Classic Swords uses a texture pack (built into the plugin) to fully re-implement block-hitting from 1.7 into the later versions of Minecraft. This plugin brings back the gameplay and appearance of the swords from old combat system.
This plugin does not attempt to revert axes, shields, fishing rods, etc. back to how they were pre-1.9 combat update. Classic Swords only affects the swords, but it can be used in conjunction with another plugin to bring back the full 1.7/1.8 combat experience.
Classic Swords also re-implements sprint reseting via sword blocking, but this feature can be disabled in the config.yml file. There are no permissions or extra set-up required for this plugin to function.
Server requirement: CraftBukkit or Spigot server running 1.15, 1.16, or 1.17.
Spigot Page: https://www.spigotmc.org/resources/classic-swords.93959/