A knight´s favourite weapon was his sword. He was given it by the King at the ceremony of dubbing. The sword was a sharp and efficient weapon, which could cut through an armour at close range. Some swords were used for both striking and stabbing. Other were used for either strikes or stabs. The sword, which was held with both hands, was the most forceful weapon. However, it was not used very often as it was both heavy and clumsy.
Along with the sword, the lance was the most common weapon. The lance measured four metres and had a sharp point at the end. When the knight charged at full speed with his lance, he could penetrate his enemy ´s armour.
In close combat the knight often used clubs and battle-axes. With one single well-aimed punch, he could damage a helmet. A certain type of club was called a helmet-crusher. In his belt, the knight had his dagger. With this, he gave the death-blow to the enemy who came too close.
The knight had a shield with his coat-of-arms on it. It identified him in the battlefield.
The weapons of the knight were efficient and vicious. They could severely injure or even kill. But the arms were also shown off at festive occasions, for example at tournaments. Then the knights impressed the people by parading in their arms and armour.