The combination of graceful lines and lethal practicality combined into a piece of cold steel.
One type of sword that has these traits is the long-sword.
These swords were intended for use with both hands, allowing thrusts, cuts and parries.
A sword of this type is kept in the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, UK.
It is often glimpsed in books on medieval arms and armor, as it is included in one of the displays in the Royal Armouries.