Idea for a sword with a gimmick

[DAgent]

I've been looking over gimmick weapons used in video games like Assassins Creed Hidden Blade or Dishonored's retractable blade used by Corvo or Emily, and while I do have my doubts about either working in a practical manner, it did get me wondering on a different idea for a gimmick weapon.

My idea, take say a standard longsword for the setting, let's say a 14/15th-century longsword weighing around 2.5lbs and 30cms setup to be used with both hands. The gimmick? Assuming a right-handed fencer, with a twist of the left wrist the pommel can pull back extending the grip to twice its regular length, lock in place and allow for extra leverage. I'm picturing there would be some sort of inner sleeve on the inside of the grip with a tube separating it from the tang. (and yes, I can see a few issues with this already such as making the extended grip weaker in that position as well as just how on Earth does it lock in place even with 15th-century technology?)

This would essentially be trying to turn it almost into a polearm, and without changing stances, this would mean the left arm would now be doing the lions share of thrusting and other manipulations while the right-hand acts like a pivot point. (And I can see issues with this as well, such as the blades weight being an issue, but I'm assuming the owners would train to be used to that.)

So can anyone see this having any practical application at all? I'm seeing as some sort of back up or ace in the hole kind of situation, something to help take an enemy off guard by giving you more reach, or allow you to counter an attack by horsemen when you have nothing like a spear or regular polearm to hand.

And what other issues can people see with it being made at all? I kinda have my doubts even with today's tech and understanding of moving parts that this might actually work without breaking a few times, if at all.

 

[Swank]

Why would a swordsman suddenly need or want extra leverage that they didn't need the rest of the time?

 

[CupofJoe]

As far as I can see, a weapon that has two very different uses is likely to do neither well.
I could see a weapon with a screw-in extra length of handle [along the lines of a snooker cue extension] being possible. Just not too instant or effective.
That said I’ve read and seen crazier weapons used in Fantasy.

 

[Foxbat]

I think weight and balance would be the biggest problems. I've heard experts say that a well balanced sword is important but, as soon as you start extending it, you change the centre of gravity and ruin the balance so I don't think it would be practical (and probably would exhaust the swordsman with the extra effort needed to wield a suddenly unbalanced sword).

 

[Danny McG]

Oops

 

[The Big Peat]

If it worked, it would sound like a good idea to me. I would regard it less as an ace in the hole - although you could win a lot of fights in a hurry by suddenly having an extra six inches of reach your enemy doesn't know you have - and more a way to have a polearm in situations where you normally wouldn't have one. Which, social acceptability aside, that seems like it might be quite rare.

But making it work, difficult. The Japanese regularly chopped the handles off of their Naginata and Nagamaki to turn them into Katanas, or so I read, so the balance thing seems possible. But a retractable handle? Hmm. I wonder if you could create a scabbard so sturdy you could slot it over the hilt and use that as a polearm.

 

[paranoid marvin]

The more you mess with a weapon, the more likely it is to break - which would usually occur during combat, when it is most needed. A sword was effective because (unlike cannon and firearms of the time) it just worked with no problems. You really wouldn't want to start messing around with it.

A swordsman would be highly skilled, often with multiple types of weapon, but usually specialising in the one he carried. Every sword - every weapon- has its advantages and disadvantages, but the swordsman will have been trained to overcome the disadvantages (such as reach) with his skill of arms.

And for different types of scenarios, he would usually have a variety of weapons. There's also no reason why he couldn't carry a halberd (one of the most useful and popular weapons) into battle, whilst having a mace or dirk if it got up close and personal.