How to Parry with a Sword - Edge or Flat?

Some practitioners of HEMA and other armed martial arts insist that the edge of a blade should not be used for defensive purposes, and a few even advocate avoiding blade contact altogether. But is it really a matter of parrying exclusively with either the edge or the flat? How about certain angles that fall in between? How about situations, techniques, and intended outcomes that favor one over the other, but not all the time? In this video I discuss my current view on this topic, based on available evidence (archaeological and scriptural), experiments with sharp swords, and practical experience from sparring. I’m focusing mainly on the longsword and the messer, but the mechanics are the same with a wide variety of edged weapons. *** Sources *** Bronze Age Swordsmanship: New Insights from Experiments and Wear Analysis Connected Histories: the Dynamics of Bronze Age Interaction and Trade 1500–1100 Medieval / Renaissance manuscripts about sword fighting: :Weapons *** Support the channel *** Help fund future videos, get bonus content and other rewards: Books about history and/or martial arts, swords, knives, video/audio equipment, and other stuff I recommend (as an Amazon Affiliate I earn commission through these links): US - Canada - Other ways to support the channel by shopping through affiliate links: Kult of Athena, my favorite online store for reproductions of historical arms and armor, fantasy swords, etc: Where to get HEMA gear and practice swords: *** Social media & merch *** How to contact me: See a list of my video uploads: Channel-related shirts and other merch: My side channel (for rambles, vlogs, opinions, gaming, etc): *** Music *** Intro song: “Illuminate“ by Vindsvept Outro: “Highland Storm“ by The Slanted Room Records