Estoc
|
|
An estoc is a type of sword common in the 16th century. It was long, straight and stiff, with a diamond cross-section. An estoc had no cutting edge, just a point. Examples from Poland are more than 62 inches long (52 inch blade); however others showed a more manageable 46 inches (36 inch blade). The size seems to have been made-to-order.
As armor improved, so did the methods of attacking the armor. It was quickly realized that cutting weapons were losing their effectiveness, so crushing weapons such as maces and axes were utilized. But thrusting weapons that could split the rings of mail, or find the joints and crevices of plate, were employed. Thus was the estoc developed. estoc is French, meaning thrust or point. Tuck is the English version of the word. German estoc-style weapons were called Panzerstecher (meaning "armor-piercer" or "armor-stinger"). Many consider the Tuck a forerunner of the rapier, but more likely it is a merging of the civilian sword (Espada Ropera) with the effective, and lighter tuck, that produced the rapier. But the tuck was an effective weapon. The long, straight blade was very rigid and could be thrust with one hand, or the second hand could be used to grip the blade to deliver an even more powerful thrust.