Why Was the Khopesh Shaped Like That?

Few ancient weapons are as instantly recognizable as the khopesh. With a blade that sweeps forward into a dramatic crescent, it looks almost as if an ordinary sword were deliberately bent into the shape of a sickle. But the khopesh was not created simply to look intimidating. Its unusual profile dev…

Why Did Some Swords Have Wavy Blades?

At first glance, a sword with a wavy blade looks like something invented by a fantasy artist. Yet these strange weapons were real, and some of the most dramatic surviving examples were carried in Europe centuries ago. Often described today as flamberges or flame-bladed swords, their rippling edges h…

The Most Brutal Weapons Ever Designed for Close Combat

Most weapons give you at least a little distance from the person trying to kill you. The weapons in this article were built for the moment when that distance disappeared. They were made for cramped trenches, crowded ship decks, narrow castle corridors, chaotic streets, and brutal hand-to-hand fighti…

Weapons So Dangerous They Were Banned From the Battlefield

For centuries, armies searched for weapons that could give them even the slightest advantage on the battlefield. But occasionally, a weapon earned a reputation for being so cruel, indiscriminate, or terrifying that governments and military leaders tried to restrict it altogether. Some were targeted …