Strategic differences among sabre, rapier, katana, broadsword and golok

[Smoke]

The Kris, Barong, and Kampilan, for size and decapitation ability. Same reason as the kukri. I'd fight a battle with the kris, but carry the barong.

The Naval Boarding Cutlass, infighting capability, similar size to an escrima stick, and the reinforced handguard.

Spear with 5' shaft, for it's range, control, and manueverability. I 2 hrs training with a real one, 50% of it stabbing into a target and working combos. I like medium shafts on certain weapons like axes.

Saber and Shamshir/Talwar, mainly for the additional reach it has over the Boarding Cutlass. Some Talwar have the elephant's tail pommel which adds to the grip and pommel strike ability.

Rapier, precision, trapping handguard. Similarly I like the Chinese Gim/Jian.

I'm currently rethinking if I like the katana or wakizashi. What I really like are the quality and the subtleties of old weapons. I tend to go for handle heavy though I started with choppers. I also respect maces, axes, and bucklers (I got an Indo/Persian Brass buckler a few years back).

What I don't like has nothing to do with a quality weapon as it's my skill level. Mainly about me dealing with my opponent and his weapon.
Give me skill, a handle heavy blade, with a chopper for backup.

 

[Kmark]

If you had narrowed it down to the sabre and katana, and 2 opponents similarly skilled/familiar with either weapon, I would definitely place my bet on the one with the katana. The sabre is more of a cavalry weapon and I think it would be at a disadvantage on the ground. Most sabres aren't optimized for the thrust, much less so than the katana, and might be useful only for cuts since the tip might be rounded off. Look at the so-called Blucher sabre for what I mean.

The katana user is able to use 2 hands for added speed and power - that would be his major advantage over the sabre fighter. He can also fight longer in battle without tiring as fast. The blade isn't as curved as a sabre's and has a sharp point regardless of sori depth - giving him the ability to thrust if the opportunity presents itself. If both opponents met face to face, and at a suitable range, the katana user might try some iaijutsu and attempt to slay his opponent before he has even cleared the sheath with his sabre.

 

[Triton]

What if it was a two handed saber and they were both wearing armor? You see, there are just two many variables to make these type of arguements about "well if guy one had a sword of this type and guy b had a sword of this type then guy a would have won" meaningful.