There were many types of swords, of course, and length and shape varied among them all. The basic types of swords were the long sword, the short sword, the bastard sword, and the two handed or great sword. Other types of swords included scimitars, katanas, kepeshes, and many others.
            The basic swords were short swords, long swords, bastard swords, and great swords. The long sword was a very common sword, and it didn’t really have a set definition. It could have been anywhere from around 4 feet to 6 feet in length, and was mainly used with one hand.  Short swords were very common as well, but they were from earlier time periods and mainly used as backup in later times when the long swords became more common.  The bastard swords were usually bigger and heavier than long swords, but not as big as two handed swords. And, they could be wielded effectively with either one or two hands. Thus, they were known as the ‘bastard’ version of both long swords and two handed swords. There were also less common Broad swords, which were like large long swords with a wider blade. Great swords and two handed swords were large swords that were wielded with both hands. They were effective because of their weight, and they could do a lot of damage.
            Other swords were variations of the basic types of swords and included rapiers, scimitars, sabers, falchions, kepeshes, and katanas. Rapiers were thin light swords with no edge on the blade. They were used only for piercing, but nonetheless they were very deadly. Scimitars were like a Middle Eastern version of the long sword. They were about the same length, but they were curved to fit the culture and needs of the Middle East. Sabers were about as long as a long sword, with a single edge on the blade and a slight curve to them. Falchions were like a broad sword or a bastard sword, only a Middle Eastern version. They were basically a scimitar, but they were larger and heavier. The kepesh was a very unique sword, if you could call it that. It was an Egyptian weapon, and it was a sword/sickle hybrid. It had a hilt like a normal sword, but the blade was unique. It was straight for perhaps a foot or so but they curved abruptly in the shape of a C. Also, there were katanas, which were used by the samurai. They were basically the Japanese version of a long sword, but they were very sharp, and very deadly.
            In addition to the number of swords which were used, there were also some knifes known commonly as daggers. The dagger, basically, was about 2 feet long, sometimes with no guard.  There are some variations of the dagger, such as the dirk and the baselard, but their differences are minimal.