10. Blunderbuss
The blunderbuss is commonly considered a predecessor of the modern shotgun. It has a short, large-caliber barrel that flared at the muzzle and was typically used for short range firing due to its lack of accuracy at long range.
9. Sword Breaker
The sword breaker, also called the sword catcher, was a type of parrying dagger, a category of small, handheld European weapons from the late Medieval and Renaissance periods. Its blade was deeply serrated along one side, like the barbed teeth of a comb.
8. Hand Mortar
The hand mortar is an ancestor of the modern grenade launcher dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries. Depending on the date of manufacture, it was used for throwing fused grenades similarly to a flintlock, wheellock, or matchlock firearm. It typically had a short barrel measuring between two and four inches (5-10 cm), but hand mortars with barrels as long as 13 inches (33 cm) have been known to exist.
7. Nock Gun
The Nock gun was a seven-barrelled flintlock smoothbore firearm invented by British engineer James Wilson in 1779. It was named after Henry Nock, a London-based manufacturer who was contracted to produce the weapon. I’m sure he was the blunt of all the knock-knock jokes!!
6. Pistol-Sword
The pistol-sword’s history goes back to 17th century Europe, and it was what it sounds like -- a sword that fired bullets. The first versions of it coincided with the advent of the flintlock and were used by French and German hunters for killing wounded boar and other animals. It was designed primarily for use as a sword, with the firearm being considered secondary. Similar weapons were manufactured in Poland, India, and elsewhere.
5. Cutlass
A cutlass is a type of slashing sword or sabre that is short and broad, with a slightly curved blade. Cutlasses were popular during the early Age of Sail, a period that lasted from the mid-16th to the mid-19th century, when sailing ships dominated naval warfare and international trade.
4. Butterfly Swords
Butterfly swords and similar weapons are known by a dozen or so different names, including hudiedao, wu dip do, bat cham do, shuang dao, double swords, and double short broadswords. This weapon has its origins in early 19th-century southern Chinese martial arts. There are several different styles of butterfly swords, but generally speaking, they are used in pairs and have a small crossguard meant to protect the wielder’s hands.
3. High Seas Artillery
During the Age of Sail, which lasted from 1751 to 1862, the high seas were dominated by large, wooden, sail-powered warships. These ships were primarily armed with cannons of various styles and sizes. Consequently, naval tactics were developed around these cannons, which, by modern standards, were short-ranged, difficult to load, and inefficient overall.
2. Grappling Hook
A grappling hook was a special three- to five-pronged cannon round that fired a hook into a crippled enemy vessel and grabbed onto it, enabling pirates to reel the ship closer in order to board and loot or seize it.
1. Boarding Axe
Another popular Age of Sail item was the boarding axe, which had a blade and a pick, and was commonly carried on ships not only for traditional warfare, but for fighting fires, which often resulted from battles with enemy sailors.
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