A Sword is a Sword

16th c, 1789-1914, 17th c, 18th c, Accesories, Africa, Arms and armour, Asia, Australia and Oceania, Balkan Peninsula, British Isles, Bronze age, China, Classical period, Cold War, Early middle ages, Early modern period, Europe, France and Low Countries, Germanic countries, HEMA, High middle ages, Iberian Peninsula, Indian Subcontinent, Interwar period, Italian Peninsula, Japan Isles, Knowledge, Korean Peninsula, Late middle ages, Late modern period, Melee weapon, Middle ages, Middle East, Migration period, Northern America, Popular themes, Post type, Prehistory and Antiquity, Region, Sabres, Scandinavia and Baltic countries, Siberia, Slavic countries and Carpathians, Southeast Asia, Southern America, Swords, The Great Steppe, Timeline, WWI, WWII

Swords have been classified and organised into groups often by specific shape, function or culture. The question is what is the best method of classifying them, is it one or a combination of these methods. Burton (1987) suggests two which are common among collections being Topical and Geographical or Material and Formal, the former considers…