Estoc (Thrusting Sword)

German, Saxony

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 371

An estoc, also called a tuck or a panzerstecher (literally, armor piercer), is a type of sword carried by armored cavalrymen in the mid-to late sixteenth century, during the peak period when plate body armor was in use. It is characterized by a long, narrow, acutely pointed blade, usually triangular in cross section. This resulted in a very stiff blade, designed to puncture mail or pierce the gaps in plate armor.

Estoc (Thrusting Sword), Steel, shagreen, wood, German, Saxony

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