Hilt The hilt ( rarely called the haft ) of a sword is its handle , consisting of a guard , grip and pommel . The guard may contain a crossguard or quillons . A ricasso may also be present , but this is rarely the case . A tassel or sword knot may be attached to the guard or pommel . Pommel . The pommel ( Anglo - Norman " " " little apple " ) is an enlarged fitting at the top of the handle . They were originally developed to prevent the sword slipping from the hand . From around the 11th century in Europe they became a counterweight to the blade . This gave the sword a point of balance closer to the hilt allowing a more fluid fighting style . Depending on sword design and swordsmanship style , the pommel may also be used to strike the opponent ( e . g . , using the Mordhau technique ) . Pommels have appeared in a wide variety of shapes , including oblate spheroids , crescents , disks , wheels , and animal or bird heads . They are often engraved or inlay ed with various designs and occasionally gilt and mounted with jewels . Ewart Oakeshott introduced a system of classification of medieval pommel forms in his " The Sword in the Age of Chivalry " ( 1964 ) to stand alongside his blade typology . Oakeshott pommel types are enumerated with capital letters A – Z , with subtypes indicated by numerals . Grip . The grip is the handle of the sword . It was usually of wood or metal , and often covered with shagreen ( untanned tough leather or shark skin ) . Shark skin proved to be the most durable in temperate climates but deteriorated in hot climates , and consequently rubber became popular in the latter half of the 19th century . Alternatively , many sword types opt for ray skin instead , referred to in katana construction as the " same " . Whatever material covered the grip , it was usually both glued on and held on with wire wrapped around it in a helix . In full armored battle however , the grip was often only used with one hand ( even on two - handed sword s ) , and the blade was gripped partway up , thus allowing the fighter to thrust the blade horizontally , with both hands , into the opponent — a practice known as ' half - swording ' . Guard . It is a common misconception that the " cross - guard " protects the user ' s entire hand from the opponent ' s sword . Only with the abandonment of the shield and then the armoured gauntlet did a full hand guard become necessary . The crossguard still protected the user from a blade that was deliberately slid down the length of the blade to cut off or injure the hand . Early swords do not have true guards but simply a form of " stop " to prevent the hand slipping up the blade when thrusting as they were invariably used in conjunction with a shield . From the 11th century , European sword guards took the form of a straight crossbar ( later called " quillon " ) perpendicular to the blade . Beginning in the 16th century in Europe , guards became more and more elaborate , with additional loops and curved bars or branches to protect the hand . Ultimately , the bars could be supplemented or replaced with metal plates that could be ornamentally pierced . The term " basket hilt " eventually came into vogue to describe such designs . Simultaneously , emphasis upon the thrust attack with rapier s and smallsword s revealed a vulnerability to thrusting . By the 17th century , guards were developed that incorporated a solid shield that surrounded the blade out to a diameter of up to two inches or more . Older forms of this guard retained the quillons or a single quillon , but later forms eliminated the quillons , altogether being referred to as a cup - hilt . This latter form is the basis of the guards of modern foils and épée s . Ricasso . The ricasso is a blunt section of blade just below the guard . On developed hilts it is protected by an extension of the guard . On two - handed swords the ricasso provided a third hand position , permitting the user ' s hands to be further apart for better leverage . Sword knot . The sword knot or sword strap , sometimes called a tassel is a lanyard — usually of leather but sometimes of woven gold or silver bullion or more often metallic lace — looped around the hand to prevent the sword being lost if it is dropped . Although they have a practical function , sword knots often had a decorative design . For example , the British Army generally adopted a white leather strap with a large acorn knot made out of gold wire for infantry officers at the end of the 19th century ; such acorn forms of tassels were said to be ' boxed ' , which was the way of securing the fringe of the tassel along its bottom line such that the strands could not separate and become entangled or lost . Many sword knots were also made of silk with a fine , ornamental alloy gold or silver metal wire woven into it in a specified pattern . The art and history of tassels are known by its French name , " passementerie " , or " Posamenten " as it was called in German . The military output of the artisans called " passementiers " ( ornamental braid , lace , cord , or trimmings makers ) is evident in catalogs of various military uniform and regalia makers of centuries past . The broader art form of " passementerie " , with its divisions of Decor , Clergy and Nobility , Upholstery , Coaches and Livery , and Military , is covered in a few books on that subject , none of which are in English . Indian swords usually had the tassel attached through an eye right at the end of the pommel . Chinese swords , both " jian " and " dao " , often have lanyards or tassels attached . As with Western sword knots , these serve both decorative and practical functions , and the manipulation of the tassel is a part of some " jian " performances .