon.

History of edged weapons

The discovery of the properties of copper, its processing and the manufacture of bronze began a new era in the history of edged weapons - a sword arose. The indispensable qualities of the sword in hand-to-hand combat and in the fight against large predators caused its wide distribution and a huge number of varieties. The Greek long bronze sword is replaced by a short iron one. Daggers and swords were adopted in the Roman army; the ancient Roman short stabbing and chopping sword - "gladius" - is being replaced by a large chopping sword - "spat".

With the fall of the Roman Empire, the main role in the fights passes to the iron sword, the decisive importance of which for the wars of the barbarian era is comparable to the role of the bow for the era of savagery and firearms for the era of civilization. The development of the latter made armor, helmet, etc. useless, and this, in turn, deprived the heavy sword of its significance, clearing the way for the saber; one of its types - scimitar, the national oriental weapon, is a derivative of a short Spanish saber-sword, widespread in the pre-Roman era.

The sword, closely associated with chivalry, turns into the most important weapon of the feudal lords by the 8th century. Genetically, the sword of the Middle Ages is not related to the ancient forms of the sword, but comes from the German sword. The sword completes a certain period in the evolution of edged weapons: the transformation of a stabbing dagger into a chopping sword and then into a chopping and stabbing weapon of the 13th century, and then into only a stabbing weapon of the 15th century, a process mainly due to the struggle of the sword with armor.

With minor changes, the sword lasted until the 12th century and was widely distributed throughout Europe, being the subject of international exchange.

In the future, in parallel with the strengthening of armor, the sword is more and more adapted to the thrust; its tip from round becomes sharp, the blade lengthens, the blades begin to taper towards the tip; the sword loses its massiveness. Since the use of the sword in this form required more subtle fencing techniques than cutting from the shoulder, it required the movement of the hand in the hand, the long blade received a counterweight - the knob becomes heavier, changes its shape, the heel of the blade lengthens to make it possible to take the sword in both hands. The large hand protection extends the crosspiece considerably. In connection with more and more subtle fencing techniques, the protection of the hand is enhanced by the appearance of a system of arches of the guard, basket or cup; the symmetrical cruciform shape of the sword handle is lost, and as a result, by the 16th century, a sword is obtained, which in turn is differentiated into a stabbing and chopping sword (broadsword). In different countries, the sword takes on a wide variety of forms, both blade and hilt.

15th century engraving demonstrating the superiority of firearms over bladed weapons

With regard to the saber, it can be argued with sufficient probability that it was brought to Europe from the Far East by the Huns in the form of a slightly curved weapon with one blade, designed for cutting and stabbing. The advantages of a curved blade for chopping are obvious: the inclined and sliding position of the blade in relation to the affected body upon impact adds the cutting property of the knife to the chopping-crushing blow; all this allows you to achieve the same effect with a lighter blade as with a heavy chopping sword; the hand when using a saber is less tired. Among the steppe nomads, the saber early occupied a dominant position. From here it penetrates into Rus' and already in the 12th century exists in parallel with the sword.

The main types of sabers are Persian and Turkish. Closed, with different guards, saber hilts are already an invention of European gunsmiths, when, as a result of clashes with the Turks, the saber began to penetrate Europe. In Rus', the saber finally replaces the sword in the 14th century. In the 16th century, the Turkish type of saber was mastered, with a wide blade, even more broadened at the tip. Of the types of sabers that existed in Russia, it should be noted that the Caucasian saber with a very little curved blade and no crosspiece at all.

The weapon of hand-to-hand combat in the East was a dagger: of the Persian type, very ancient, with a curved blade and later, Caucasian, straight. From there, the dagger also ended up in the Russian army.

However, edged weapons will never play a leading role in armies, as they played 300-400 years ago, the advantage over them of firearms and explosives is obvious.

Historically, a bayonet, a dagger and a saber have been preserved from edged weapons in modern armies. Combat knives and bayonet-knives are new types of edged weapons still existing and developing in modern troops.

Classification of edged weapons

Melee weapons are divided into different types according to the following criteria:

According to the general design, edged weapons are divided into:

1.1. standard - edged weapons design, shape and size, which are standardized;

1.2. combined - melee weapons that combine parts of various types of melee weapons;

1.3 arbitrary - edged weapons that combine parts and (or) details of different samples of the same type of edged weapons in their design;

Note: The use of the term "Atypical melee weapons" is not allowed.

1.4. disguised - melee weapons, the warhead of which is hidden and it has the appearance of an object that is not a weapon.

1.5 Completely atypical design.

2. According to the place of manufacture, edged weapons are divided into:

2.1. edged weapons of domestic production;

2.2. edged weapons of foreign production.

Note: When conducting examinations, if possible, the country and the enterprise (firm) manufacturer are determined.

3. According to the principle of hitting a target, edged weapons are divided into:

3.1. contact - edged weapons held in the hand when used;

3.2. thrown weapons - melee weapons that hit a target at a distance when thrown manually. The use of the term "Cold Throwing Weapon" is unacceptable.

Note: Do not confuse the concepts of "Thrown weapons" and "Melee weapons";

4. According to the method of manufacture, edged weapons are divided into:

4.1. industrial production;

4.2. handicraft;

4.3. homemade production;

A special “intermediate” group is made up of converted melee weapons.

5. According to their purpose, edged weapons are divided into:

5.1. civilian edged weapons - edged weapons permitted by law for use by citizens.

It includes:

5.1.1 hunting bladed edged weapons - civilian edged weapons designed to defeat an animal in the hunt (for example: general-purpose hunting knives);

5.1.2. sports bladed edged weapons (for example: sports sabers, sports swords);

5.1.3. edged weapons, which are an accessory of the national costume of the peoples of the Russian Federation and the Cossack uniform (for example: a saber).

5.2. military edged weapons - edged weapons that are or were in service with state paramilitary organizations; warriors and military formations of the past. It includes:

5.2.1. ceremonial - military edged weapons designed to give solemnity to military rituals (for example: ceremonial checkers);

5.2.2. premium - military edged weapons that are or were part of the system of state awards (for example: checkers and sabers "For Courage");

5.2.3. combat - military edged weapons, which are in service with state paramilitary organizations, as well as manufactured for deliveries to other states in the manner established by the Government of the Russian Federation and intended for solving combat and operational-service tasks (for example: a bayonet-knife, a dagger of the Navy, combat knives ).

5.3. Criminal edged weapons - edged weapons that do not belong to either civilian or military weapons.

5.3.1. weapons made according to the models of civilian or military edged weapons (for example: a home-made general-purpose hunting knife);

5.3.2. a weapon that has a shape, design and dimensions that have developed in a “criminal environment” (for example: a handheld, a cue ball).

6. According to the damaging effect, edged weapons are divided into:

6.1. chopping weapon - edged weapon, the warhead of which forms a chopped damage with its blade (for example: a sword);

6.2. cutting weapon - edged weapon, the warhead of which forms a cut damage with its blade (for example: shuriken);

6.3. stabbing weapon - edged weapon, the combat part of which forms a stab injury with its tip (for example: a bayonet);

6.4. piercing and cutting weapons - edged weapons, the warhead of which forms a stab incised damage (for example: a knife);

6.5. chopping and cutting weapons - edged weapons, the warhead of which forms chopped incised damage (for example: a saber);

6.6. shock-crushing weapons - edged weapons, the combat part of which forms the crushing of soft tissues and the crushing or fractures of bone tissues (for example: coinage);

6.7. combined damaging effect.

7. According to the device, method of control, holding and action, edged weapons are divided into:

7.1. blade - edged weapons, having a warhead in the form of a blade (blades), firmly and motionlessly connected to the handle when bringing it into a “combat” position;

Note: There are weapons with short (up to 30 cm), medium (from 30 to 50 cm) and long (over 50 cm) blades.

Weapons of this type can be divided into two groups:

7.1.1. with handle;

7.1.2. without handle.

7.2. polearm - edged weapons, the warhead of which is firmly and immovably fixed on the pole;

Note: A distinction is made between weapons with short shafts (up to 120 cm), medium shafts (from 120 to 250 cm) and long shafts (over 250 cm).

7.3. percussion - edged weapons, the warhead of which is a concentrated mass;

Note: A concentrated mass (of edged weapons) is understood as a massive, metal or other hard material warhead of edged weapons with or without spikes, bulges.

Weapons of this type can be divided into three groups:

7.3.1. with rod and impact weight;

7.3.2. with a rod and (or) a loop, a flexible suspension and a shock load;

7.3.3. placed on the hands.

Some types of melee weapons

Short-bladed:

• knife - a contact or thrown bladed piercing and cutting weapon with a short single-edged blade.
• dagger - a contact, blade, piercing-cutting and chopping-cutting weapon with a short or medium straight or curved double-edged blade (blades).
• stylet - a contact blade stabbing weapon with a short or medium straight faceted or round blade (depending on the length of the blade, it can also be referred to as a medium blade).
• dagger - a contact, bladed, stabbing weapon with a straight, short or medium narrow blade, mainly of a rhombic section (depending on the length of the blade, it can also be referred to as a medium blade).

Medium bladed:

• cleaver - contact, blade, chopping-cutting and piercing-cutting weapons with a wide medium single-edged blade.

Long-bladed:

• saber - contact, blade, chopping-cutting and piercing-cutting weapon with a long curved single-edged blade.
• checker - contact, blade, chopping and cutting and piercing-cutting weapons with a long, slightly curved single-edged blade.
• broadsword - a contact, bladed, chopping and stabbing weapon with a long straight single-edged blade.
• sword - a contact, blade, piercing or piercing and chopping weapon with a long, straight, single-edged, double-edged, triangular or tetrahedral blade and a developed hilt.
• rapier - a contact blade stabbing weapon with a long, straight, elastic blade and usually a cupped guard.
• sword - contact, blade, piercing and chopping, a weapon with a straight, medium or long massive two-edged blade (depending on the length of the blade, it can also be referred to as a medium blade).

Without handle:

• bayonet - contact, blade, piercing or piercing-cutting weapon, attached to the muzzle of the barrel of a handgun.

Note: The forerunner of the bayonet was a bayonet that was inserted into the bore.

• shuriken - a thrown piercing-cutting or piercing weapon in the form of a metal plate with a blade and (or) points along the outer edge or a short rod with points at the ends.

Short shaft:

• fighting with an ax - a contact, short-handled chopping and chopping - cutting weapon with a piece of iron of a triangular, trapezoidal or asymmetric shape, attached to the shaft with an eye.

Note: a piece of iron is a massive flattened metal warhead of a cold weapon with one or two straight or arcuate blades, fastened to the shaft with a hook or eye.

Medieval:

• halberd - a contact, medium-handled, piercing and cutting-cutting weapon with a warhead attached to the shaft, including a tip, a wide and long piece of iron, often in the shape of a crescent, and sometimes a hook.
• glaive - a contact, medium-blade piercing and cutting and chopping-cutting weapon with a long narrow piece of iron with a point and hooks on the butt, attached to the pole with a nod.

Note: The use of the term "Combat Scythe" is unacceptable.

• trident - a contact stabbing pole weapon with a tip with three teeth, attached to the pole with a nozzle.

Long shaft:

• spear - a contact and (or) thrown stabbing or piercing-cutting pole weapon with a tip, attached to the pole with a nozzle (depending on the length of the pole, it can also be referred to as a medium pole).

Percussion with rod and impact weight:

• mace - a contact, percussion, shock-crushing weapon, in the form of a straight or somewhat curved rod of solid material with a significant thickening in the warhead.

Note: The use of the term "Dubina" is not allowed.

• coinage - a contact, shock-crushing weapon with a warhead of a striker and a beak attached to the rod with an eye.

Note: the beak is a piece of iron, which is a curved protrusion with a point, the striker (hammer) is an element of concentrated mass from the eye to the end.

• mace: - a contact, shock-crushing weapon with a spherical warhead attached to the rod with an eye.

Percussion with a rod and (or) a loop with a flexible suspension and shock weight:

• flail - a contract, shock, shock-crushing weapon with a warhead in the form of a concentrated mass connected to the handle by a suspension.

Note: It is unacceptable to use the term "Battle peace".

• nunchaku is a contact, shock, shock-crushing weapon, consisting of two identical rods of solid material, flexibly articulated in series and equally performing the functions of a warhead and a handle.

Percussion, placed on the hand:

• brass knuckles - a contact, percussion, shock-crushing weapon made of hard material, worn on fingers or clamped between them, with a smooth or spiked warhead.

The design of cold bladed weapons

Structural parts of cold bladed weapons

Structurally, bladed weapons consist of several main parts.

Blade

1) a thin steel plate with sharply sharpened edges; 2) sharp edge of the blade. They inflict two types of damage - chopped and cut. The greatest sharpness of the blade provides the greatest depth of its penetration into the affected body. However, excessively sharp blades have less strength and with strong blows, in contact with solid bodies, their blades can be damaged. To make the blade more durable, it is sharpened at an angle of 10-15 degrees and blunted with two chamfers, forming a more obtuse angle between them.

garda

Garda (French garde) - a long-bladed weapon is an integral part of the hilt. For short-bladed weapons, a similar part is called a limiter. The purpose of the guard is to prevent the hand from slipping onto the blade and to protect it from the opponent's blow. The main types of guards can be reduced to several types: cross, shackle (arc), shield, half-basket, basket, half-cup, cup.

point

Point - a conditional point at which the blade converges with the blade (for double-edged blades) or the blade with the butt of the blade. A prick with a weapon reaches its greatest force when its resultant passes through the top of the angle formed by the edges of the point, dividing it in half. If this resultant passes below or above the tip, then as a result of the resulting decomposition of forces, the impact will be weaker.

Butt

Butt - a blunt edge of the blade, opposite the blade. On it, as well as on the heel, some weapons have markings. Butts are rounded, softened and hard, angular shape. The latter reduce the power of a chopping-cutting blow, but are necessary for stabbing weapons.

Lever

Handle (handle) - a part of the weapon that serves to hold it and make it easier to use the weapon. For bladed weapons, the dimensions, shape, external design and position of the handle relative to the blade depend on the type of weapon. So, the handle can be parallel to the blade, but it can also be reinforced with respect to it at an angle.

The handle is attached to the blade shank in two ways: mounted and riveted. When fastening by the rider method, a longitudinal channel is drilled in the handle or made in other ways, with which it is put on the blade shank. The so-called "type-setting" handles, consisting of a number of plates superimposed on each other, also belong to the category of rider ones, since the plates are put on the blade shank, the end of which is riveted, forming a hat. The head may have a visor that prevents the handle from slipping out of the hand. The blade has a fitting and a limiter. A lanyard can be attached to the head. In weapons with a long blade, mainly in combat, the handle (called a hilt) is sometimes pasted over with leather and wrapped with twisted wire so that the handle does not slip in the hand.

Sheath

Scabbard - a case for inserting bladed weapons. As a rule, they are made of wood, metal, leather, but can also be made of other materials. The metal device of the scabbard usually consists of a mouth, clips and a tip, which may have a comb. Most often, the device of the scabbard is made of the same material as the hilt of the weapon. The decorations of the hilt and the device of the scabbard correspond to each other.

Measurement and description of cold bladed weapons

In blade cold weapons measured:

• total length;
• blade length;
• the greatest width of the blade;
• the greatest thickness of the blade;
• butt bevel length (along the chord);
• the length and width of each fuller (if any);
• heel length; blade sharpening width; handle length;
• the width of the handle in the middle part or the largest;
• the greatest thickness of the handle;
• length and thickness of the top and bushings;
• length, width and thickness of the stop (limiter).

Description produced in the following sequence:

a) general characteristics: the name of the object (moreover, if the investigator finds it difficult to name it correctly, the total length is indicated as an “object”, what it consists of;

b) characteristics of the blade: shape, dimensions, color, magnetic properties, number of blades, the presence of a butt and its shape (straight, convex, concave, sinuous, stepped), the presence of a bevel of the butt and its shape; location, shape and size of the dol; placement and content of markings, etc.

c) method of fastening the blade and handle (mounted, flat):

d) characteristics of the handle: shape and dimensions in general; what parts and parts it consists of; color, shape, dimensions, material and magnetic properties of individual parts; the nature of the surface; the presence, location and content of markings;

e) characteristics of the stop (limiter): shape, dimensions, material, etc.;

f) missing parts, breakage and other defects.

Melee weapons with a single-edged blade in the description are oriented as follows: - in a horizontal position - with the blade down and the pommel towards you. - in the vertical - with the point down and the blade towards you (accordingly, it will have a left and right side).

If the blade is double-edged, or has several edges, orientation is carried out according to the shape of the handle or stop. You can also orient by the location of the markings, which are usually applied on the left side from the tip to the handle, and on the right - on the contrary, from the handle to the tip; either there are only sleeping on the left side. In addition, transverse inscriptions on the heel of the blade go from bottom to top on the left side, and from top to bottom on the right side.

Measurement and description of non-bladed weapons

Rice. 1. Measurement of brass knuckles

Non-bladed (impact) edged weapons are measured and described as follows:

a) general characteristics: name, shape, dimensions (length, width, thickness), weight, what parts it consists of; material (its type: metal, wood, etc.), magnetic properties, color, strength, surface character;

b) striking (shock) part: shape, dimensions, material, surface character; the presence, number, location, shape and size of teeth or spikes;

c) a handle or other device for holding an object in the hand: shape, dimensions, material, number of finger holes and their dimensions (in brass knuckles);

d) markings (their content, drawing, arrangement) drawing, ornament or other decorations.

Note: Defects or other individual signs of weapons are especially noted.

The determination of the dimensional parameters of non-blade weapons and household items that are structurally similar to them is carried out (for example, brass knuckles) according to the scheme shown in Figure 1:

"a" - front view;

"b" - bottom view.

1. - the total width of the brass knuckles;

2. - the height of the brass knuckles;

3. - the thickness of the brass knuckles;

4. - the height of the skeleton;

5. - the height of the striking part;

6. - the width of the skeleton;

7. - height of subfinger holes;

8. - the width of the subfinger holes;

9. - tooth height;

10.- width of the stop post;

11.- height of the stop post;

12.- stop height;

13.- stop width.

Forensic requirements for edged weapons

Belonging to a cold weapon is established by the presence of a combination of two main groups of signs in the object under study:

1. groups of signs that determine the intended use of an object for deprivation of life or infliction of grievous bodily harm dangerous to human life and health; defeating and finishing off an animal (including a sea animal or a large fish), as well as for protection during its attack (hereinafter: to defeat a target);

2. groups of features that determine the suitability of a given item for hitting a target, which is ensured by its device and properties.

Special means and articles for household purposes, which have a similarity in external structure with edged weapons, these groups of features are partially or completely absent.

1. A group of features that determine the purpose of the object of study to hit the target, is established as a result of the definition:

• similarities in external structure (forms of the structure as a whole and the forms of individual characteristic structural elements) with known analogues-samples of certain types and types of edged weapons, for which full-scale samples of various collections (for example, museum ones) are used, as well as corresponding descriptions and images of various samples, contained in the official reference and special literature;
• the presence of a complex of necessary structural elements on a specific object of study, which is established by comparison with the complexes of structural elements of known types and types of edged weapons.

Note. For example, general-purpose hunting knives should consist of a blade and a handle; have an emphasis on the handle (or limiter), or sub-finger recesses; the blade of folding hunting knives in the open position must be rigidly fixed (i.e. there must be a lock); the connection of the blade of hunting knives, clumsy and collapsible, with the handle must be tight and strong (in this regard, it is necessary to have the appropriate elements of rivets, threaded connections, etc.).

2. A group of features that determine the suitability of the object under study for hitting a target, is determined on two grounds:

2.1. Sufficiency of technical support of the design and individual elements of the object under study, which is established as a result of:

2.1.1. Compliance of dimensional and other technical characteristics of the presented object with GOSTs; THAT; forensic requirements approved in the appropriate order. At the same time, the following are checked: conformity of the shape, dimensions and design features of both the object under study as a whole and its individual details; safety and convenience of the intended use of the object under study.

2.1.2. Compliance of the strength characteristics, both of the structure as a whole and of individual parts of the object under study (including the materials from which they are made), with the requirements of GOSTs or other normatively established characteristics, as well as the strength characteristics of analogs-samples of this type of edged weapons.

The verification of the strength of the structure of the object under study as a whole is carried out both according to the requirements provided for by the relevant regulatory documents (for example, GOSTs or "Forensic requirements ...").

For example: the strength and elasticity of the design of hunting knives are determined according to the scheme (see the scheme in Fig. 9). With a blade length of 90 mm, its end is bent by 5 mm. With an increase in the length of the blade for every 25 mm, the amount of deflection increases by 2 mm. After the test, there should be no residual deformations in excess of 1 mm on the blade.

To test the strength of the structure, experiments are carried out without fail, during which the possibility of repeatedly hitting a target without destroying the object submitted for research is established. Note. A dry pine board up to 50 mm thick is used as a target. With repeated (up to 50 times in a row, but not less than 10) use of weapons (knife, saber, sword, brass knuckles, bludgeon, etc.), the presence or absence of destruction of the structure as a whole or individual parts is recorded.

The results obtained are evaluated according to the degree of their influence:

• on the strength of the design of weapons;
• the possibility of its repeated use;
• reduction of damaging properties.

For some types and types of edged weapons, the strength of certain structural elements that affect the damaging properties is of exceptional importance. So, for example, an indicator of the strength of blades is their hardness. In this regard, when conducting a study or examination, it is mandatory to determine the hardness of the blade of the object under study, which has a similarity in external structure with cold bladed weapons.

The results obtained are compared with the normative ones, and in their absence - with the technical characteristics of known analogues-samples.

Note. Prior to the publication of the relevant GOSTs, as a result of the analysis of the technical specifications for the manufacture and forensic practice “Forensic requirements ...”, the parameters of the hardness of the blades of some types of edged bladed weapons were established.

2.2. The sufficiency of the damaging properties of the objects under study is determined by establishing the possibility of hitting the target (the possibility of causing serious bodily harm that is dangerous to human life and health). The sufficiency of damaging properties can be determined in one of three ways:

• according to the relative depth of damage resulting from the use of weapons in a dry pine board (30 - 50 mm thick). Based on the results of the analysis of forensic data and forensic practice, the methodology developed by the ECC of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation established that the depth of penetration of edged weapons (with a transverse arrangement of wood fibers relative to the blade) and projectiles of throwing weapons into a dry pine board should be at least 10 mm;
• according to the relative depth of damage in a special target (developed by NIIST of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia), which imitates human soft tissues, at least 20 mm;
• according to the results of a medical assessment of injuries on a biomanikin. Experiments on biomaterial are carried out as an exception, when it is not possible to establish the damaging properties of cold or throwing weapons using the above targets. An assessment of the severity of the damage formed on the biomannequin is given by a forensic medical expert.

Note. The establishment of the striking properties of the object of study is carried out only if there is a similarity of its external structure and the correspondence of its technical characteristics of the design and the technical characteristics of a particular type of edged weapons.

Types by the nature of the damage
  stabbing weapon The blade deals only piercing damage:
Konchar- Old Russian and oriental piercing edged weapons. It is a sword with a straight long (up to 1.5 m) narrow three- or four-sided blade.
A spear- piercing or piercing-chopping polearms. Spears were throwable and heavy for close combat.
Dirk- a cold piercing weapon with a straight thin faceted (mostly rhombic section) double-edged blade. The edges of the blade are not sharpened. Carried in a sheath on a belt harness.
Chris- a national dagger with a characteristic asymmetrical shape of the blade. Appeared on the island of Java, distributed throughout Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. The etymology is connected with the ancient Javanese word ngeris (ngeris), which means "to prick", "to pierce".
Knife- a cutting tool, the working body of which is a blade - a strip of hard material (usually metal) with a blade on one or more sides. In the design, the blade and the handle can most often be distinguished.
Pika- cold piercing weapon, a kind of long spear. It consists of a shaft 3-5 meters long and a trihedral or tetrahedral metal tip 12-57 centimeters long. The total weight is 3-4 kilograms. This weapon was designed to protect the infantry from cavalry attacks, and was also used by the Russian cavalry.
Partisan- stabbing pole cold weapon, a kind of spear. It has a long, wide and flat metal tip, mounted on a long (2.5 m or more) shaft. A characteristic feature of the protazan tip is the presence of lugs of different lengths and configurations in the plane of the blade. The most ancient protazans had small ears, and subsequently this type of weapon was often mixed with a halberd, inventing many variations.
Rapier- predominantly piercing edged weapons, a kind of sword, in its original meaning a long “civilian” sword, unlike a “combat” sword, it is too light to deliver a chopping blow, however, in the classic (non-sporting) version it has blades. In Russian, rapier is most often called swords with a bayonet-shaped blade - three- or four-sided, mainly intended for training fights.
Rogatin- Slavic heavy spear for hand-to-hand combat or for hunting a large beast. It features a large wide double-edged tip.
Sai- stabbing bladed melee weapons such as a stylet. Traditionally for residents of Okinawan (Japan). It is believed that the sai originated from a trident for loosening the earth. Subsequently, it began to be used as a paired weapon, the third sai was worn behind the belt as a spare (throwing). A one-piece forged sai had a round or multifaceted blade with a sharp, rarely blunted point.
Sarissa- long shock spear, pike.
Stylet- piercing edged weapons, a dagger of Italian origin with a straight cross and a thin and narrow blade, in the classic version without a cutting edge (blade). The cross section of the blade can be round, oval, three- (most often) or tetrahedral with valleys and stiffeners or flat edges, blades are usually absent.
Sword- cold piercing-cutting or piercing weapon, derived from a sword, consisting of a long (about 1 meter or more), straight one-two-bladed or faceted blade and a hilt (hilt) with a bow and guard of various shapes. In sports fencing, there are also rapier and espadron. But if the rapier originated as a lightweight sword, then the espadron has an independent origin.
Bayonet- cold piercing weapons adjacent to the barrel of a gun (rifle, carbine, machine gun) for bayonet fighting; can also be worn on a belt.
Espanton- a piercing pole cold weapon, consisting of a figured feather, a crown, a crosspiece located between them, help and a long shaft. More often used as a ceremonial weapon. Initially, the side blades were calculated to block slashing blows, but the practical use came to naught, as a result, the weapon took on a symbolic meaning.
estok- a two-handed konchar designed for forceful penetration of knightly armor, which is why in Germany it was called him. Panzerstecher - literally "shell piercer". The blade is more than a meter long, faceted, sometimes with a stiffener.
  Slashing weapon
Battle Ax (Axe)- a type of ax designed to defeat manpower. It is a multifunctional shock-chopping weapon. A distinctive feature of the battle ax is the low weight of the blade (about 0.5 kg) and a long ax handle (from 50 cm). Battle axes were single-handed and two-handed, single-sided and double-sided. One-sided battle axes are characterized by a curved ax handle, the butt is extended beyond the handle and acts as a counterweight. Bilateral battle axes have a straight ax handle, the role of a counterweight is performed by the second side. The battle ax was used both for close combat and for throwing.
Labrys (a subspecies of a battle axe)- Ancient Greek double-sided battle or ceremonial ax. It was known to the Romans as bipennis.
Valashka (a subspecies of a battle ax)- a long (up to 1 meter), thin, light hatchet, which was used in the past by the Slovaks (mainly shepherds and robbers like Janosik) as a weapon, staff and tool
Berdysh (a subspecies of a battle ax)- edged weapons in the form of an ax (ax) with a curved, like a crescent, blade, impaled on a long shaft - a ratovishche.
Spit- this is a pole weapon of the infantry, which was a pole or pole, with an economic scythe mounted on it, a shredding knife or a specially made two-edged blade, often arched. This weapon was used by the Polish rebels, and was also found in the armament of the Chinese.
Falchion- European bladed weapons with a short blade expanding towards the end with one-sided sharpening.
  Piercing-cutting (or slashing-piercing)
Halberd- a pole cold weapon with a combined tip consisting of a needle (round or faceted) spear point and a battle ax blade with a sharp butt
Bebut- one of the main (along with kama) types of Caucasian daggers. Most likely of Persian (Iranian) origin. The blade is curved, double-edged, up to 50 cm long, most often with fullers.
Guizarma- a type of halberd with a long narrow, slightly curved tip, having a straight branch pointed at the end. The first blade, straight and long, served to defeat the enemy, and the second curved blade cut the tendons of the enemy's horse or pulled him off the horse.
Glaive, she is a glevia- a type of polearm infantry melee weapon. It consists of a shaft (1.2-1.5 meters) and a tip (40-60 centimeters, width 5-7 centimeters). The shaft is usually covered with rivets or wrapped with metal tape to protect it from cutting. The tip is a blade, it looks like a wide falchion sharpened only on one side. From the butt of the tip, a spike departs parallel or directed at a slight angle to the blade (the so-called “sharp finger”), which serves, firstly, to capture the weapon when repelling a blow from above, and secondly, to apply more effective against those chained in armor of opponents with piercing blows (as opposed to chopping blows applied with a tip). However, the main purpose of the glaive is still the application of chopping blows. There was also a tip on the lower part of the shaft (the so-called "inflow" or "heel"), but it was usually not sharpened, but simply sharpened - it was used as a counterweight for balancing weapons and for finishing off the wounded.
Guan Dao- Chinese edged weapons - a glaive, often mistakenly called a halberd, consisting of a long shaft with a heavy tip in the form of a wide curved blade; weight ranges from 2 to 10 kg. The total length of the weapon also ranges from 1.5 to 1.8 meters. Made from wood or metal. Sometimes it was artificially weighted for counterweight, the reverse side was also used to repel a second attack.
Ge- Chinese variety of klevets. It has a massive butt, which can be equipped with a hook, and a double-edged blade. The total length is on average about 1.5 m.
Daga- a dagger for the left hand when fencing with a sword, which became widespread in Europe in the 15th-17th centuries.
katana- a long Japanese sword (daito :). The current Russian standard GOST R 51215-98 characterizes the katana as "Japanese large two-handed saber with a blade longer than 60 cm." In modern Japanese, the word katana also means any sword.
Dagger- melee weapons with a short (up to 50 centimeters) straight or curved blade, sharpened on one or both sides. According to GOST R No. 51500-99 - a dagger - a contact, bladed, piercing-cutting weapon with a short or medium straight or curved double-edged blade.
Khopesh- a kind of edged weapons used in ancient Egypt. It has an external resemblance to a scimitar. It consisted of a sickle (semicircular blade) and a handle.
Khukri- the national form of the knife used by the Nepalese Gurkhas. The kukri blade has a characteristic “falcon wing” profile with sharpening along a concave edge (that is, it is a knife with the so-called “reverse bend”). It is believed that the kukri comes from the Greek kopis, which has a similar curve, and came to Nepal with the army of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC. e.
Machete- long (often more than 50 cm), usually thin (up to 3 mm) and wide knife. A blade with one-sided sharpening, a convex blade, sometimes with a point bent to the blade.
Sword- melee weapons, consisting of a straight metal blade and handle. Sword blades are symmetrical. Swords are chopping (Old Slavic and Old Germanic types), chopping and stabbing (Carolingian sword, Russian sword, spatha), piercing and chopping (gladius, akinak, xiphos), stabbing (konchar, estok). The division of double-edged cutting and stabbing weapons into swords and daggers is rather arbitrary, most often the sword is distinguished by a longer blade (from 40 cm). The mass of the sword ranges from 700 g (gladius) to 6 kg (zweihander, flamberg). The mass of a one-handed chopping or chopping-piercing sword ranged from 0.9 to 2 kg.
Naginata- Japanese edged weapons with a long oval handle (just a handle, not a shaft, as it might seem at first glance) and a curved one-sided blade. The handle is about 2 meters long and the blade is about 30 cm. In the course of history, a shortened (1.2-1.5 m) and lightweight version became much more common, which was used in training and showed greater combat capability.
Sword- chopping-piercing bladed cold steel with a wide end, straight and long (up to 85 cm) blade, which can have a double-sided (early samples), one-sided, or one-and-a-half sharpening, and with a complex hilt.
Saber- chopping-cutting and piercing-cutting edged bladed weapons. The blade of a saber, as a rule, is single-edged (in some cases - with one and a half sharpening), has a characteristic bend towards the butt. The average blade length is 80-110 cm.
Scimitar- chopping or chopping-piercing edged bladed weapons. It looks like a saber, with a curved blade. Garda developed, protects the hand. Elman is missing.
Sovnya- a pole weapon with a curved single-edged tip mounted on a long wooden shaft. In the broad sense of the word, any weapon such as a glaive with a single-edged tip is called a sovney; such weapons were used by many peoples and could be supplemented with hooks or spikes.
Cleaver- chopping and piercing edged weapons, a combat knife of especially large sizes. The cleaver blade could be either straight or curved, double-edged or single-edged. Its length was usually 64-72 cm, and its width was 4-5 cm. The cleaver, as a rule, had a hilt. The handle usually had a cross or shackle.
Trident- in Greek mythology, the scepter or weapon of the sea god Poseidon. Some types of gladiators (retiarii) were also armed with a trident and a net. The trident consists of a long shaft and a tip topped with three prongs. Like many other piercing and cutting weapons, the trident originated from an everyday peaceful tool, in this case a spear, used for fishing to this day.
checker- long-bladed chopping and piercing combat edged weapons. The blade is single-edged, slightly curved, double-edged at the combat end, less than 1 meter long (in Russia, various models of checkers with a blade length from 81 to 88 cm were in service, the original Circassian ones were even lighter and shorter). The hilt usually consists only of a handle with a bent, usually bifurcated head, without a cross (guard), which is a characteristic feature of this type of weapon. The scabbard is wooden, covered with leather, with rings for the harness on the curved side. Checkers of two types are known: checkers with a shackle, which look like sabers, but are not like that (dragoon type), and more common checkers without a shackle (Caucasian and Asian types)
Espadron- a piercing-cutting weapon, which is a light sword. Only the lower edge is sharpened and is used primarily as a chopping weapon. Ideal for inexperienced and poorly trained troops.
Scimitar- bladed piercing-cutting and chopping-cutting edged weapons with a long single-edged blade having a double bend; something between a saber and a cleaver. The shape of the blade cannot be called unique, since the concave blade with sharpening on the concave side had a mahaira, falcata, underside knife, kukri, cleaver, but it is in the scimitar that the blade does not expand to the point, but retains the same width. The small weight of the weapon (about 800 g) and a fairly long blade (about 65 cm) allows you to apply chopping and cutting and stabbing blows in series. The shape of the handle does not allow the weapon to escape from the hand during a chopping blow.
  Crushing weapon
Bo- a long staff made of wood or bamboo, sometimes made of metal or sheathed with metal.
Buzdykhan- It is a kind of mace, the head of which is studded with spikes (analogue - morning star); more often it has several welded plates (analogue of a shestoper, pernach).
Mace- edged weapons of shock-crushing action with a wooden or metal handle (rod) and a spherical head - a striking part, often equipped with spikes. Distinguish between an ordinary spherical mace and a shestoper or pernach, to the head of which chopping edges were welded. The length of the club is about 50-80 centimeters.
war hammer- edged weapons of shock-crushing action of the late Middle Ages (XIV-XV centuries). The war hammer was used by the warriors of Europe, India, Persia, its appearance was a response to the introduction of new means of protection - armor and chain mail, against which swords were ineffective.
Mace- a weapon of shock-crushing action, derived from an ordinary wooden stick. A club, as a rule, differs from an ordinary club or donkey, firstly, by its lower weight, secondly, by greater adaptability to combat, and thirdly, by the presence of so-called "fortifications", that is, iron hoops, pommel, sometimes with spikes .
Pernach- Old Russian edged weapons of shock-crushing action. It is a kind of mace, to the head of which several (up to two dozen) metal plates (feathers) are welded. A variety of one-handed pernach with six feathers, called a six-feather, has become widespread.
Shestoper- Old Russian edged weapons of shock-crushing action of the XIII-XVII centuries. It is a kind of mace, to the head of which 6 metal plates - “feathers” are welded.
Nunchaku- Oriental edged weapons of shock-crushing and suffocating action, which are two short sticks connected by a cord or chain. The cord is connected to the sticks by threading it through mutually perpendicular channels at the ends of the sticks, and the chain is connected using metal fasteners. Nunchucks connected by a cord are more popular, because some chains and their fasteners break under extreme loads. Nunchaku halves are either the same or different in length, which is dictated either by the owner's preferences or by the high need for melee weapons.
Tonfa- a traditional edged weapon of shock-crushing action of the inhabitants of the island of Okinawa. The handle for a small rice mill served as its prototype. It is often used in pairs. Tonfa - the prototype of a modern police baton with a transverse handle.
Brass knuckles- contact shock and shock-crushing weapons made of hard material, worn on fingers or clamped between them, with a smooth or studded warhead. Despite the simplicity of the design, it is very dangerous: a strong blow with brass knuckles can cause severe injury or death.
Telescopic baton- edged weapons of shock-crushing action, made of metal or plastic.
Morgenstern- a bronze ball with steel spikes screwed into it. It was used as a pommel of clubs or flails. Such a pommel greatly increased the weight of the weapon - the morning star itself weighed more than 1.2 kg, which had a strong moral impact on the enemy, frightening him with his appearance. The most widespread was the chain morning star, in which the spiked ball was connected to the handle by means of a chain.
  Percussion with a punch
Kama (Japanese sickle)- a type of edged weapon, common in Okinawa. It is a short curved blade mounted on a short handle perpendicular to it. It looks more like a scythe than a sickle. Its prototype was an agricultural tool - a sickle for harvesting rice, which gained military importance after the annexation of Okinawa by Japan and the ban on traditional edged weapons.
Klevets- crushing and piercing melee weapons. Considered a type of war hammer. The warhead is made in the form of a narrow straight or bent to the bottom tip. The handle is straight, arm-length (60-80 cm). Total weight 1-1.5 kg/
Coinage- melee weapons, which is a warhead in the form of a beak, fixed with an eyelet on the handle. The name comes from the old Russian word "chasing", which was a synonym for the word "axe".