Golden Age of Piracy, 17th-19th century
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Cutlass
The cutlass was a short, broad-bladed sword with a curved edge and a hand-protecting hilt, purpose-built for the cramped, chaotic fighting of ship boarding. It never misfired or needed reloading, making it the single most common weapon carried by Golden Age pirates. Cheap, durable, and easy to maintain, it remained standard naval boarding equipment into…