The gothic hilted swords were a family of swords carried by officers and some NCOs of the British Army between 1822 and the present day. They were primarily infantry swords, although they were also regulation pattern for some other officers such as surgeons and staff officers. The term “Gothic Hilt” derives from a perceived similarity between the curved bars of the guard and the arches found in gothic architecture. They were elegant aesthetically pleasing weapons, although they were generally considered as, at best, mediocre fighting swords. Despite this the weapon and its variants had a very long service life.