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A swordstick or cane-sword is a cane containing a hidden blade or sword. The term is typically used to describe European weapons from around the 18th century. But similar devices have been used throughout history, notably the Roman dolon, [1] the Japanese shikomizue and the Indian gupti .
A precedent for the swordstick would be used by 17th century century spy Alonso de Contreras, who would hide a sword inside a staff while disguised as a pilgrim. [2] The swordstick became a popular fashion accessory for the wealthy during the 18th and 19th centuries. During this period, it was becoming less socially acceptable to openly carry a sword, but there were still upper-class men routinely trained in swordsmanship who wished to go armed for self-defense. Swords concealed in ladies' walking sticks and parasols were also not unknown, as it was even less socially acceptable for a lady to carry a sword, or publicly admit that she knew how to use one.
Soon after their introduction, other "gadget canes" became popular. Instead of a blade, these would hold the tools of one's trade, compasses, and even flasks for keeping alcohol. Benjamin Franklin received such a walking stick from a French admirer, and in a codicil to his Will bequeathed it to George Washington. [3]
Malacca wood was the most commonly used material in making the cane shafts,[ citation needed ] and the standard grip was rounded and metallic.[ citation needed ]
Today, designer and collector canes have sterling silver handles, and are made with wooden shafts made from various woods, including Malacca and bamboo. Ornate designs, such as animal heads, skulls, and various emblems may also be carved into the wooden handles; these may make them harder to wield, but some find them more attractive. Sword canes are most often made with rapier-pointed blades.
A bespoke swordstick maker in South Africa constructs canes and walking sticks of light but exceptionally strong carbon fiber, or titanium, often with an ornately engraved silver or wood head, concealing an 18 inch stainless steel blade. [4]
The utility of a sword-stick for self-defense is questionable. A 19th-century English expert on fencing, boxing, and close-quarters self-defense, R. G. Allanson-Winn, opined:
[t]he sword-stick is an instrument I thoroughly detest and abominate, and could not possibly advocate the use of in any circumstance whatever . . . They are poor things as regards length and strength, and 'not in it' with a good stick. . . . The hollowing out of the cane, to make the scabbard, renders them almost useless for hitting purposes. [5]
Allanson-Winn's objection may also reflect the prevailing view of concealed daggers as ungentlemanly, "of shady reputation": the weapon of a ruffian or "hasty hot-tempered individual" for the "shedding of blood over some trivial, senseless squabble."
Allanson-Winn's collaborator in self-defense training C. Phillips Wolley of the English Inns of Court School of Arms, took a different, perhaps even opposite view: a thrusting weapon is too deadly. The rapier imported from France and Spain displaced the native English and Scots broad-sword and sabre because "English swordsmen realized that the point was much more deadly than the edge." [5] But carrying a sword-cane designed only for a fatal thrust is problematic: the laws of self-defense require if possible to disable, not to kill.
Instead these 19th-century experts recommended as more practical an ordinary walking-stick of Irish blackthorn, sans blade: strong, supple, and in skilled hands (that is, someone trained in fencing), decisive. [5] A bladeless walking stick or cane has the additional advantage that it is not an illegal concealed weapon (see below).
In many jurisdictions the ownership, carrying, manufacturing or trading in sword canes is restricted by law.
Possession of a swordstick is prohibited in Belgium as it falls under concealed weapons.
Having a swordstick is considered as having weapons of the 6th category. It is legal to own, however, specific care must be taken in case of transportation. (French defense code; Article L2331-1) [6]
Handling of swordsticks (including those with short blades) is forbidden as concealed weapons. [7]
In Ireland, the manufacture, importation, sale, hire, or loan of swordsticks are prohibited under the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990. [8] [9]
Swordsticks are considered a prohibited offensive weapon in New Zealand. [10]
The Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) Order 1988, ISBN 0-11-088019-6 also made it illegal to trade in sword canes in the United Kingdom. However, antique swordsticks which are 100 years old or older are exempt.
It is illegal to:
U.S. law on swordsticks is inconsistent, varying state-by-state, and currently it is in flux.
Examples of U.S. states with statutes that expressly prohibit the carrying of swordsticks include Arkansas (Ark. Code Ann. § 5-73-120(b)(3)(B)), California (Cal Pen Code § 12020(a)(1), New York (§ 265.01) and Massachusetts (269 § 12).
Other state laws do not prohibit swordsticks per se, but would include them under a general ban on carrying a hidden or disguised knife. An example is Virginia Code §18.2-308 which prohibits concealed dirks, stiletto knives, and "any weapon of like kind," considered "hidden from common observation when it is observable but is of such deceptive appearance as to disguise the weapon's true nature." [11]
Some states recently removed statutory restrictions on sword canes, including Montana in a 2017 amendment to M.C.A. 45-8-316, Oklahoma in 2016, 21 Okl. St.Ann. § 1272, and Ohio in 2021, which removed possession and carry restrictions on essentially all knives.
With U.S. constitutional law evolving on the U.S. 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms, and a demonstrable tradition of carrying swordsticks in the late 18th Century when the Constitution was adopted, at least one commentator believes the state law trend will be in the direction of less restriction. [12]
A quarterstaff, also short staff or simply staff is a traditional European polearm, which was especially prominent in England during the Early Modern period.
A backsword is a type of sword characterised by having a single-edged blade and a hilt with a single-handed grip. It is so called because the triangular cross section gives a flat back edge opposite the cutting edge. Later examples often have a "false edge" on the back near the tip, which was in many cases sharpened to make an actual edge and facilitate thrusting attacks. From around the early 14th century, the backsword became the first type of European sword to be fitted with a knuckle guard.
A Bowie knife is a pattern of fixed-blade fighting knives created by Rezin Bowie in the early 19th century for his brother James Bowie, who had become famous for his use of a large knife at a duel known as the Sandbar Fight.
A switchblade is a pocketknife with a sliding or pivoting blade contained in the handle which is extended automatically by a spring when a button, lever, or switch on the handle or bolster is activated. Virtually all switchblades incorporate a locking blade, where the blade is locked against accidental closure when the blade is in the open position. It is unlocked by a mechanism that allows the blade to be folded and locked in the closed position.
A balisong, also known as a butterfly knife, fan knife or Batangas knife, is a type of folding pocketknife that originated in the Philippines. Its distinct features are two handles counter-rotating around the tang such that, when closed, the blade is concealed within grooves in the handles. A latch sometimes holds the handles together; typically mounted on the one facing the cutting edge. An exceptionally large balisong is called a balisword.
Singlestick is a martial art that uses a wooden stick as its weapon. It began as a way of training soldiers in the use of backswords. Canne de combat, a French form of stick fighting, is similar to singlestick play, which also includes a self-defense variant with a walking stick.
A ballistic knife is a knife with a detachable blade that can be ejected to a distance of several meters/yards by pressing a trigger or operating a lever or switch on the handle. Spring-powered ballistic knives first appeared in books and press reports on Soviet and Eastern Bloc armed forces in the late 1970s. Commercially-produced ballistic knives briefly gained notoriety in the United States in the mid-1980s after they were marketed and sold in the United States and other Western countries. Since then, the marketing and sale of ballistic knives to civilians has been restricted or prohibited by law in several nations.
A pistol sword is a sword with a pistol or revolver attached, usually alongside the blade. It differs from a rifle with a bayonet attached, in that the weapon is designed primarily for use as a sword, and the firearm component is typically considered a secondary weapon designed to be an addition to the blade, rather than the sword being a secondary addition to the pistol. In addition, the two components of these weapons typically cannot be separated, unlike most bayonets mounted on rifles.
A swagger stick is a short stick or riding crop usually carried by a uniformed person as a symbol of authority. A swagger stick is shorter than a staff or cane, and is usually made from rattan. Its use derives from the vine staff carried by Roman centurions as an emblem of office.
Rowland George Allanson Allanson-Winn, 5th Baron Headley, also known as Shaikh Rahmatullah al-Farooq, was an Irish peer and a prominent convert to Islam who was also one of the leading members of the Woking Muslim Mission, alongside Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din. He also presided over the British Muslim Society for some time.
A push dagger is a short-bladed dagger with a "T" handle designed to be grasped and held in a closed-fist hand so that the blade protrudes from the front of the fist, either between the index and middle fingers or between the two central fingers, when the grip and blade are symmetrical.
A cane gun is a walking cane with a hidden gun built into it. Cane guns are sometimes mistaken for similar-looking "poacher's guns".
Knife legislation is defined as the body of statutory law or case law promulgated or enacted by a government or other governing jurisdiction that prohibits, criminalizes, or restricts the otherwise legal manufacture, importation, sale, transfer, possession, transport, or use of knives.
An offensive weapon is a tool made, adapted or intended for the purpose of inflicting physical injury upon another person.
The makila is a traditional Basque walking stick, and is notable as both a practical tool and a cultural symbol of authority and strength.
A walking stick is a device used primarily to aid walking, provide postural stability or support, or assist in maintaining a good posture. Some designs also serve as a fashion accessory, or are used for self-defense.
Listed here are the weapons of pencak silat. The most common are the machete, staff, kris, sickle, spear, and kerambit. Because Southeast Asian society was traditionally based around agriculture, many of these weapons were originally farming tools.
Criminal possession of a weapon is the unlawful possession of a weapon by an individual. It may also be an additional crime if a violent offense was committed with a deadly weapon or firearm.
An improvised weapon is an object that was not designed to be used as a weapon but can be put to that use. They are generally used for self-defence or if the person is otherwise unarmed. In some cases, improvised weapons are commonly used by attackers in street fights, muggings, murders, gang warfare, during riots, or even during insurgencies, usually when conventional weapons such as firearms are unavailable or inappropriate.
Italian martial arts include all those unarmed and armed fighting arts popular in Italy between the Bronze age until the 19th century AD. It involved the usage of weapons. Each weapon is the product of a specific historical era. The swords used in Italian martial arts range from the Bronze daggers of the Nuragic times to the gladius of the Roman legionaries to swords which were developed during the renaissance, the baroque era and later. Short blades range from medieval daggers to the liccasapuni Sicilian duelling knife.
A French admirer presented this gold-capped walking stick to Benjamin Franklin while he was serving as ambassador to France. Franklin later bequeathed the cane to his friend and fellow revolutionary George Washington.
Media related to Swordsticks at Wikimedia Commons