While swords have more or less been eclipsed by firearms and other weapons for home defense, a battle-ready sword, made with an appropriate steel, tempered, and with a full tang, can still be a relatively effective implement for home defense. They can be effective in close quarters, will never need to be reloaded, cannot jam, and can also potentially be used as non-lethal deterrents. With that said, some sword patterns are better than others for home defense, so we rounded up some of the
best home defense swords and listed them here. See what you think.
What Are Some Good Home Defense Sword Patterns
As a general rule, the best home defense sword patterns are relatively short, which makes them light, nimble, and generally more effective in close-quarters engagements. As a result, some of the following sword patterns are better for home defense.
The Gladius is a short sword pattern from Ancient Rome, with a double-edged blade and a short hilt. It is light, nimble in the hand, and can be highly effective for home defense applications.
Cutlasses and hangers are short swords that were designed for naval warfare. They are light, compact, and single edged, making them highly effective in cramped combat. They were, after all, designed for use on board ships. Cutlasses are also potentially some of the best home defense swords because they also generally have basket hilts which provide a high degree of protection to the wielder’s hand. In addition, the basket hilt of a cutlass could also potentially be used as a set of brass knuckles.
A wakizashi is a short Japanese sword often paired with a katana in a set known as a Daisho. However, where the wakizashi and katana differ is that the former is shorter, lighter, more agile, and therefore potentially more practical in the confines of a home or room than the larger katana, which is more of a battlefield implement.
Short sabers can be effective as home defense swords for all of the same reasons that cutlasses are. They are generally short and light, and usually have fairly well protected hilts. Most saber patterns are however usually a bit larger than cutlasses, so cutlasses may be better suited for defensive applications.
Viking swords are on the larger end of what’s useful here, but they can still be potentially effective as home defense swords if only for the fact that they are intended to be wielded with one hand.
Sword canes can be effective as home defense swords because they are discreet, which makes them not only effective for concealment, but which also means they can be displayed in full public view without arousing any suspicion.
A falcata is a single-edged sword pattern with a leaf-shaped blade that has a lot of mass forward, which is highly effective for chopping and slashing maneuvers. Because it is short and relatively light, it can be effective as a home defense sword.
- Kukri (not quite a sword, but still good)
The kukri is a knife pattern that is similar to the falcata in that it is effective for slashing and chopping attacks. Like the falcata it is also light and compact, making it ideal for defensive applications in close quarters.
What’s Not So Great As a Home Defense Sword
With all of this being said, there are some sword patterns that are not ideal as home defense swords, such as some of the following.
While great swords, inclusive of bastard swords, Zweihanders, Claymores, and other large patterns can be used to devastating effect, they are too large and too heavy to use effectively in the confines of most homes.
Grosse messer, which means “large knife” in German, is a pattern of sword that is not necessarily effective for home defense for the same reasons that great swords are not.
An odachi sword is like a katana but larger. It is therefore also too large and too heavy to make an effective home defense weapon.
Rapiers are light and agile, unlike great swords, but their blades are too long, in most instances, to be effective in cramped quarters inside homes.
- Anything else in the same league in terms of size
For all of the reasons here enumerated, any other large, heavy sword, or sword with a long, thin blade, is not necessarily going to be effective for home defense.
Other Great Home Defense Weapons
While some of the best home defense sword patterns have been covered here, there are other home defense weapons that we carry, including:
- Knives
- Spears and other polearms
- Axes
- Tomahawks
- Warhammers
- Maces
- And more
Explore Swords and Weapons Here
In the market for a
sword or weapon for home defense? We have you covered. Check out some of the best home defense swords here on our website and if you have questions get in touch with us and we will be more than happy to help.
