Passau blades cross-section

My comment on the 'Passau-style' cross-section of medieval swords: their functionality and important features.

You can see some examples of large longswords with a with fuller and octagonal cross-section (B9 on my diagram with cross-section typology) from european museums. Also one of my swords of this type.

This is actually more elaborated and distinct type with clearly separated sections of the blade. Notice that most of medieval swords were designed to be used against more or less armoured opponents. The edge of the blade was always reinforced, it was not designed for cutting soft objects, such as fruits or meat, like in modern testing. Very thin edge is designed to cut, not to crash and break at the same time. Just compare a kitchen knife with any original sword blade... It is worth to notice that important difference, to understand medieval swords functionality and purpose.

What gives this invention and improvement to the blade?
In general, a whole blade is more stiff and durable, because the edge part is a bit thicker staying still sharp. That is good solution when it comes to fight with heavy armoured man. However, the blade and whole sword is a bit heavier itself with this cross-section type. Surprisingly, a heavier longsword was better against heavy armoured man, giving it more power, then that wasn`t an issue about some 10-15% more of total weight, having a stronger blade that way. Some of those heavy longswords were over 2000g and around 1200-1300mm. Still, with good proportions and design, they are very well balanced (90-120mm range is very common), which makes them very agile in strong arms.
It seems many other medieval makers were copying this solution and proportions.

I would say, this type of heavy longsword is a largest and heaviest possible type, which can be used as a normal sword, usable as a classic longsword, two handed, wearable in the scabbard with belt at the waist.

Why do I like these swords so much? They have a classic form, I`d say perfect proportions and reflecting the most important features of this what we use to call 'medieval longsword', they are really big, they are an important and large group of swords in the 14th century, made in one of the best European workshops, with the famous sign of the Passau wolf on original blades. It seems that they were highly valued at that time because we find them throughout Europe.
That is why they are unique and characteristic, certainly worth reconstruction and in-depth research.