The varied world of Walloon swords: Comparing four Walloon hilts for differences and similarities

Talking about Walloon-hilted swords is imprecise from the very beginning, as this name is not how these basket-hilted swords were called in their hayday, but moro of a collector's term. More accurate names would include names like haudegen or felddegen, but there are many other names too, usually more local.

Another difficulty when using an umbrella term to talk about these swords is their variety. From blade length to weight, from quillon structure to decorations, there is enough variety within this sword typology to bring into question the typology itself. At the very extreme, some versions don't even have a basket hilt, and others have curved blades!

However, there are also enough similarities that we can understand what is meant when referring to a walloon hilted sword. Most have a very characteristic hilt, that while exhibiting small differences and quirks from one sword to another, are overall similar and recognizable enough. Another common feature, with the exception of the occasional curved (sabre-like) blade, is the straight double-edged blade, a multipurpose blade that would adapt very well to the 17th and 18th century battlefield.

The adoption of these swords was broad both in time and space, covering many decades and most European armies. Swords like these were also used on ships by pirates and sailors during the golden age of piracy and exploration.

Overall, these are very interesting and fascinating swords, as is clear by the special interest collectors seem to have for them. An iconic sword typology, only matched by the likes of the Venetian schiavona, the Japanese katana, or the medieval longsword, the walloon-hilt is a weapon that was built for soldiers and for military use.

In this video we take a look at four different swords, of different sizes and characteristics, looking at what makes them similar and what keeps them apart. Given the variety of stat that walloon-hilt swords display, this is in no way a comprehensive overview, but simply a comparison that will be useful to collectors, reenactors, historians, HEMA practitioners, or even game designers, in understanding the variety of features and styles of this iconic sword typology.