00:00You might think knights cut through heavy armor with regular swords,
00:03but how do they actually pierce solid metal? Standard slashing swords bounced off because
00:10wide blades cannot break steel. So armorers made a long, rigid weapon designed exclusively for
00:17thrusting instead of striking. They completely eliminated the cutting edges and crafted a thick,
00:23three-sided body, ending in a very sharp point. This strong shape prevents the sword from bending
00:29and directs the entire force of the blow straight into small gaps between metal plates.
00:34This specialized armor-piercing sword is called estac in French, which means thrusting sword.
