A piercing cutting weapon. Piercing, chopping, cutting edged weapons: broadsword, saber, saber - which is better? According to their purpose, edged weapons are divided into

A bladed weapon is anything that has a blade. That is, a long enough strip, which is intended both to prick and to chop and to cut. does not fit the category of a blade, since it has only one purpose - to cut. , also can hardly be attributed to bladed weapons, since its purpose is to inflict only stabbing blows. Although, of course, in the Japanese weapon tradition, there were spears, the tips of which can be called a blade, because in essence they represented a short sword on a long handle. , which is intended both to prick and to chop and to cut. it was possible not only to stab, but also to chop and cut. Well, we have decided on a brief definition of bladed weapons, now let's look at what the main types of bladed weapons are in the world.

Sword

The sword is most directly related to bladed weapons. If you do not go into various nuances associated with the national one, for example, a slightly curved Japanese sword that looks more like a saber, then a "normal" sword, in our understanding, is a straight strip of steel, coaxial with the handle, and sharpened with both sides. The length, width, thickness and weight of the blade can be different, and the handle is a classic cross.

In turn, swords are divided into the following types:

1. Two-handed swords are swords that have a long blade, about one and a half meters, and a long handle. , holding it with both hands, hitting the enemy at a long distance. mainly against horsemen and spearmen. In front of the main large cross (from the side of the blade), part of the blade is not sharpened and has a small guard that separated it from the blade. This was done so that when performing combat techniques with a two-handed sword, the warrior could make a wide grip with his hands, if the situation in the battle required it.

1. One and a half hand swords are swords that were considered the most versatile representatives of their kind. That is, with a fairly decent blade length (700 - 1000 mm) and a handle, the size of which was two, three palm widths, this sword could be fought with one hand or two. One and a half hand swords were the golden mean between long "field monsters" and too short swords, which will be discussed further.

1. One-handed swords are swords that have a small handle. The warrior's palm lay tightly between the crosspiece and the pommel. The length of such a sword usually did not exceed 700 millimeters. One-handed swords were quite maneuverable and were intended mainly for the narrow streets of cities.

1. And finally, which most often served as an auxiliary weapon, when striking with a long sword could only become an obstacle in battle. In rooms, . Their total length with the handle did not exceed 600 millimeters. In the Bronze Age, swords were made just like that, since, for obvious reasons, it did not make sense to forge a large length from bronze.

Sword

Time passed, and traditional swords began to slowly become a thing of the past, gradually transforming into blades that have much less weight and shape. So there were broadswords and swords. The broadsword had more than a sword and was usually sharpened on one side (respectively, the sword had a narrow blade and double-edged sharpening). The end of the broadsword handle was slightly bent towards the bottom. The guard formed a kind of bowl that protected the hand from all sides. The broadsword was mainly a weapon of riders and had a rather long blade (800-1000mm) to make it easier to cut foot soldiers from a horse's height. Infantrymen also used broadswords, but they were somewhat shorter.

Saber

The saber has a curved blade with one-sided sharpening. The width of the saber blade varied from 25 to 40 millimeters. The saber is intended mainly for cutting blows. You can also stab with a saber, but the curvature of the saber plays a big role here. Too curved saber blades, such as, for example, Persian sabers, could not deliver a good piercing blow. It was convenient to cut them from a horse, but, for poking movements, they were clearly not intended. In the Caucasus, sabers have undergone some changes, turning into checkers. , in principle, the same saber, only devoid of a guard, like a Japanese katana. Unlike a saber, a saber was carried with its point up, and, snatching it from its scabbard, a warrior could immediately inflict an oblique blow on the enemy. The saber, after leaving, required an additional swing.

Scimitar

The scimitar is a classic example of a reverse-curve blade. That is, the scimitar has the same curvature as the saber, only the inner part of the blade parabola was sharpened. The scimitar was a favorite weapon of the Janissaries and was used mainly as a cutting weapon in close combat. For some reason, further than Turkey, the scimitar did not receive distribution.

Swords and rapiers

When mankind got tired of carrying heavy armor with them, in the form of heavy armor (the invention of firearms nullified their effectiveness) and powerful swords, for the “work” of which, remarkable strength and endurance were required, it invented their lightweight versions, one of the representatives of which , and was a sword. The sword had a rather narrow diamond-shaped blade, and was intended purely for stabbing, although it was capable of inflicting cutting, since, despite its diamond-shaped shape, they were also sharpened. Due to its lightness and maneuverability, the sword quickly won the love of the aforementioned humanity, finally consigning noble swords to oblivion. the sword was entangled with a whole system of various rings and arcs, which, together with the cupped guard, well protected the fencer's hand, and to some extent, were used as a small one.

Rapiers are essentially . They have a needle-shaped blade with three or four edges that do not have cutting edges. A rapier could deliver a lightning-fast piercing blow. The brute strength of swords turned into the grace and speed of fencing with swords and rapiers.

Knives, cleavers and daggers

Regardless of the purpose and shape, it is always sharpened only on one side. The blade, sharpened on both sides, is narrower. A dagger, unlike a knife, also has a small emphasis, like a saber guard, only smaller. and daggers served as secondary weapons. With these short blades they finished off defeated enemies, destroyed sentries, cut food, in general, knives and daggers had a fairly wide functionality. They were also often used in tandem with a sword in battle and duels. The shape of the dagger blade could be straight, curved, or wavy.

It has a fairly wide blade, up to 500 millimeters long and looks like a small sword. A good cleaver had, among other things, a purely practical purpose. They could not only fight and kill, but also perfectly cut down branches and small trees, hew stakes, and even split logs.

The stiletto was originally intended to finish off a warrior in armor, penetrating with a sharp narrow faceted needle between the plates of armor, or punching. The stiletto usually had a round guard and a round pommel, resembling a nail head. This weapon had an excellent piercing property, and in capable hands it was very dangerous.

That, perhaps, is all. We briefly reviewed all the main types of bladed weapons. Of course, there are many more varieties, types and subspecies of bladed weapons in the world, and to describe them all, you will need not one article, but entire volumes of thick books. There are many of these books. This article is written on the basis of one of these books, which is called: "Reconstruction of ancient weapons." If you are interested, you can search it on the Internet.

Types by the nature of the damage
  stabbing weapon The blade deals only piercing damage:
Konchar- Old Russian and oriental piercing edged weapons. It is a sword with a straight long (up to 1.5 m) narrow three- or four-sided blade.
A spear- piercing or piercing-chopping polearms. Spears were throwable and heavy for close combat.
Dirk- a cold piercing weapon with a straight thin faceted (mostly rhombic section) double-edged blade. The edges of the blade are not sharpened. Carried in a sheath on a belt harness.
Chris- a national dagger with a characteristic asymmetrical shape of the blade. Appeared on the island of Java, distributed throughout Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. The etymology is connected with the ancient Javanese word ngeris (ngeris), which means "to prick", "to pierce".
Knife- a cutting tool, the working body of which is a blade - a strip of hard material (usually metal) with a blade on one or more sides. In the design, the blade and the handle can most often be distinguished.
Pika- cold piercing weapon, a kind of long spear. It consists of a shaft 3-5 meters long and a trihedral or tetrahedral metal tip 12-57 centimeters long. The total weight is 3-4 kilograms. This weapon was designed to protect the infantry from cavalry attacks, and was also used by the Russian cavalry.
Partisan- stabbing pole cold weapon, a kind of spear. It has a long, wide and flat metal tip, mounted on a long (2.5 m or more) shaft. A characteristic feature of the protazan tip is the presence of lugs of different lengths and configurations in the plane of the blade. The most ancient protazans had small ears, and subsequently this type of weapon was often mixed with a halberd, inventing many variations.
Rapier- predominantly piercing edged weapons, a kind of sword, in its original meaning a long “civilian” sword, unlike a “combat” sword, it is too light for delivering a chopping blow, however, in the classic (non-sporting) version it has blades. In Russian, rapier is most often called swords with a bayonet-shaped blade - three- or four-sided, mainly intended for training fights.
Rogatin- Slavic heavy spear for hand-to-hand combat or for hunting a large beast. It features a large wide double-edged tip.
Sai- stabbing bladed melee weapons such as a stylet. Traditionally for residents of Okinawan (Japan). It is believed that the sai originated from a trident for loosening the earth. Subsequently, it began to be used as a paired weapon, the third sai was worn behind the belt as a spare (throwing). A one-piece forged sai had a round or multifaceted blade with a sharp, rarely blunted point.
Sarissa- long shock spear, pike.
Stylet- piercing edged weapons, a dagger of Italian origin with a straight cross and a thin and narrow blade, in the classic version without a cutting edge (blade). The cross section of the blade can be round, oval, three- (most often) or tetrahedral with valleys and stiffeners or flat edges, blades are usually absent.
Sword- a cold piercing-chopping or piercing weapon derived from a sword, consisting of a long (about 1 meter or more), straight one-two-bladed or faceted blade and a hilt (hilt) with a bow and guard of various shapes. In sports fencing, there are also rapier and espadron. But if the rapier originated as a lightweight sword, then the espadron has an independent origin.
Bayonet- cold piercing weapons adjacent to the barrel of a gun (rifle, carbine, machine gun) for bayonet fighting; can also be worn on a belt.
Espanton- a piercing pole cold weapon, consisting of a figured feather, a crown, a crosspiece located between them, help and a long shaft. More often used as a ceremonial weapon. Initially, the side blades were calculated to block slashing blows, but the practical use came to naught, as a result, the weapon took on a symbolic meaning.
estok- a two-handed konchar designed for forceful penetration of knightly armor, which is why in Germany it was called him. Panzerstecher - literally "shell piercer". The blade is more than a meter long, faceted, sometimes with a stiffener.
  Slashing weapon
Battle Ax (Axe)- a type of ax designed to defeat manpower. It is a multifunctional shock-chopping weapon. A distinctive feature of the battle ax is the low weight of the blade (about 0.5 kg) and a long ax handle (from 50 cm). Battle axes were single-handed and two-handed, single-sided and double-sided. One-sided battle axes are characterized by a curved ax handle, the butt is extended beyond the handle and acts as a counterweight. Bilateral battle axes have a straight ax handle, the role of a counterweight is performed by the second side. The battle ax was used both for close combat and for throwing.
Labrys (a subspecies of a battle axe)- Ancient Greek double-sided battle or ceremonial ax. It was known to the Romans as bipennis.
Valashka (a subspecies of a battle ax)- a long (up to 1 meter), thin, light hatchet, which was used in the past by the Slovaks (mainly shepherds and robbers like Janosik) as a weapon, staff and tool
Berdysh (a subspecies of a battle ax)- edged weapons in the form of an ax (ax) with a curved, like a crescent, blade, impaled on a long shaft - a ratovishche.
Spit- this is a pole weapon of the infantry, which was a pole or pole, with an economic scythe mounted on it, a shredding knife or a specially made two-edged blade, often arched. This weapon was used by the Polish rebels, and was also found in the armament of the Chinese.
Falchion- European bladed weapons with a short blade expanding towards the end with one-sided sharpening.
  Piercing-cutting (or slashing-piercing)
Halberd- a pole cold weapon with a combined tip consisting of a needle (round or faceted) spear point and a battle ax blade with a sharp butt
Bebut- one of the main (along with kama) types of Caucasian daggers. Most likely of Persian (Iranian) origin. The blade is curved, double-edged, up to 50 cm long, most often with fullers.
Guizarma- a type of halberd with a long narrow, slightly curved tip, having a straight branch pointed at the end. The first blade, straight and long, served to defeat the enemy, and the second curved blade cut the tendons of the enemy's horse or pulled him off the horse.
Glaive, she is a glevia- a type of polearm infantry melee weapon. It consists of a shaft (1.2-1.5 meters) and a tip (40-60 centimeters, width 5-7 centimeters). The shaft is usually covered with rivets or wrapped with metal tape to protect it from cutting. The tip is a blade, it looks like a wide falchion sharpened only on one side. From the butt of the tip, a spike departs parallel or directed at a slight angle to the blade (the so-called “sharp finger”), which serves, firstly, to capture the weapon when repelling a blow from above, and secondly, to apply more effective against those chained in armor of opponents with piercing blows (as opposed to chopping blows applied with a tip). However, the main purpose of the glaive is still the application of chopping blows. There was also a tip on the lower part of the shaft (the so-called "inflow" or "heel"), but it was usually not sharpened, but simply sharpened - it was used as a counterweight for balancing weapons and for finishing off the wounded.
Guan Dao- Chinese edged weapons - a glaive, often mistakenly called a halberd, consisting of a long shaft with a heavy tip in the form of a wide curved blade; weight ranges from 2 to 10 kg. The total length of the weapon also ranges from 1.5 to 1.8 meters. Made from wood or metal. Sometimes it was artificially weighted for counterweight, the reverse side was also used to repel a second attack.
Ge- Chinese variety of klevets. It has a massive butt, which can be equipped with a hook, and a double-edged blade. The total length is on average about 1.5 m.
Daga- a dagger for the left hand when fencing with a sword, which became widespread in Europe in the 15th-17th centuries.
katana- a long Japanese sword (daito :). The current Russian standard GOST R 51215-98 characterizes the katana as "Japanese large two-handed saber with a blade longer than 60 cm." In modern Japanese, the word katana also means any sword.
Dagger- melee weapons with a short (up to 50 centimeters) straight or curved blade, sharpened on one or both sides. According to GOST R No. 51500-99 - a dagger - a contact, bladed, piercing-cutting weapon with a short or medium straight or curved double-edged blade.
Khopesh- a kind of edged weapons used in ancient Egypt. It has an external resemblance to a scimitar. It consisted of a sickle (semicircular blade) and a handle.
Khukri- the national form of the knife used by the Nepalese Gurkhas. The kukri blade has a characteristic “falcon wing” profile with sharpening along a concave edge (that is, it is a knife with the so-called “reverse bend”). It is believed that the kukri comes from the Greek kopis, which has a similar curve, and came to Nepal with the army of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC. e.
Machete- long (often more than 50 cm), usually thin (up to 3 mm) and wide knife. A blade with one-sided sharpening, a convex blade, sometimes with a point bent to the blade.
Sword- melee weapons, consisting of a straight metal blade and handle. Sword blades are symmetrical. Swords are chopping (Old Slavic and Old Germanic types), chopping and stabbing (Carolingian sword, Russian sword, spatha), piercing and chopping (gladius, akinak, xiphos), stabbing (konchar, estok). The division of double-edged cutting and stabbing weapons into swords and daggers is rather arbitrary, most often the sword is distinguished by a longer blade (from 40 cm). The mass of the sword ranges from 700 g (gladius) to 6 kg (zweihander, flamberg). The mass of a one-handed chopping or chopping-piercing sword ranged from 0.9 to 2 kg.
Naginata- Japanese edged weapons with a long oval handle (just a handle, not a shaft, as it might seem at first glance) and a curved one-sided blade. The handle is about 2 meters long and the blade is about 30 cm. In the course of history, a shortened (1.2-1.5 m) and lightweight version became much more common, which was used in training and showed greater combat capability.
Sword- chopping-piercing bladed cold steel with a wide end, straight and long (up to 85 cm) blade, which can have a double-sided (early samples), one-sided, or one-and-a-half sharpening, and with a complex hilt.
Saber- chopping-cutting and piercing-cutting edged bladed weapons. The blade of a saber, as a rule, is single-edged (in some cases - with one and a half sharpening), has a characteristic bend towards the butt. The average blade length is 80-110 cm.
Scimitar- chopping or chopping-piercing edged bladed weapons. It looks like a saber, with a curved blade. Garda developed, protects the hand. Elman is missing.
Sovnya- a pole weapon with a curved single-edged tip mounted on a long wooden shaft. In the broad sense of the word, any weapon such as a glaive with a single-edged tip is called a sovney; such weapons were used by many peoples and could be supplemented with hooks or spikes.
Cleaver- chopping and piercing edged weapons, a combat knife of especially large sizes. The cleaver blade could be either straight or curved, double-edged or single-edged. Its length was usually 64-72 cm, and its width was 4-5 cm. The cleaver, as a rule, had a hilt. The handle usually had a cross or shackle.
Trident- in Greek mythology, the scepter or weapon of the sea god Poseidon. Some types of gladiators (retiarii) were also armed with a trident and a net. The trident consists of a long shaft and a tip topped with three prongs. Like many other piercing and cutting weapons, the trident originated from an everyday peaceful tool, in this case a spear, used for fishing to this day.
checker- long-bladed chopping and piercing combat edged weapons. The blade is single-edged, slightly curved, double-edged at the combat end, less than 1 meter long (in Russia, various models of checkers with a blade length from 81 to 88 cm were in service, the original Circassian ones were even lighter and shorter). The hilt usually consists only of a handle with a bent, usually bifurcated head, without a cross (guard), which is a characteristic feature of this type of weapon. The scabbard is wooden, covered with leather, with rings for the harness on the curved side. Checkers of two types are known: checkers with a shackle, which look like sabers, but are not like that (dragoon type), and more common checkers without a shackle (Caucasian and Asian types)
Espadron- a piercing-cutting weapon, which is a light sword. Only the lower edge is sharpened and is used primarily as a chopping weapon. Ideal for inexperienced and poorly trained troops.
Scimitar- bladed piercing-cutting and chopping-cutting edged weapons with a long single-edged blade having a double bend; something between a saber and a cleaver. The shape of the blade cannot be called unique, since the concave blade with sharpening on the concave side had a mahaira, falcata, underside knife, kukri, cleaver, but it is in the scimitar that the blade does not expand towards the point, but retains the same width. The small weight of the weapon (about 800 g) and a fairly long blade (about 65 cm) allows you to apply chopping and cutting and stabbing blows in series. The shape of the handle does not allow the weapon to escape from the hand during a chopping blow.
  Crushing weapon
Bo- a long staff made of wood or bamboo, sometimes made of metal or sheathed with metal.
Buzdykhan- It is a kind of mace, the head of which is studded with spikes (analogue - morning star); more often it has several welded plates (analogue of a shestoper, pernach).
Mace- edged weapons of shock-crushing action with a wooden or metal handle (rod) and a spherical head - a striking part, often equipped with spikes. Distinguish between an ordinary spherical mace and a shestoper or pernach, to the head of which chopping edges were welded. The length of the club is about 50-80 centimeters.
war hammer- edged weapons of shock-crushing action of the late Middle Ages (XIV-XV centuries). The war hammer was used by the warriors of Europe, India, Persia, its appearance was a response to the introduction of new means of protection - armor and chain mail, against which swords were ineffective.
Mace- a weapon of shock-crushing action, derived from an ordinary wooden stick. A club, as a rule, differs from an ordinary club or donkey, firstly, by its lower weight, secondly, by greater adaptability to combat, and thirdly, by the presence of so-called "fortifications", that is, iron hoops, pommel, sometimes with spikes .
Pernach- Old Russian edged weapons of shock-crushing action. It is a kind of mace, to the head of which several (up to two dozen) metal plates (feathers) are welded. A variety of one-handed pernach with six feathers, called a six-feather, has become widespread.
Shestoper- Old Russian edged weapons of shock-crushing action of the XIII-XVII centuries. It is a kind of mace, to the head of which 6 metal plates - “feathers” are welded.
Nunchaku- Oriental edged weapons of shock-crushing and suffocating action, which are two short sticks connected by a cord or chain. The cord is connected to the sticks by threading it through mutually perpendicular channels at the ends of the sticks, and the chain is connected using metal fasteners. Nunchucks connected by a cord are more popular, because some chains and their fasteners break under extreme loads. Nunchaku halves are either the same or different in length, which is dictated either by the owner's preferences or by the high need for melee weapons.
Tonfa- a traditional edged weapon of shock-crushing action of the inhabitants of the island of Okinawa. The handle for a small rice mill served as its prototype. It is often used in pairs. Tonfa - the prototype of a modern police baton with a transverse handle.
Brass knuckles- contact shock and shock-crushing weapons made of hard material, worn on fingers or clamped between them, with a smooth or studded warhead. Despite the simplicity of the design, it is very dangerous: a strong blow with brass knuckles can cause severe injury or death.
Telescopic baton- edged weapons of shock-crushing action, made of metal or plastic.
Morgenstern- a bronze ball with steel spikes screwed into it. It was used as a pommel of clubs or flails. Such a pommel greatly increased the weight of the weapon - the morning star itself weighed more than 1.2 kg, which had a strong moral impact on the enemy, frightening him with his appearance. The most widespread was the chain morning star, in which the spiked ball was connected to the handle by means of a chain.
  Percussion with a punch
Kama (Japanese sickle)- a type of edged weapon, common in Okinawa. It is a short curved blade mounted on a short handle perpendicular to it. It looks more like a scythe than a sickle. Its prototype was an agricultural tool - a sickle for harvesting rice, which gained military importance after the annexation of Okinawa by Japan and the ban on traditional edged weapons.
Klevets- crushing and piercing melee weapons. Considered a type of war hammer. The warhead is made in the form of a narrow straight or bent to the bottom tip. The handle is straight, arm-length (60-80 cm). Total weight 1-1.5 kg/
Coinage- melee weapons, which is a warhead in the form of a beak, fixed with an eyelet on the handle. The name comes from the old Russian word "chasing", which was a synonym for the word "axe".

Archaeologists are still finding prototypes of edged weapons that still served primitive people. Of course, they look primitive and far from the modern look, but in those distant times there was simply no other way. It was a means for hunting, butchering animal carcasses, as well as for protection against attacks from other tribes and wild animals. Over time, it improved, modern, familiar species appeared.

Before the development of firearms, cold was the main thing in defense, attack and just helping a person. Now melee weapons serve as an auxiliary, complementing the capabilities of small arms. Also, edged weapons can serve as equipment for a military uniform and national costume, or can be rewarded.

Russian edged weapons

How long has humanity existed for so many years and edged weapons. Each age is marked by a certain type of weapon, a club, a club, spears, daggers made of stone and bones. A huge breakthrough in the development of edged weapons occurred after the discovery of copper. Due to the hardness, toughness and lightness of the metal, swords arose, which became indispensable in hand-to-hand combat. And in the fight with the beast, the sword was not superfluous at all. The spears have metal tips.

Over time, the bow gained wide popularity, and the mace and club began to lose ground. Under the Roman Empire, the bow was replaced by a crossbow, but with the use of shells, chain mail, helmets, it also lost its effectiveness in use. Therefore, the main weapon for some time becomes an iron sword.

The emergence of small arms reduced its main role, and the primacy passed to sabers, as an addition to small arms. The encyclopedia of edged weapons describes in detail its varieties, starting with primitive clubs and ending with modern types.

I would like to pay special attention to Russian melee weapons.

From ancient times to the 14th century, they were armed with princely warriors and people's militias. In Russia, not only swords, spears, saber blades were used, but various types of axes, percussion instruments were widely used, such as:

• clubs;
• coinage;
• six-feathers;
• pernaci;
• clubs;
• flails.

The same Russian epics tell of heroes who were armed with heavy clubs. The work "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" tells about the battle, "how the sabers rattled against the helmets, the spears crackled."

In a battle with the Swedes in 1240 on the Neva River, the Novgorod warrior used only one ax. Also, konchars were used, boot thin sharp knives that easily penetrated chain mail. Over time, konchars were replaced by swords, and boot knives were replaced by daggers.

Even centuries later, interest in melee weapons has not been lost, it is still relevant to this day.

Each type of edged weapons has gone its own historical path in development. It was modified in conjunction with fighting techniques and the improvement of firearms.

Some weapons turned out to be more durable, others were no longer used. For example, the spears of the prehistoric era were an ordinary pointed stick, then a stick with a stone tip, later iron. They reached the beginning of the twentieth century in the form of peaks, which were used by uhlans and Cossacks. The swords that armed princely warriors eventually became broadswords and were used by heavy cavalry in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The saber proved to be durable. In the Russian cavalry, she began to appear in the 10-12 centuries. Subsequently, the saber came to the fore in armament and, although it took on the form of a checker, is still in combat formation. Devices that strike in battle were eliminated from service in the 17th century. Russian melee weapons are:

• sword, broadsword, konchar, sword, rapier, saber, semi-saber, saber, cleaver, dagger, knives, dagger - this is the so-called "white weapon";
• a spear, a pike, a horn, an ax, a reed, a halberd, a protazan, an esponton are polearms;
• club, donkey, shestoper, pernach, mace, bludgeon, puffins, klevtsy - these are shock weapons.

Since almost all of them went out of use, they naturally turned into antique edged weapons.

What is a melee weapon and what is not

The official definition of this type of weapon is given by legislation No. 150-FZ "On weapons" dated 13.12.1996. However, some citizens, consciously or not, confuse household items with edged weapons.

According to the law, a bladed weapon is a device that is designed to hit a target with the help of human muscular strength in direct contact with the target.

It includes:

1. Knife, dagger, Finnish knife.
2. Saber, dagger.
3. Swords.
4. Checkers.
5. Swords.
6. Brass knuckles.
7. Stylet.

The standard features of edged weapons are indicators that are defined in special documents:

• blade length not less than 90 mm;
• butt with a thickness of 2.6 ... 6 mm;
• blade with a hardness of more than 42 units according to the Rockwell method;
• safety handle;
• double-edged blade.

There is also a thrown melee weapon, but it should not be confused with a throwing device, which cannot be classified as a melee weapon.

Thrown objects are designed to hit the enemy at long, ultra-long distances and in hand-to-hand combat. The most common of them are:

1. Sling.
2. Chakra.
3. Boomerang.
4. Shureken.
5. Dart.
6. Tomahawk.

According to the definition of the legislation, household appliances, such as penknives, garden knives, kitchen knives, do not belong to the type of edged weapons, but they can also injure a person.

Classification

Bladed weapons have a varied classification, and there is no generally accepted order in this.

In wide use, the definitions that law enforcement agencies use in their activities are more often used:

• by appointment. It is divided into combat and civilian. In the first version, these weapons are used in military, combat, operational and service operations by state paramilitary organizations. In the second version, it is used by some subjects for self-defense, hunting, and playing sports. Serves as an addition to the national costume of some nationalities of the Russian Federation;
• manufacturing method. It can be produced in several ways: at the factory - the product meets the technical requirements, standards, a marking is applied to the product, by the artisanal method - gunsmiths make it according to a certain standard, sample, the manufacturer can put his own brand, home-made - people are engaged in manufacturing without special professional skills or, remake weapons by adding elements to it or eliminating existing ones;
• by location of production. These weapons are produced by domestic and foreign manufacturers;
• according to the established standard. There are standard and non-standard products;
• by destructive effect. There are chopping edged weapons, piercing-chopping, piercing, piercing-cutting, shock-crushing, throwing weapons, combined action;
• according to the features of the constructive device. It happens not with bladed and bladed melee weapons;
• according to the design features of the blade. Weapons come with one blade or two blades.

Scientific literature uses other classifications of edged weapons. For example, well-known weapons experts E. L. Smolin, A. I. Ustinov, K. V. Asmolov, the founder of Israeli hand-to-hand combat I. Likhtenfeld proposed their own classifications of edged weapons. Most likely, future generations will have to deal with the creation of a unified classification in this area.

Video

E

Melee weapons of certain types in the Middle Ages were universal, combining the properties of piercing, chopping and cutting categories of weapons. Having spread widely throughout the world back in those distant times, some are in demand even today.

Piercing - cutting melee weapons

Briefly characterize this category as follows - a variety of knives and daggers.

One of the very first types of edged weapons in the history of mankind was, of course, a knife - a universal tool that was suitable both for obtaining and processing food, and for inflicting serious wounds on the enemy. It was owned by representatives of all ages, genders and classes. Noble nobles and peasant mob, merchants and formidable pirates. In the uniform of all military formations, from the time of the Vikings to modern special forces, there is a knife. This type of cold piercing-cutting weapon has always been valued for its compactness, noiselessness, variety of modifications and ease of use. It was often used as the last, but extremely convincing argument in domestic conflicts and could save the life of its owner on the battlefield in case of damage or loss of the main weapon.

A dagger is a type of knife characterized by a double-edged or single-edged straight or curved blade.

As a rule, knives and daggers were used during close combat, but there was also a throwing variety with a weighted blade, which made it possible to accurately hit the intended target.

The stabbing and chopping weapon of the Middle Ages

This category can be conditionally divided into handle and shaft. The main representatives of the handle piercing and chopping weapons are a variety of swords, saber, saber, broadsword, cleaver, scimitar, etc.

The sword, consisting of a symmetrical blade of various lengths and a hilt, could be designed to be wielded with one hand or two-handed. This is a universal type of weapon, which, depending on the structural features, can be classified as piercing, chopping, chopping - piercing, and piercing - chopping types.

The saber has a single-edged blade, curved towards the butt, and a straight crosshair. Widely used in the cavalry.

A saber, common in Russia, is a chopping - piercing combat melee weapon. It also has a curved blade and a single edge (toward the combat end, the blade becomes double-edged). But this weapon differs from a saber by a hilt that does not have protective devices.

The broadsword combines the features of a sword and a saber, has a complex hilt and a straight blade of one and a half sharpening. A cleaver is a particularly large combat knife that has a hilt with a cross or bow. The Middle Eastern scimitar was something between a cleaver and a saber.

Pole stabbing and chopping weapons can be well characterized by its brightest representative - a halberd, which is an unimaginable combination of a spear, knife, ax and hook on a long shaft.

Saber duel of German students (Georg Mühlberg, circa 1900)

Steel arms- a weapon designed to hit a target with the help of human muscle power in direct contact with the target. From the general environment of edged weapons, bladed, polearm and throwing edged weapons are distinguished. Bladed weapon - a type of edged weapon, the warhead of which is a blade. It appeared in ancient times.

In 1998, the State Standard of the Russian Federation adopted GOST R 51215-98 “Cold weapons. Terms and definitions”, which establishes the terms and definitions of concepts in the field of edged weapons. These terms apply both to edged weapons and to types of household products that are structurally similar to them. The use of these terms is mandatory in all types of documentation and literature on edged weapons that are within the scope of standardization work and (or) use the results of this work.

For each concept, this GOST establishes one standardized term. The part of the term enclosed in parentheses can be omitted when using it.

GOST R 51215-98 introduced the following general concepts:

• steel arms(the term "White weapon" is not allowed): A weapon designed to destroy a living target with the help of human muscle power.
• type of melee weapon: Melee weapons of various types, grouped according to some classification feature (for example: according to the principle of destruction, melee weapons are divided into two types - contact and thrown; according to the method of manufacture, they are divided into three types - home-made, industrial and handicraft).
• type of melee weapon: A group of models of edged weapons, characterized by the same set of design features (for example: the following types of cold weapons belong to the “contact” type - knives, daggers, brass knuckles, etc.
• cold weapon sample: a specific design of some type of melee weapon.

History of edged weapons

The discovery of the properties of copper, its processing and the manufacture of bronze began a new era in the history of edged weapons - a sword arose. The indispensable qualities of the sword in hand-to-hand combat and in the fight against large predators caused its wide distribution and a huge number of varieties. The Greek long bronze sword is replaced by a short iron one. Daggers and swords were adopted in the Roman army; the ancient Roman short stabbing and chopping sword - "gladius" - is being replaced by a large chopping sword - "spat".

With the fall of the Roman Empire, the main role in the battles passes to the iron sword, the decisive importance of which for the wars of the barbarian era is comparable to the role of the bow for the era of savagery and firearms for the era of civilization. The development of the latter made armor, helmet, etc. useless, and this, in turn, deprived the heavy sword of its significance, clearing the way for the saber; one of its types - scimitar, the national oriental weapon, is a derivative of a short Spanish saber-sword, widespread in the pre-Roman era.

The sword, closely associated with chivalry, turns into the most important weapon of the feudal lords by the 8th century. Genetically, the sword of the Middle Ages is not related to the ancient forms of the sword, but comes from the German sword. The sword completes a certain period in the evolution of edged weapons: the transformation of a stabbing dagger into a chopping sword and then into a slashing and stabbing weapon of the 13th century, and then into only a stabbing weapon of the 15th century, a process mainly due to the struggle of the sword with armor.

With minor changes, the sword lasted until the 12th century and was widely distributed throughout Europe, being the subject of international exchange.

In the future, in parallel with the strengthening of armor, the sword is more and more adapted to the thrust; its tip from round becomes sharp, the blade lengthens, the blades begin to taper towards the tip; the sword loses its massiveness. Since the use of the sword in this form required more subtle fencing techniques than cutting from the shoulder, it required the movement of the hand in the hand, the long blade received a counterweight - the knob becomes heavier, changes its shape, the heel of the blade lengthens to make it possible to take the sword in both hands. The large hand protection extends the crosspiece considerably. In connection with more and more subtle fencing techniques, the protection of the hand is enhanced by the appearance of a system of arches of the guard, basket or cup; the symmetrical cruciform shape of the sword handle is lost, and as a result, by the 16th century, a sword is obtained, which in turn is differentiated into a stabbing and chopping sword (broadsword). In different countries, the sword takes on a wide variety of forms, both blade and hilt.

15th century engraving demonstrating the superiority of firearms over bladed weapons

Regarding the saber, it can be stated with sufficient probability that it was brought to Europe from the Far East by the Huns in the form of a slightly curved weapon with one blade, intended for cutting and stabbing. The advantages of a curved blade for chopping are obvious: the inclined and sliding position of the blade in relation to the affected body upon impact adds the cutting property of the knife to the chopping-crushing blow; all this allows you to achieve the same effect with a lighter blade as with a heavy chopping sword; the hand when using a saber is less tired. Among the steppe nomads, the saber early occupied a dominant position. From here it penetrates into Russia and already in the 12th century exists in parallel with the sword.

The main types of sabers are Persian and Turkish. Closed, with different guards, saber hilts are already an invention of European gunsmiths, when, as a result of clashes with the Turks, the saber began to penetrate Europe. In Russia, the saber finally replaces the sword in the 14th century. In the 16th century, the Turkish type of saber was mastered, with a wide blade, even more broadened at the tip. Of the types of sabers that existed in Russia, it should be noted that the Caucasian saber with a very little curved blade and no crosspiece at all.

The weapon of hand-to-hand combat in the East was a dagger: of the Persian type, very ancient, with a curved blade and later, Caucasian, straight. From there, the dagger also ended up in the Russian army.

However, edged weapons will never play a leading role in armies, as they played 300-400 years ago, the advantage over them of firearms and explosives is obvious.

Historically, a bayonet, a dagger and a saber have been preserved from edged weapons in modern armies. Combat knives and bayonet-knives are new types of edged weapons still existing and developing in modern troops.

Classification of edged weapons

Melee weapons are divided into different types according to the following criteria:

According to the general design, edged weapons are divided into:

1.1. standard - edged weapons design, shape and size, which are standardized;

1.2. combined - melee weapons that combine parts of various types of melee weapons;

1.3 arbitrary - edged weapons that combine parts and (or) parts of different samples of the same type of edged weapons in their design;

Note: The use of the term "Atypical melee weapons" is not allowed.

1.4. disguised - melee weapons, the warhead of which is hidden and it has the appearance of an object that is not a weapon.

1.5 Completely atypical design.

2. According to the place of manufacture, edged weapons are divided into:

2.1. edged weapons of domestic production;

2.2. edged weapons of foreign production.

Note: When conducting examinations, if possible, the country and the enterprise (firm) manufacturer are determined.

3. According to the principle of hitting a target, edged weapons are divided into:

3.1. contact - edged weapons held in the hand when used;

3.2. thrown weapons - melee weapons that hit a target at a distance when thrown manually. The use of the term "Cold Throwing Weapon" is unacceptable.

Note: Do not confuse the concepts of "Thrown weapons" and "Melee weapons";

4. According to the method of manufacture, edged weapons are divided into:

4.1. industrial production;

4.2. handicraft;

4.3. homemade production;

A special “intermediate” group is made up of converted melee weapons.

5. According to their purpose, edged weapons are divided into:

5.1. civilian edged weapons - edged weapons permitted by law for use by citizens.

It includes:

5.1.1 hunting bladed edged weapons - civilian edged weapons designed to defeat an animal in the hunt (for example: general-purpose hunting knives);

5.1.2. sports bladed edged weapons (for example: sports sabers, sports swords);

5.1.3. edged weapons, which are an accessory of the national costume of the peoples of the Russian Federation and the Cossack uniform (for example: a saber).

5.2. military edged weapons - edged weapons that are or were in service with state paramilitary organizations; warriors and military formations of the past. It includes:

5.2.1. ceremonial - military edged weapons designed to give solemnity to military rituals (for example: ceremonial checkers);

5.2.2. premium - military edged weapons that are or were part of the system of state awards (for example: checkers and sabers "For Courage");

5.2.3. combat - military edged weapons, which are in service with state paramilitary organizations, as well as manufactured for deliveries to other states in the manner established by the Government of the Russian Federation and intended for solving combat and operational tasks (for example: bayonet-knife, dagger of the Navy, combat knives ).

5.3. Criminal edged weapons - edged weapons that do not belong to either civilian or military weapons.

5.3.1. weapons made according to the models of civilian or military edged weapons (for example: a home-made general-purpose hunting knife);

5.3.2. a weapon that has a shape, design and dimensions that have developed in a “criminal environment” (for example: a handheld, a cue ball).

6. According to the damaging effect, edged weapons are divided into:

6.1. chopping weapon - edged weapon, the warhead of which forms a chopped damage with its blade (for example: a sword);

6.2. cutting weapon - edged weapon, the warhead of which forms a cut damage with its blade (for example: shuriken);

6.3. stabbing weapon - edged weapon, the combat part of which forms a stab injury with its tip (for example: a bayonet);

6.4. piercing and cutting weapons - edged weapons, the warhead of which forms a stab incised damage (for example: a knife);

6.5. chopping and cutting weapons - edged weapons, the warhead of which forms chopped incised damage (for example: a saber);

6.6. shock-crushing weapons - edged weapons, the combat part of which forms the crushing of soft tissues and the crushing or fractures of bone tissues (for example: coinage);

6.7. combined damaging effect.

7. According to the device, method of control, holding and action, edged weapons are divided into:

7.1. blade - edged weapons, having a warhead in the form of a blade (blades), firmly and motionlessly connected to the handle when bringing it into a “combat” position;

Note: There are weapons with short (up to 30 cm), medium (from 30 to 50 cm) and long (over 50 cm) blades.

Weapons of this type can be divided into two groups:

7.1.1. with handle;

7.1.2. without handle.

7.2. polearm - edged weapons, the warhead of which is firmly and immovably fixed on the pole;

Note: A distinction is made between weapons with short shafts (up to 120 cm), medium shafts (from 120 to 250 cm) and long shafts (over 250 cm).

7.3. percussion - edged weapons, the warhead of which is a concentrated mass;

Note: A concentrated mass (of edged weapons) is understood as a massive, metal or other hard material warhead of edged weapons with or without spikes, bulges.

Weapons of this type can be divided into three groups:

7.3.1. with rod and impact weight;

7.3.2. with a rod and (or) a loop, a flexible suspension and a shock load;

7.3.3. placed on the hands.

Some types of melee weapons

Short-bladed:

• knife - a contact or thrown bladed piercing and cutting weapon with a short single-edged blade.
• dagger - a contact, blade, piercing-cutting and chopping-cutting weapon with a short or medium straight or curved double-edged blade (blades).
• stylet - a contact blade stabbing weapon with a short or medium straight faceted or round blade (depending on the length of the blade, it can also be referred to as a medium blade).
• dagger - a contact, bladed, stabbing weapon with a straight, short or medium narrow blade, mainly of a rhombic section (depending on the length of the blade, it can also be referred to as a medium blade).

Medium bladed:

• cleaver - contact, blade, chopping-cutting and piercing-cutting weapons with a wide medium single-edged blade.

Long-bladed:

• saber - contact, blade, chopping-cutting and piercing-cutting weapon with a long curved single-edged blade.
• checker - contact, blade, chopping and cutting and piercing-cutting weapons with a long, slightly curved single-edged blade.
• broadsword - a contact, bladed, chopping and stabbing weapon with a long straight single-edged blade.
• sword - a contact, blade, piercing or piercing and chopping weapon with a long, straight, single-edged, double-edged, triangular or tetrahedral blade and a developed hilt.
• rapier - a contact blade stabbing weapon with a long, straight, elastic blade and usually a cupped guard.
• sword - contact, blade, piercing and chopping, a weapon with a straight, medium or long massive two-edged blade (depending on the length of the blade, it can also be referred to as a medium blade).

Without handle:

• bayonet - contact, blade, piercing or piercing-cutting weapon, attached to the muzzle of the barrel of a handgun.

Note: The forerunner of the bayonet was a bayonet that was inserted into the bore.

• shuriken - a thrown piercing-cutting or piercing weapon in the form of a metal plate with a blade and (or) points along the outer edge or a short rod with points at the ends.

Short shaft:

• fighting with an ax - a contact, short-handled chopping and chopping - cutting weapon with a piece of iron of a triangular, trapezoidal or asymmetric shape, attached to the shaft with an eye.

Note: a piece of iron is a massive flattened metal warhead of a cold weapon with one or two straight or arcuate blades, fastened to the shaft with a hook or eye.

Medieval:

• halberd - a contact, medium-handled, piercing and cutting-cutting weapon with a warhead attached to the shaft, including a tip, a wide and long piece of iron, often in the shape of a crescent, and sometimes a hook.
• glaive - a contact, medium-blade piercing and cutting and chopping-cutting weapon with a long narrow piece of iron with a point and hooks on the butt, attached to the pole with a nod.

Note: The use of the term "Combat Scythe" is unacceptable.

• trident - a contact stabbing pole weapon with a tip with three teeth, attached to the pole with a nozzle.

Long shaft:

• spear - a contact and (or) thrown stabbing or piercing-cutting pole weapon with a tip, attached to the pole with a nozzle (depending on the length of the pole, it can also be referred to as a medium pole).

Percussion with rod and impact weight:

• mace - a contact, percussion, shock-crushing weapon, in the form of a straight or somewhat curved rod of solid material with a significant thickening in the warhead.

Note: The use of the term "Dubina" is not allowed.

• coinage - a contact, shock-crushing weapon with a warhead of a striker and a beak attached to the rod with an eye.

Note: the beak is a piece of iron, which is a curved protrusion with a point, the striker (hammer) is an element of concentrated mass from the eye to the end.

• mace: - a contact, shock-crushing weapon with a spherical warhead attached to the rod with an eye.

Percussion with a rod and (or) a loop with a flexible suspension and shock weight:

• flail - a contract, shock, shock-crushing weapon with a warhead in the form of a concentrated mass connected to the handle by a suspension.

Note: It is unacceptable to use the term "Battle peace".

• nunchaku is a contact, shock, shock-crushing weapon, consisting of two identical rods of solid material, flexibly articulated in series and equally performing the functions of a warhead and a handle.

Percussion, placed on the hand:

• brass knuckles - a contact, percussion, shock-crushing weapon made of hard material, worn on fingers or clamped between them, with a smooth or spiked warhead.

The design of cold bladed weapons

Structural parts of cold bladed weapons

Structurally, bladed weapons consist of several main parts.

Blade

1) a thin steel plate with sharply sharpened edges; 2) sharp edge of the blade. They inflict two types of damage - chopped and cut. The greatest sharpness of the blade provides the greatest depth of its penetration into the affected body. However, excessively sharp blades have less strength and with strong blows, in contact with solid bodies, their blades can be damaged. To make the blade more durable, it is sharpened at an angle of 10-15 degrees and blunted with two chamfers, forming a more obtuse angle between them.

garda

Garda (French garde) - a long-bladed weapon is an integral part of the hilt. For short-bladed weapons, a similar part is called a limiter. The purpose of the guard is to prevent the hand from slipping onto the blade and to protect it from the opponent's blow. The main types of guards can be reduced to several types: cross, shackle (arc), shield, half-basket, basket, half-cup, cup.

point

Point - a conditional point at which the blade converges with the blade (for double-edged blades) or the blade with the butt of the blade. A prick with a weapon reaches its greatest force when its resultant passes through the top of the angle formed by the edges of the point, dividing it in half. If this resultant passes below or above the tip, then as a result of the resulting decomposition of forces, the impact will be weaker.

Butt

Butt - a blunt edge of the blade, opposite the blade. On it, as well as on the heel, some weapons have markings. Butts are rounded, softened and hard, angular shape. The latter reduce the power of a chopping-cutting blow, but are necessary for stabbing weapons.

Lever

Handle (handle) - a part of the weapon that serves to hold it and make it easier to use the weapon. For bladed weapons, the dimensions, shape, external design and position of the handle relative to the blade depend on the type of weapon. So, the handle can be parallel to the blade, but it can also be reinforced with respect to it at an angle.

The handle is attached to the blade shank in two ways: mounted and riveted. When fastening by the rider method, a longitudinal channel is drilled in the handle or made in other ways, with which it is put on the blade shank. The so-called "type-setting" handles, consisting of a number of plates superimposed on each other, also belong to the category of rider ones, since the plates are put on the blade shank, the end of which is riveted, forming a hat. The head may have a visor that prevents the handle from slipping out of the hand. The blade has a fitting and a limiter. A lanyard can be attached to the head. In weapons with a long blade, mainly in combat, the handle (called a hilt) is sometimes pasted over with leather and wrapped with twisted wire so that the handle does not slip in the hand.

Sheath

Scabbard - a case for inserting bladed weapons. As a rule, they are made of wood, metal, leather, but can also be made of other materials. The metal device of the scabbard usually consists of a mouth, clips and a tip, which may have a comb. Most often, the device of the scabbard is made of the same material as the hilt of the weapon. The decorations of the hilt and the device of the scabbard correspond to each other.

Measurement and description of cold bladed weapons

In blade cold weapons measured:

• total length;
• blade length;
• the greatest width of the blade;
• the greatest thickness of the blade;
• butt bevel length (along the chord);
• the length and width of each fuller (if any);
• heel length; blade sharpening width; handle length;
• the width of the handle in the middle part or the largest;
• the greatest thickness of the handle;
• length and thickness of the top and bushings;
• length, width and thickness of the stop (limiter).

Description produced in the following sequence:

a) general characteristics: the name of the object (moreover, if the investigator finds it difficult to name it correctly, the total length is indicated as an “object”, what it consists of;

b) characteristics of the blade: shape, dimensions, color, magnetic properties, number of blades, the presence of a butt and its shape (straight, convex, concave, sinuous, stepped), the presence of a bevel of the butt and its shape; location, shape and size of the dol; placement and content of markings, etc.

c) method of fastening the blade and handle (mounted, flat):

d) characteristics of the handle: shape and dimensions in general; what parts and parts it consists of; color, shape, dimensions, material and magnetic properties of individual parts; the nature of the surface; the presence, location and content of markings;

e) characteristics of the stop (limiter): shape, dimensions, material, etc.;

f) missing parts, breakage and other defects.

Melee weapons with a single-edged blade in the description are oriented as follows: - in a horizontal position - with the blade down and the pommel towards you. - in the vertical - with the point down and the blade towards you (accordingly, it will have a left and right side).

If the blade is double-edged, or has several edges, orientation is carried out according to the shape of the handle or stop. You can also orient by the location of the markings, which are usually applied on the left side from the tip to the handle, and on the right side - vice versa, from the handle to the tip; either there are only sleeping on the left side. In addition, transverse inscriptions on the heel of the blade go from bottom to top on the left side, and from top to bottom on the right side.

Measurement and description of non-bladed weapons

Rice. 1. Measurement of brass knuckles

Non-bladed (impact) edged weapons are measured and described as follows:

a) general characteristics: name, shape, dimensions (length, width, thickness), weight, what parts it consists of; material (its type: metal, wood, etc.), magnetic properties, color, strength, surface character;

b) striking (shock) part: shape, dimensions, material, surface character; the presence, number, location, shape and size of teeth or spikes;

c) a handle or other device for holding an object in the hand: shape, dimensions, material, number of finger holes and their dimensions (in brass knuckles);

d) markings (their content, drawing, arrangement) drawing, ornament or other decorations.

Note: Defects or other individual signs of weapons are especially noted.

The determination of the dimensional parameters of non-blade weapons and household items that are structurally similar to them is carried out (for example, brass knuckles) according to the scheme shown in Figure 1:

"a" - front view;

"b" - bottom view.

1. - the total width of the brass knuckles;

2. - the height of the brass knuckles;

3. - the thickness of the brass knuckles;

4. - the height of the skeleton;

5. - the height of the striking part;

6. - the width of the skeleton;

7. - height of subfinger holes;

8. - the width of the subfinger holes;

9. - tooth height;

10.- width of the stop post;

11.- height of the stop post;

12.- stop height;

13.- stop width.

Forensic requirements for edged weapons

Belonging to a cold weapon is established by the presence of a combination of two main groups of signs in the object under study:

1. groups of signs that determine the intended use of an object for deprivation of life or infliction of grievous bodily harm dangerous to human life and health; defeating and finishing off an animal (including a sea animal or a large fish), as well as for protection during its attack (hereinafter: to defeat a target);

2. groups of features that determine the suitability of a given item for hitting a target, which is ensured by its device and properties.

Special means and articles for household purposes, which have a similarity in external structure with edged weapons, these groups of features are partially or completely absent.

1. A group of features that determine the purpose of the object of study to hit the target, is established as a result of the definition:

• similarities in external structure (forms of the structure as a whole and the forms of individual characteristic structural elements) with known analogues-samples of certain types and types of edged weapons, for which full-scale samples of various collections (for example, museum ones) are used, as well as corresponding descriptions and images of various samples, contained in the official reference and special literature;
• the presence of a complex of necessary structural elements on a specific object of study, which is established by comparison with the complexes of structural elements of known types and types of edged weapons.

Note. For example, general-purpose hunting knives should consist of a blade and a handle; have an emphasis on the handle (or limiter), or sub-finger recesses; the blade of folding hunting knives in the open position must be rigidly fixed (i.e. there must be a lock); the connection of the blade of hunting knives, clumsy and collapsible, with the handle must be tight and strong (in this regard, it is necessary to have the appropriate elements of rivets, threaded connections, etc.).

2. A group of features that determine the suitability of the object under study for hitting a target, is determined on two grounds:

2.1. Sufficiency of technical support of the design and individual elements of the object under study, which is established as a result of:

2.1.1. Compliance of dimensional and other technical characteristics of the presented object with GOSTs; THAT; forensic requirements approved in the appropriate order. At the same time, the following are checked: conformity of the shape, dimensions and design features of both the object under study as a whole and its individual details; safety and convenience of the intended use of the object under study.

2.1.2. Compliance of the strength characteristics, both of the structure as a whole and of individual parts of the object under study (including the materials from which they are made), with the requirements of GOSTs or other normatively established characteristics, as well as the strength characteristics of analogs-samples of this type of edged weapons.

The verification of the strength of the structure of the object under study as a whole is carried out both according to the requirements provided for by the relevant regulatory documents (for example, GOSTs or "Forensic requirements ...").

For example: the strength and elasticity of the design of hunting knives are determined according to the scheme (see the scheme in Fig. 9). With a blade length of 90 mm, its end is bent by 5 mm. With an increase in the length of the blade for every 25 mm, the amount of deflection increases by 2 mm. After the test, there should be no residual deformations in excess of 1 mm on the blade.

To test the strength of the structure, experiments are carried out without fail, during which the possibility of repeatedly hitting a target without destroying the object submitted for research is established. Note. A dry pine board up to 50 mm thick is used as a target. With repeated (up to 50 times in a row, but not less than 10) use of weapons (knife, saber, sword, brass knuckles, bludgeon, etc.), the presence or absence of destruction of the structure as a whole or individual parts is recorded.

The results obtained are evaluated according to the degree of their influence:

• on the strength of the design of weapons;
• the possibility of its repeated use;
• reduction of damaging properties.

For some types and types of edged weapons, the strength of certain structural elements that affect the damaging properties is of exceptional importance. So, for example, an indicator of the strength of blades is their hardness. In this regard, when conducting a study or examination, it is mandatory to determine the hardness of the blade of the object under study, which has a similarity in external structure with cold bladed weapons.

The results obtained are compared with the normative ones, and in their absence - with the technical characteristics of known analogues-samples.

Note. Prior to the publication of the relevant GOSTs, as a result of the analysis of the technical specifications for the manufacture and forensic practice “Forensic requirements ...”, the parameters of the hardness of the blades of some types of edged bladed weapons were established.

2.2. The sufficiency of the damaging properties of the objects under study is determined by establishing the possibility of hitting the target (the possibility of causing serious bodily harm that is dangerous to human life and health). The sufficiency of damaging properties can be determined in one of three ways:

• according to the relative depth of damage resulting from the use of weapons in a dry pine board (30 - 50 mm thick). Based on the results of the analysis of forensic medical data and forensic practice, the methodology developed by the ECC of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation established that the depth of penetration of edged weapons (with a transverse arrangement of wood fibers relative to the blade) and projectiles of throwing weapons into a dry pine board should be at least 10 mm;
• according to the relative depth of damage in a special target (developed by NIIST of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia), which imitates human soft tissues, at least 20 mm;
• according to the results of a medical assessment of injuries on a biomanikin. Experiments on biomaterial are carried out as an exception, when it is not possible to establish the damaging properties of cold or throwing weapons using the above targets. An assessment of the severity of the damage formed on the biomannequin is given by a forensic medical expert.

Note. The establishment of the striking properties of the object of study is carried out only if there is a similarity of its external structure and the correspondence of its technical characteristics of the design and the technical characteristics of a particular type of edged weapons.