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History
Piracy has existed as long as there has been seagoing trade. Pirates from Asia plundered junks while Mediterranean pirates faced off against the Roman navy. The Caribbean and Barbary coast of Africa once provided safe haven to men with wooden ships, terrible reputations and ready blades. One of the most reliable and feared weapons in the pirate's arsenal was his sword. Swords, however, were not standard issue. They were usually as unique as the individual and favored the close fighting that occurred on ships' decks.
Function
Some pirates, such as William "Blackbeard" Teach, favored heavy cutting swords such as the cutlass for their intimidating look. Early cutlasses were heavy, somewhat curved, and thicker body near its point. Cutlasses were refined over the years and their curve became more pronounced and their tip sharper. The heavy weight at the end of a cutlass was meant for maximum damage when slashing, thought stabbing was also effective. Unlike the films, duels between cutlass-wielding opponents almost never happened; the blade was too heavy and the fighting too chaotic to accommodate such a pairing.
Features
Other pirates preferred a lighter sword that afforded a quick stab in close quarters. Short swords were often employed on crowded ship decks because their small stature afforded the pirate quick jabs at the backs, legs and face of the enemy. Short swords were about 2 feet long, but its cousin, the long sword, was closer to a meter long. Both were prized for their utility and durability. They offered a flexible fighting style and could be used by novices fairly effectively.
Features
French for "sword," the epee is still used in fencing today. It was as long as a long sword, but lighter and with a better hand guard to protect the wielder. Fast and light, the epee left deep puncture wounds in its victim, allowing them to bleed out rapidly or even piercing a vital organ. It's cousin, the rapier, was similar but was slightly more sturdy in design, with a wider blade. Both gained their strength from the diamond or triangular cross-section of their blade, which allowed the sword to be lighter than other "flat" swords.
Features
A simple, no-frills sword was the hangar. A common weapon usually taken as prize from dead opponents, the hangar was short like the short sword, but heavy like the cutlass. It lacked the cutlass' curve but because it was around 2 1/2 feet long, it was an excellent everyday weapon for pirate use.
Geography
Geography played a large part in the types of swords used as well. Saracen and Moorish pirates often favored the scimitar. Scimitars are similar to cutlasses in that the blade is curved and sharpened along one edge. The scimitar, however, has a more pronounced curve and wider edge at its point. This allowed for more power to be transferred to the victims when they were struck, but made poor stabbing weapons. Asian pirates also adapted the various swords that came into their possession. Chinese long swords, Malaysian broad swords, and various other blades were used by Asiatic pirates. It was not unusual to find Spanish sabres, Moorish scimitars and English hangars wielded by Asian pirates.