CUTLASS
The Cutlass was a naval weapon popular with both sailors and pirates of the 18th and 19th century and was still being issued to sailors of the US navy as late as 1917. The blade on a cutlass is perhaps its most defining feature being single-edged, slightly curved, somewhere between 24 and 30 inches in length, and approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. The hilt consisted mainly of a knuckle-bow and guard that covered much of the hand and was often highly ornamented with decorations of a nautical theme.
The form of the Cutlass is a perfect development of its function. The blade needed to be short enough for close quarters combat amidst masts and rigging when boarding or defending a ship; hence its length. This short blade needed to be heavy enough to actually cause sufficient damage when striking an opponent as well as to be able to cut through tangled rigging in a storm or the enemy's grappling lines that sought to hold embattled ships together; hence its width and weight. The hilt needed to protect the hand without extensive quillons that could become entangled in the ship's rigging as well as offer a "steel fist" with which to strike an enemy in extreme close quarters.
The Cutlass was a naval weapon popular with both sailors and pirates of the 18th and 19th century and was still being issued to sailors of the US navy as late as 1917. The blade on a cutlass is perhaps its most defining feature being single-edged, slightly curved, somewhere between 24 and 30 inches in length, and approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. The hilt consisted mainly of a knuckle-bow and guard that covered much of the hand and was often highly ornamented with decorations of a nautical theme.
The form of the Cutlass is a perfect development of its function. The blade needed to be short enough for close quarters combat amidst masts and rigging when boarding or defending a ship; hence its length. This short blade needed to be heavy enough to actually cause sufficient damage when striking an opponent as well as to be able to cut through tangled rigging in a storm or the enemy's grappling lines that sought to hold embattled ships together; hence its width and weight. The hilt needed to protect the hand without extensive quillons that could become entangled in the ship's rigging as well as offer a "steel fist" with which to strike an enemy in extreme close quarters.