Pirate Weapons 

By: Allyson Huggett

Pirate weapons seem to have gotten their own classification. Why is this? It could be said that pirates used only specific types of weapons – ones that were easy to use on board a bucking ship. Of the swords pirates were known to use, the most well known one is the cutlass, although they also used scimitars, rapiers, and sabers.

The cutlass and the rapier both have hand protection built in in the form of a basket or cup hilt. These hilts protected the wielder's hand from cuts and disarming attempts. They could also be used to punch the opposition while still protecting the wielder's hand. Both weapons, while of medium length, were easy to use on board a ship as the blade was not so long as to get caught in the riggings or sails.

Scimitars and sabers are a little different from the cutlass and rapier. They didn't usually have the basket hilts and did little to protect their wielder's hands. Instead these blades were single edged and curved. The blades themselves were wide and strong enough to inflict some serious damage. These weapons could often be dual-wielded if the pirate was deft enough. Their main advantage was to intimidate the opponent with the speed at which they could be used.

None of these weapons were considered heavy armament – it's hard to dance around a moving ship while trying to use a weapon that weighs a ton. Pirates had to be nimble and quick and so did their weapons. Of course, pirates also used other weapons, flintlock pistols, nets, clubs, and daggers. All small easily carried weapons, also not likely to get caught in the riggings.

So why did the pirates choose these specific weapons? Small and light, easy and modestly safe to the wielder and they did little damage to ships they were fighting on. Unless of course they decided to use the cannonsÂ… Allyson Huggett is the owner of Merlin's Forge, an online shop specializing in the sale of medieval and fantasy weapons with an interesting selection of pirate swords. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

http://www.articledashboard.com/ezineready.php?id=163982