What Do We Know About Hunting Swords?

[Keith P. Myers]

A hunting sword would be used to kill dangerous game. A machete type implement would not be very useful for this. I hunt boar with a knife and I couldn't imagine using a machete.

I could be wrong, but I wouldn't actually "hunt" with what I have seen labeled as antique "hunting swords." They are called "hunting swords" in the same vein that large knives might be called "camp knives." You took them with you on a hunt, but you didn't necessarily actually kill your game with them.

[Mike Ruhala]

Well those are a few of things we do know about hunting swords. They were used to kill game which was otherwise caught/wounded, for self defense against dangerous animals and they saw use against humans in self defense and warfare. I already know that stuff and have plenty of those kinds of references, what I'm especially looking for is the actual techniques. What I have been able to find is that at least from the 18th century onward they weren't viewed any differently than the closely related infantry hangers or cutlasses and were used with the same core skill set that was used with other similar weaponry like the broadsword or saber.

[Jeremy Loose]

Mike here is a few refs
Hunting weapons: Howard blackmore
hunting: hunters,game,weapons and hunting methods from the remote past to present
Gunnar Brusewitz
The art of medieval hunting: the hound and the stag John G . Cummins
medieval hunting - Richard almond

Hope this helps,
Jeremy

[Mike Ruhala]

Thanks Jeremy, I'll be checking those out ASAP.

[Sean Kotch]

A hunting sword would be used to kill dangerous game. A machete type implement would not be very useful for this. I hunt boar with a knife and I couldn't imagine using a machete.

I could be wrong, but I wouldn't actually "hunt" with what I have seen labeled as antique "hunting swords." They are called "hunting swords" in the same vein that large knives might be called "camp knives." You took them with you on a hunt, but you didn't necessarily actually kill your game with them.

Why would you not kill dangerous game with a blade? There's no finer form of hunting in my opinion. We still use dogs and large knives to hunt and kill boar. With the exception of modern tracking collars, the methods, tools, and techniques used to hunt boar with dogs haven't changed much at all.

[Keith P. Myers]

A hunting sword would be used to kill dangerous game. A machete type implement would not be very useful for this. I hunt boar with a knife and I couldn't imagine using a machete.

I could be wrong, but I wouldn't actually "hunt" with what I have seen labeled as antique "hunting swords." They are called "hunting swords" in the same vein that large knives might be called "camp knives." You took them with you on a hunt, but you didn't necessarily actually kill your game with them.

Why would you not kill dangerous game with a blade? There's no finer form of hunting in my opinion. We still use dogs and large knives to hunt and kill boar. With the exception of modern tracking collars, the methods, tools, and techniques used to hunt boar with dogs haven't changed much at all.

Hi Sean!

I'm no hunter, so I will defer to your knowledge and experience. I pictured hunting with a bow or spear and having the sword as a back up and general camp tool. You've certainly got bigger balls than me if you are hunting boar with a knife! That's getting pretty damn close to a pissed off beast!

[Jeremy Loose]

They did have swords specifically designed for boar hunting that had a locking cross bar about eight inches from the tip of the blade ,they are very similar in apperance to longswords in dimensions but with much more robust cross section of the blade . But for the most part boar hunting was done with boar spears . Even hunting boar with dogs is a hairy / risky affair and they did not have access to the kind of health care we do . There are numerous historical accounts of men dying doing so and it still happens today with hunters hunting boar with traditional methods. The hirschfanger,langemesser,hanger etc. was used more as a side arm for self defence and as a general use tool . Its just one peice of a greater hunting trousse/kit hunters carried with them some having upwards of 40 individual knives and odds and end tools each with different uses some with specific ritual uses ( heart or liver knives etc. ) . Hunting in period and up till relatively recently was a very ritualized affair . Each game having specific means , tools , animals associated with the hunt and varying laws accompanying them.

[Sean Kotch]

Mr Myers,

If you are ever in the Houston area consider yourself invited on a boar hunt.

[Ben Floyd]

I pictured hunting with a bow or spear and having the sword as a back up and general camp tool. You've certainly got bigger balls than me if you are hunting boar with a knife! That's getting pretty damn close to a pissed off beast!

Eh... not really. It's not as bad as you might think. It depends on how you do it.



http://ronsguideservice.com/tags/boy?page=6

"Wild boar hunters Phil Barranco and his 10 year-old son Josh bagged a wild sow boar during an afternoon of wild boar hunting with Ron's Guide Service on February 27, 2008. Phil's son used a knife to bag his very first wild boar with. They hunted private land in Glades county. This young boy used a little knife to bag a good size wild sow boar."

[RJ McKeehan]

"Wild boar hunters Phil Barranco and his 10 year-old son Josh bagged a wild sow boar during an afternoon of wild boar hunting with Ron's Guide Service on February 27, 2008. Phil's son used a knife to bag his very first wild boar with. They hunted private land in Glades county. This young boy used a little knife to bag a good size wild sow boar."

Not entirely on topic- but I can't really comprehend how people call every wild pig a "wild boar". A boar is a male hog that has not been castrated... no more, no less. So the quote from the article is really blowing my mind, especially "wild sow boar". A sow is a female pig that has had babies. So... they killed a female pig who has babies and is also a male with testicles!