Most students who think of swords in Ancient Egypt think of the distinctively-shaped khopesh, which had a curved blade and originally evolved from cutting axes. However straight-bladed thrusting swords, of the type of design we would more commonly recognize as a sword, also played their part in Egypt's military history.
The Long Dagger
The earliest true swords in Egypt, at the beginning of the New Kingdom, were literally elongated daggers. Daggers and knives had been known and used for a long time beforehand, but as skill at working bronze increased, and the use of metals other than copperl became more common, so the daggers were upscaled into swords.
These early swords were made out of bronze, which could be repeatedly reheated and re-hammered to strengthen it. It was also easier to cast than copper, yet had superior strength, retaining a cutting edge that copper could not. Hilts were short, and generally made of wood, but ivory was also used.
The Sherden and Their Swords
Because iron was rare in Egypt - almost entirely meteoric - it wasn't worked within Egypt until the 6th Century BC. However, other nations surrounding the Mediterranean had iron deposits of their own and had used it to create tools and weapons.
The Sea Peoples who invaded Ramesside Egypt, including the Sherden, brought with them long swords made of iron. These were up to 30 inches long, and double edged. They were weighted towards the hilt, and tapered to a point, being almost a stretched triangle.
This type of sword, similar to the Naue II type of sword, had been developed at the end of the Bronze Age, and was an ideal thrusting weapon, with a reasonable reach. Soldiers thus armed could stab an opponent armed with a cutting sword like a khopesh while remaining outside of his striking distance.
The Sea Peoples began as enemies of Egypt, and the Egyptians learned a lot from being on the wrong end of this type of weapon. Once the Sea Peoples were defeated by weight of numbers, Egypt assimilated both their soldiers as mercenaries, and their weapons.
Straight Swords in Egyptian Military Use
Because the Egyptians had no real means to forge iron as yet, they had no means to manufacture quantities of straight swords within the kingdom. Therefore they imported the weapons, along with their owners.
Many Sherden, along with other Sea Peoples, and Philistines, were given their freedom in return for mercenary service in the armies of Rameses II and Rameses III. They brought their swords with them, and were used as shock troops. The mercenaries would be deployed forward of the main force of Egyptian infantry, to engage with the enemy and break their ranks.
When the enemy ranks had been broken by these troops, the main units of Egyptian infantry could then move in with khopeshes and other cutting weapons, to deliver a finishing blow in the fight. This strategy can be seen in the Egyptian art depicting Rameses III's battles with Libyan foes.
Larger Swords Made in Egypt
Although they did not make thrusting swords of iron, due to lack of raw material, the Egyptians did see the value of larger swords, and continued to upscale their bronze weapons. These remained very much magnified daggers, but as they grew larger they also spread out.
Since bronze is more brittle than iron, it can't be made particularly thin or sharp if it is expected to survive in battle, and so home-grown Egyptian swords became distinctively leaf-shaped, not unlike Celtic swords, with a hilt that was narrower than the blade.
Accessorizing the Pharoah
The straight sword doesn't seem to have been popular as a high-status or ceremonial weapon; Pharoahs continued to be shown executing prisoners with maces, axes, or khopeshes, but not with this type of sword. In fact the straight sword is generally only seen in depictions of mercenaries or enemies who used them. Similarly, these swords don't appear in Royal tombs, even if the Pharoah is buried with khopeshes, or leaf-bladed bronze swords.
The Ancient Egyptians carried their swords without the use of a scabbard, for the most part. Scabbards and sheaths were known, of course, but simply not widely adopted. This is probably due to the shape of the more popular khopesh, which clearly cannot be sheathed or drawn from a scabbard because of its shape.
With the Khopesh being more widespread, more popular, and more well-regarded than these other swords, it seems that Egyptian military society was simply accustomed to not using scabbards.
Sources:
Fighting Pharoahs, Bob Partidge, Peartree, 2002
Egyptian Warfare And Weapons, Ian Shaw, Shire, 1991
Armies Of The Pharoahs, Mark Healy, Osprey, 1992
Royal Armouries, Leeds
