ca. 1410–1510 AD. Medieval Western Europe. A stunning, forged-iron long sword of the Oakeshott Type XVIIIa with a slender hand guard, a discoid pommel and rounded guards. The narrow triangular blade is complete with a deep fuller that traverses almost halfway down from the tang base as well as sharpened edges that taper downwards to form the acutely pointed tip. The Oakeshott Type XVIIIa was a very popular sword because by the 15th century, the battlefield required a much more versatile weapon. Thrusting swords were still needed to deal with plate armour, which by this period was essentially invulnerable to cuts. But the armour of the average infantry man was becoming more mobile and less armoured as the use of longbows, crossbows and other missile weapons began to dominate the battlefield.Provenance: Property of a European collector. Formerly in the collection of Earl Mitchell, London 1990s.Size: L:985mm / W:145mm ; 1kg