of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time
** swordbreakers **
Resembling a short sword or heavy dagger with slots forged into one edge, in the hands of a skilled individual, a swordbreaker could wrest an opponent's blade from him, or break it. In the WoT, these appear especially favored by thief-takers, since both Hurin and Juilin make use of them.
Hurin carries a "notched sword-breaker" together with a short sword and cudgel <TGH: 9, 152, Leavetakings; TDR: 10, 134, Secrets; etc.>, that is, a short blade with multiple, even-sized notches along its spine.
Juilin's swordbreaker is "... much like Hurin's but with short slots to either side of the long one ..." <TDR: 49, 567, A Storm in Tear>, "... like a short sword but unsharpened, its slots meant to catch a blade." <TSR: 20, 323, Winds Rising> Presumably this swordbreaker carries alternating short and long slots; from the descriptions, however, it's also possible that Hurin's swordbreaker has only a single slot along its spine, and Juilin's three, the central slot being the longest. I favor the first interpretation, since fewer slots markedly reduce the efficacy of this weapon.
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