Prehistory
Human have conflicts between each other because of space and resources. Slowly, people start to turn their tools of production into weapons, mostly made out of reachable materials such as stones, wood, bones or shells. The hard and easily shaped stones are the most common material.
EX: Hsuan Yuan sword, Hua Yng Tung Kong
←Hsuan Yuan sword, Hua Yng Tung Kong
Chun Chiu Chan Kuo Dynasty
During that time, blacksmithing is very advanced. Not only do we produce fabulous bronze crafts, but also are the first civilization starting to use steel weapons. Wide to narrow ramp before E’s dragger is said to represent the beauty and machanics.
EX: Chu Wang’s sword, Gan Jiang and Mo Ye
←Gan Jiang and Mo Ye 
←Chu Wang’s sword
Chin Dynasty
After the terracotta army was discovered, it proved again that the artisan in Chin Dynasty is pretty advanced. Not only can they improve the bronze weapon from the Chun Chiu Chan Kuo Dynasty, but also make weapons out of steel.
EX: Terracotta army, Bronze sword
←Terracotta army 
←Bronze sword
Han Dynasty
During the Han Dynasty, cavalry is prevalent. Long swords are easy to use, but because both sides are sharpen, so it is not capable for compact in high speed. That’s why people developed a one sided blade with thick back and ring headed sword. This became the foundation of the Chung Yuan knife that passed down tell Suai Tang Dynasty. The most common kind of steel is the high tempered steel.
EX: Mao Ling Sword
←Mao Ling Sword
San Kuo Wei Jin Nan Bei Dynasty
Warfare was pretty common during this age of time, so the core of running a country is improving and producing their own weapons. Swords are the main weapons. Only when Dong Jin period, the knives appears to be “sharp in the front and deflect in the back”, and a slightly curved body. This started the polybasic of swords and knife of Chinese history.
EX: Ching Long Yen Yua Knife, Jang Ba She Spear
← Jang Ba She Spear 
←Ching Long Yen Yua Knife
Suai Tang Wu Dai Dynasty
During the Tang Dynasty, the production of swords and knives slowly turns its focus to its design. An oval shape cross guard was designed, metal core surround with wood, wrapped with silk rope, leather, gold or jade. There are no ring at the end of the handle, but wrapped with metal, and a little hole for tying decorations on the sword. The body and blade with a different material is very popular too.
EX: Fire spirit sword
←Fire spirit sword
Sung Dynasty
Sung Dynasty was weak, there are riot going on everywhere. So swords are very important. Swords are no longer thin and long anymore, but wide and a little bent. Wide headed, thin blade, thin on the back, dense, with an obvious cross guard. The blade is fitted with different kind of steel folded together, tempered steel and high carbon steel precisely folded together. So as you can see, even though Sung Dynasty was weak, but not its people.
EX: Ancient bronze sword, Chu bronze sword
←Ancient bronze sword 
←Chu bronze sword
Liao, Jing, Yuan Dynasty
During the Yuan Dynasty, most of the soldiers use the long riding sword, but because of the big area they ruled over, the appearance of swords are influenced by it. Such as the long and wide blade they used when they invaded China, ring headed curved sword when headed towards the west to Europe, and thin curved blade after invading India. This shows the lively appearance of swords and blade of Chinese during the era.
Ming Ching Dynasty
Swords passed down from this era are mostly well preserved. Due to the invasion of Japanese, large quantity of Japanese knives are bought, so general Che Ji Guang used its design as a blueprint, and improved the traditional Chinese Sword. He bented the Japanese sword’s handle forward , so it fits the Chinese’s people hands. People call it Chi Jia Sword. This became the focus of the weapons during this era. And at Ching dynasty, the swords just went more and more precise and beautiful.
EX: Chi Jia Sword, An Ding Sword
←Chi Jia Sword 
←An Ding Sword
Republic Era
At the end of Ching Dynasty, came a kind of two hand held sword with a wide blade. Mostly used in riots and fights. When defensing the Japanese, most of the ground forces use this kind of knives as their military knife. The blade itself has come in different sources, some are refurbished from the old ones, while others are freshly made by carved steel. So the appearance of the swords and knives are multivariant.
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