Pirate Theme Party

A pirate is never complete without a proper sword, and swords make for a great pirate birthday party idea. Pirates used several types of swords and knives, but they were perhaps best known for carrying the cutlass. These swords were about three feet long and weighed about three pounds. They were preferred because they were short and broad, and this made for better hand to hand combat performance in the close quarters of a ship. The broadsword was not used as much as the cutlass. It was much longer and much deadlier. Sailors did not like them because they were not as effective as a cutlass in melee combat. This type of weapon was used to give Blackbeard his death blow, decapitating his head entirely. The smallsword was a light weight short sword. It really was not used in pirate fights, but worn by gentlemen of the day. The only time it was used in actual fighting was during dueling. It was easily breakable and not favored by pirates. The dagger was a good backup weapon for a pirate. Short and easily concealed, it made for the perfect weapon in a quick strike. The rapier was a Spanish sword and it was not built for pirate fighting. It could really only be used for thrusting, but that Spaniards were determined to use it anyway. Using any of these swords make for a great pirate birthday party idea.