Swords were the most widely used war tools throughout history. Especially between the 11th and 18th centuries, swords played a major role in the important wars that shaped history. Talented soldiers, whose swords were strong and sharp, were bringing victories to their states.
Producing the swords in the best way is as important as using them in battlefields. Sword masters received a great deal of training before they began to manufacture swords themselves. It was not just an education to learn a profession, it was also a lifestyle and a matter of honor. According to the training he received, it was not only how the masters made swords but also how they lived.
We can get to know swords a little better after talking about the importance of swords in people’s lives. Swords were used by nations for different purposes in different ways for centuries before firearms were invented. Before firearms were invented, swords were used by nations for different purposes in different ways for centuries. According to historical sources, It is learned that the first swords were made of wood in order to hunt animals. Humankind, who discovered the operation of different mines and other materials over time, used this learning to produce war tools.Some nations have improved themselves in sword production, both due to their characteristics and their region. Turks, Chinese and Japanese are known as the nations that produced and used the best swords in the world.In this article, we will examine the Turkish swords, one of the best sword family in the world.
First of all, we should say that we will describe Seljuks and Ottoman swords in this article. Because we can say that these were the states that used the sword in the most recent history. Therefore, the most reliable sources are the sources written about these two states.
The first thing to know about Ottoman swords and Seljuk swords is the raw materials used. Both states used the highest quality steel of their time in sword production. Because they knew that in order to achieve victory, they had to have the best weapon.They made the steel strong and flexible by both heat-treating and crushing it. The more flexible the sword, the easier it was to use. It also had to be easy to hold to make the best use of the sword.The flexible sword is less likely to break during combat.
Turkish swords generally consist of three parts. These sections are the handle, body and protection section. As we said before, the body part of the swords was made of steel during the Ottoman and Seljuk period. The handles of mass-produced swords were made of wood, and the handles of special swords were made from animal horns. Turks used especially ram horns and deer horns to make sword handles. The body of the sword was mounted on the handle by applying heat treatment in one piece.Turkish swords generally varied between 80 cm and 120 cm. However, sword lengths were usually around 90 cm.
Turks usually wrote verses from the Quran on their swords. In addition, it is possible to see poems, names, couplets and animal figures on the body of some Turkish swords.Because, according to them, fighting was done not only for financial gain, but also for their beliefs.