9 Strangest & Weirdest Swords & Blades in World History [Updated]

Cultures around the world and throughout history have relied on swords and other blades as primary weapons. While many swords functioned as strictly practical weapons, many also had ceremonial and symbolic significance for those who wielded them. 

We are all familiar with blades like the European longsword or Japanese katana. These weapons are so well known because of their functional and relatively simple designs. 

Other swords are not so familiar. Many are just as practical as common sword types but may look very different. Others are experimental in nature or have strictly ceremonial value. 

Regardless of the intended purposes of these swords, the following swords and bladed weapons are some of the most unique and strange in world history. 

Our list encompasses swords from diverse cultures and a range of time periods. Let this be your go-to guide to strange sword designs or a jumping-off point for further research. 

1) Seven-Branched Sword

The Seven-Branched Sword is a highly unusual sword with Korean origins. The sword was a gift from the Baekje king of Korea to the Japanese king during the Yamato period. 

Because of its impractical design, the Seven-Branched Sword is thought to be a purely ceremonial weapon. Inscriptions on the blade describe its significance as a symbol of royal power. 

This sword is made from forged or cast steel and measures 29.5 inches in total length.  It has six small “branches” that extend from the central blade.

Because of its cultural significance and completely unique design, the original Seven-Branched Sword is kept safe in the Isonokami Shrine. A replica of the sword is displayed in Seoul, South Korea. 

2) Urumi Sword

The urumi is a whip-like sword originating in India. The blade was first used in the third century and continues to play an important role in Indian martial arts. 

The blade of the urumi is highly flexible steel that measures 4 to 5.5 feet long. Some urumi swords have multiple blades.

The short hilt of the urumi makes it a single-handed weapon. Hilts are usually crafted from iron or brass. 

3) Pata (Gauntlet Sword)

The pata, or gauntlet sword, is an Indian design that features a gauntlet-shaped hilt. The steel shell completely surrounds the wielder’s hand. While this offers great protection for the hand, it limits the movements of the sword. 

The gauntlet is highly decorated with gold patterns and inscriptions. 

This sword design features a straight, double-edged blade measuring 27 to 35 inches long. Because of the hilt design, the pata is best used for slashing and thrusting. 

Historically, the pata was popular in the 1500s among nobles, soldiers, and other fighters. While the sword was used in actual battle, it was mostly a symbolic item amongst elites. 

4) Shark Tooth Sword

Although strange-looking to us, the shark tooth sword was a primary weapon of the Micronesian peoples in Oceania. This sword type originated in the Kiribati or Gilbert Islands.  

Swords were crafted from palmwood and shark teeth were attached using intricate binding techniques. Craftspeople wove cords though holes in the teeth to secure them to the wooden “blade.” 

The shark tooth swords of the Kiribati people were menacing to Europeans who encountered them in the 1800s. The weapons were unlike any seen in Europe.

While considered uncivilized by the newcomers, the shark tooth sword was actually a highly effective weapon that utilized local resources. 

5) Leiomano

Similar to the shark tooth weapons of Oceania is the Hawaiian leiomano. This sword-like weapon is shaped like a ping pong paddle and features sharp shark teeth around its outer edge. 

This weapon was used by the fearsome Koa warriors of ancient Hawaii. These fighters were named after Koa wood, which is native to the Hawaiian islands. 

The leiomano is just one of the shark tooth weapons historically used by Hawaiian warriors. 

6) Renaissance Sword Prototypes

The rapier is a Renaissance sword most of us can picture. However, this innovative era also produced prototypes that are very different from our usual conceptions of Renaissance blades. 

In the famous The Flower of Battle fencing manual, fighting expert Fiore dei Liberi sketches common fighting moves of the time period. He also includes unique sword design prototypes that may or may not have seen battle. 

A puzzle for modern scholars, these sketches include swords with pointed pommels, detachable pommels, and mid-blade gripping points. These design features allow fighters to use the sword as both a sword and an axe. 

Weaponized pommels could be used for thrusting in and of themselves. Detachable pommels could become projectiles. 

Because these sword sketches are so unlike the popular rapier, their intention is unclear. Likely, these swords were made for foot combat in tournaments. Their outlandish designs could have provided an additional degree of theatrics in the tournament setting. 

They may also have been used in judicial duels to settle disputes. 

7) Parrying Dagger

The parrying dagger was a common secondary weapon in the Renaissance that was used alongside a rapier. The rapier was a  popular civilian weapon that was wielded without armor. A secondary form of defense was needed to fend off an opponent’s sword. 

The parrying dagger was a good choice because it could effectively block an opponent’s strikes. A few unique types of parrying daggers existed for the purpose of blocking rapier thrusts. 

The combination parrying dagger had spring-loaded arms that extended out like a trident. These three blades could catch an opponent’s blade. 

The swordbreaker was another type of dagger that was made to “break” the strike of a rapier. This version featured serrations that trapped sword blades. 

Wavy blades were also crafted with the intention of slowing down opposing sword strikes. 

The popularity of these parrying daggers is unclear. The complicated designs of these weapons likely made them accessible to only the very wealthy. 

8) Combination Pistol Sword

The combination pistol sword is a unique and rather impractical sword that was used sporadically from the late 1500s to World War I. The earliest examples come from Saxony, but combination pistol swords were used in America, Britain, Belgium, and other places. 

Used primarily as a sword with a pistol attached, this type of weapon was inefficient as both a sword and a pistol. 

Flintlock pistol swords were used in the 18th century for boar hunting. Because flintlock designs became useless in the rain, the sword part of the weapon could be used in less-than-ideal weather. 

In the 1800s, the US Navy adopted a version of the combination sword as a boarding weapon, but it was not widely used. 

The Elgin Cutlass pistol featured a Bowie knife blade and was used in South Sea expeditions. Like other versions of the combination sword, this weapon was short-lived. 

Revolvers with folding blades were used by some soldiers during World War I for use in the trenches. 

9) Ngulu Sword

The ngulu sword is an execution sword of the Bantu people in the Congo region of Africa. The sword has a sickle shaped blade with points. 

The sword became a strictly ceremonial item after the Belgians banned executions and cannibalism. Dances and other ceremonies feature the ngulu sword.