| The original Claymore swords were massive, | | | | British Army. |
| two-handed, double-edged broadswords that were | | | | But the original Claymore sword, simple yet elegant, |
| wielded during the 16th to 18th Centuries by | | | | stands out as one of the classic swords of the |
| hard-bitten, hard-fighing Scottish Highlanders. Used for | | | | world, one that is immediately recognizable to |
| both cleaving and smashing in melee combat, they | | | | weaponry afficionados everywhere. It is a beautiful |
| were the Highlanders' weapons of choice during their | | | | but deadly design. |
| continual uprisings against the English and in their | | | | True to their early Scottish roots, the Claymore |
| bloody and seemingly-constant inter-clan battles. Their | | | | swords that are available today often have a wood |
| design almost always incorporated a cross-hilt with | | | | or leather-wrapped handle and sometimes come with |
| downsloping arms that had quatrefoils (a design that | | | | a leather scabbard or sheath. Some Claymore swords |
| is somewhat similar to a four-leaf clover) on the | | | | have chrome-plated steel hilts and blades, others |
| ends. These Claymore swords required a great deal | | | | have solid silver or brass hilts and polished stainless |
| of strength to use effectively: they were usually | | | | steel or carbon steel blades. Some are decorative |
| around 4 1/2 feet long and they typically weighed | | | | replicas, while others are advertised as being |
| around 5 1/2 pounds. The blade alone was usually | | | | "battle-ready." |
| around 4 feet of cold, brutal steel. | | | | Swords have been used as weapons of war since |
| A different type of Claymore sword, somewhat | | | | time immemorial, and in hundreds of different cultures |
| shorter, somewhat more advanced in design, had | | | | throughout the world. But no culture has ever used |
| only a single edge. Instead of the cross-hilt, it utilized | | | | the sword against higher odds than the Scots with |
| a basket hilt in order to more effectively protect the | | | | their Claymore swords. No sword was ever wielded |
| hand in combat. This type of Claymore became | | | | with greater bravery than the Claymore sword. They |
| popular with Scottish troops during the 1700s, and it | | | | are one of the truly great swords of the world, and |
| is still worn as an integral part of the ceremonial, | | | | thanks to their popularity, they are a piece of history |
| full-dress uniform of the Highland regiments of the | | | | that lives on today. |