Swords consist chiefly of a blade and a handle called a hilt. Sword blades have either one cutting edge or two, and they are made in a variety of sizes and shapes. Some are broad like that of the Scottish claymore, but others are narrow like that of the rapier. The Persian shamshir, sometimes called a scimitar, has a highly curved blade. But the saber has one that is only slightly curved.
Hilts also vary.
For example, the hilts on some of the swords of European Vikings and Japanese samurai warriors are highly ornamental works of art. But the hilt on the Roman gladius is purely practical. By about 1000 B.C., swords were commonly made of iron, a metal harder than bronze and so better suited for swordmaking. Few armies used them as their principal weapon. During the Middle Ages, sword makers in Europe and Japan perfected the long sword.