Cutlass - Definition and Overview

This article is about the sword. For other uses see Cutlass (disambiguation)

A cutlass is a sword with a curved blade sharpened on the convex side. The cutlass was a sailor's weapon of choice. This curved bladed sword was also used by many foot solders and Mamelukes. Its curve gives it an upper hand in slicing. The cutlass is the sword usually portrayed in films about pirates.

A cutlass is as often an agricultural implement and tool, as a weapon (cf. machete, to which the same comment applies), being used commonly in rain forest and sugar cane areas, such as the Caribbean and Central America.