Longsword vs Broadsword: What Actually Separates Them
Longsword and broadsword are two of the most used, and most confused, words in the sword world. Films and games treat them as rival heavyweights, and many people use broadsword to mean any big medieval sword. Historically the two names describe quite different things. A longsword is a straight, double-edged medieval sword with a grip long enough for two hands. A broadsword, in the sense the word was first used, is a wide-bladed one-handed military sword of the 1600s and 1700s, best known in its Scottish basket hilted form.
The Short Answer
Check the grip and the guard. A longsword has a long grip for two hands and a simple cross-shaped guard, and it belongs to the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. A historical broadsword has a one-handed grip, a broad blade and usually an enclosed hilt that wraps the hand, most famously the Scottish basket hilt. If it has a cage around the hand and room for one fist, it is a broadsword. If it has a plain cross and room for two hands, it is a longsword.
Longsword vs Broadsword at a Glance
| Longsword | Broadsword | |
|---|---|---|
| Grip | Two hands, often usable in one | One hand |
| Guard | Simple cross guard | Basket hilt, half basket or enclosed guard |
| Blade | Straight, double-edged, tapering to a strong point | Straight and wide, usually double-edged |
| Typical overall length | About 40 to 48 inches | About 36 to 40 inches |
| Typical weight | About 2.5 to 3.5 pounds | About 2.5 to 3.5 pounds |
| Peak era | About 1350 to 1550 | About 1600 to 1750 |
| Who carried it | Knights, men-at-arms and trained civilians | Soldiers, cavalry and Highland Scots |
| Famous fighting tradition | German and Italian longsword schools | Highland charges and British military broadsword drill |
What Is a Longsword?
The longsword grew out of the knightly sword as plate armor spread through the 1300s. With the shield no longer essential, a fighter could put both hands on the grip for more power and control. The result was a straight, double-edged sword usually 40 to 48 inches long overall, weighing around 2.5 to 3.5 pounds, with a cross guard and a long grip. Period writers called it a long sword, a war sword, a hand-and-a-half sword or a bastard sword, and the boundaries between those names were never sharp.
It is also one of the best documented swords in history. Fencing masters such as Johannes Liechtenauer in Germany and Fiore dei Liberi in Italy, whose Fior di Battaglia dates to around 1409, left detailed manuals covering cuts, thrusts, binds and half-swording, a technique where the fighter grips the blade with one hand to drive the point into gaps in armor. For the full story, see our history of the longsword, and for the finer naming question, our guide to bastard sword vs longsword.
What Is a Broadsword?
Broadsword is a later word than most people realize. It came into common use in the 1600s, when civilian gentlemen were wearing slender rapiers and smallswords. Soldiers needed something sturdier, and broadsword described the wider military blade that stood apart from those thin civilian swords. The classic example is the Scottish basket hilted broadsword, carried by Highlanders through the Jacobite risings and the Battle of Culloden in 1746. In the 1700s that sword was itself often called a claymore, which adds another layer of confusion.
The medieval swords people now call broadswords, the one-handed knightly swords of the 1100s to 1400s, were simply called swords at the time. Collectors today usually name them arming swords. Victorian writers popularized broadsword as a catch-all for any wide medieval blade, and the habit stuck. Our article What Is a Broadsword? covers that naming history in depth.
The Key Differences in Detail
One hand or two
The longsword was designed for two hands, which gives it power, leverage and control in the bind. The broadsword was a one-handed sword, which freed the other hand for a targe (the small round Highland shield), a pistol or the reins of a horse.
The hilt
A longsword relies on a simple cross guard because its user usually wore gauntlets. A basket hilted broadsword encloses the whole hand in a steel cage, protection that mattered for a soldier fighting without armor.
Era and setting
The longsword peaked between roughly 1350 and 1550 among armored knights and trained civilians. The broadsword belongs to the age of muskets and pikes, roughly 1600 to 1750, when armor was disappearing from the battlefield.
Blade shape
Both are straight and usually double-edged. Longsword blades taper more toward a strong thrusting point, which mattered against armor. Broadsword blades stay wider for longer and favor the cut, though a good broadsword thrusts well too.
Weight
Neither is the heavy club that films suggest. Both typically weigh between about 2.5 and 3.5 pounds. The longsword's longer reach can make it feel heavier, while the broadsword's large hilt shifts its balance toward the hand.
Which One Fits Your Collection?
Choose a longsword if you are drawn to knights, medieval tournaments and the great fencing manuals. Choose a broadsword if Scottish history, the Jacobite era or British military swords interest you more. The two sit well side by side, since together they show how European swords changed as armor left the battlefield.
Longswords to consider
- King's Sword Longsword, Damascus Steel, 42", $239.99. A classic knightly profile with a 33 inch blade and room for two hands.
- Charlemagne Longsword, Joyeuse Sword, High Carbon Damascus, 47", $259.99. A full length longsword inspired by one of history's most famous royal swords.
- Blue Longsword, 1095 Steel, 44", $249.99. A striking blue finished longsword in 1095 high carbon steel.
- Build Your Own Longsword, starting at $199.99. A made to order longsword built around the options you select.
Browse the full longsword collection.
Broadswords to consider
- Basket Hilt Broadsword, Scottish Sword, 1095 Steel, 48", $299.99. The basket hilted Highland form that gave the broadsword its reputation.
- Broadsword, 1095 Steel, 40", $249.99. A wide one-handed blade in 1095 high carbon steel.
- Broadsword, Damascus Steel, 39", $239.99. The same broad profile in pattern welded Damascus steel.
- Broadsword, Ornate Leaf Guard, Damascus Steel, 36", $199.99. A decorative leaf guard for display.
Browse the full broadsword collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a longsword a broadsword?
Not in the historical sense. A longsword is a two-handed medieval sword, while a broadsword is a wide one-handed military sword of the 1600s and 1700s. In casual modern use, people sometimes call any wide medieval sword a broadsword, which is where the confusion comes from.
Which is heavier, a longsword or a broadsword?
They are similar. Typical examples of both weigh about 2.5 to 3.5 pounds. Neither is anywhere near as heavy as films suggest.
Is a claymore a broadsword?
It can be. The two-handed Scottish claymore is a greatsword, but in the 1700s the word claymore was also used for the basket hilted broadsword. See our comparison of claymore vs zweihander for the two-handed version.
What is the difference between a broadsword and an arming sword?
An arming sword is the one-handed knightly sword of the Middle Ages. Modern sellers often call it a broadsword, but historically the broadsword came later and usually carried an enclosed or basket hilt.
More Sword Comparisons
- Longsword vs Greatsword
- Claymore vs Zweihander
- Saber vs Rapier
- Cutlass vs Saber
- Katana vs Longsword
- Katana vs Tachi
- Rapier vs Longsword
- Bastard Sword vs Longsword
- Katana vs Wakizashi vs Tanto
- Odachi vs Nodachi
- Scimitar vs Katana
For every sword family in one place, see our guide to the types of swords.
