The Kopis — Hand-Forged Ancient Greek Sword, Customizable 16" to 26" Blade

This Kopis is fully battle-ready. The blade is 5160 high-carbon leaf-spring steel, full-tang, water-tempered, and pre-sharpened at the forge. It will cut, chop, and hold an edge under real use. Every blade we forge meets our battle-ready standard — these are functional Greek swords built for use, not wall replicas.

Historically the two terms refer to different blades. The Kopis is the classical Greek forward-curved sword used from roughly the 6th to 4th century BC. The Khopesh (sometimes spelled khepesh) is the Egyptian and Near Eastern Bronze Age sickle-sword that predates the Greek Kopis by roughly a thousand years and has a more pronounced hooked profile. In modern English usage the two terms are often used interchangeably for any forward-curving ancient Near Eastern or Greek sword, which is why this product is listed under both names. This blade is the classical Greek Kopis form.

The standard blade is 20 inches. You can customize the blade length to 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, or 26 inches using the Blade Length option on this product page — shorter lengths reduce the price slightly, longer lengths add to it. The handle adds 7 inches (17.78 cm) on top of whichever blade length you pick. For reference, 16-18" suits close-quarter and bushcraft use; 20-22" is the classical hoplite Kopis size; 24-26" extends into Macedonian cavalry-sword territory. If you need a length outside this range, it's available through the custom forge process.

Approximately 900 grams at the standard 20-inch blade configuration. Weight varies with your chosen blade length and finish — shorter blades and lighter finishes drop weight slightly, longer blades add weight. The weight is forward-balanced, with most of the mass in the belly of the curved blade. That gives the Kopis its chopping authority while keeping the grip end light for a controlled swing. The balance point falls roughly 6 inches forward of the guard.

5160 high-carbon leaf-spring steel — the same alloy used for heavy-duty vehicle suspension springs. It is tough, springy, and holds an edge well. We source 5160 stock, then hammer-forge the blade from a single billet (never welded or laminated for this design), water-temper to optimum hardness, and hand-finish the edge. This is the same steel used across our battle-ready sword range.

Yes — every Kopis includes free text engraving AND a custom logo / photo upload option. There are two engraving fields on this product page:

• Personalize Your Blade — free-form text for names, initials, Greek lettering (Molon Labe and similar mottos rendered in historically accurate Greek letter forms), dates, mottos, or any text you specify
• Custom Logo & Photo Engraving — upload your own image file (family crest, unit insignia, brand logo, commemorative design) and we engrave it directly onto the blade

Both engraving methods are hand-applied during the finishing stage in Nepal. See our personalized blades page for examples of past work.

Every Kopis is forged-to-order. Production typically takes 2 to 4 weeks depending on engraving complexity and current workshop queue. After forging we ship worldwide with tracked, insured delivery. See our shipping and returns policy for country-specific delivery estimates.

Yes — we ship worldwide. Our largest markets are the United States, Australia, the Netherlands, Greece, the United Kingdom, and Canada, but we deliver to most countries. Some jurisdictions have restrictions on sword imports — we'll advise during order processing if any issue arises with your destination, and refund in full if delivery isn't possible.

Every blade we forge carries a lifetime craftsmanship warranty. If the blade fails due to a forging, tempering, or construction defect, we repair or replace it. Wear from use, intentional damage, and modification by third parties are not covered. See the full warranty and returns policy for details.

This Kopis is suitable for test cutting (tatami, water bottles, light bamboo) and for historical reenactment display. For full-contact HEMA sparring or HMB combat, you should use a blunt training blade rather than a sharpened battle-ready blade — we can forge a blunt training version on request through the custom forge process. For static reenactment kit and presentation use, the standard battle-ready version is ideal.

The 21-inch blade length suits both. Macedonian cavalry under Alexander the Great carried Kopis swords of this approximate length; Spartan and broader Greek hoplites carried Kopides (the Greek plural) as chopping sidearms alongside the Xiphos. If you want the longest Macedonian-scale Kopis, simply select 24 or 26 inches in the Blade Length option above — that pushes this same blade into Macedonian cavalry-sword territory at lower cost than commissioning a separate sword.