Hand-Forged Fantasy Falchion Sword, Dark Forge Finish

The falchion is a single-edged European sword used from roughly the 13th to the 16th century, built around a broad blade that carries its mass forward for cutting. Two forms survive: a cleaver-like type with a straight back and an abruptly widened tip, best known from the Conyers falchion, and a cusped type whose edge curves out into a belly before sweeping up to the point. This sword follows the second form, at a much larger scale than any historical example.

No. A historical falchion is a single-hand sword, and this one has an eleven-inch grip built for two hands, which makes it a great falchion — a scaled-up fantasy interpretation. The sweeping hooked guard and open ring pommel are fantasy fittings too; medieval falchions carried plain cross guards. What is accurate is the family: this is genuinely falchion construction, with a full tang running through to a pommel rather than the riveted scale slabs of a Messer. If you want a historical single-hand falchion, we build one, and we will also make you a custom one with a plain cross.

Scale and intent. The Medieval Falchion is a single-hand historical sword with plain fittings, meant for reenactment and historical collecting, and used with a shield or buckler in the other hand. This one is a two-handed fantasy sword with a longer blade, considerably more mass, a sweeping hooked guard, a ring pommel, and a dark forge finish. Buy the medieval version if you want historical accuracy and a sword you can carry all day; buy this one if you want a dramatic heavy cutter and do not mind the weight.

They are the closest two swords in our single-edged range, so this is worth reading carefully. Both are two-handed fantasy blades with single edges. The Messer has a 24-inch satin-finished blade, a scalloped winged guard, a leather-wrapped grip, and a laced scabbard. This falchion is six inches longer in the blade, noticeably heavier, and finished dark with a bright polished edge bevel rather than satin overall, with a bare unwrapped wood grip, a sweeping hooked guard and a ring pommel. In short: the Messer is the faster and more ornate of the two; this is the bigger, darker, more brutal one.

Two-handed. The eleven-inch grip gives you room to set your hands apart, which is how a blade this long and heavy is actually controlled — the rear hand steers while the front hand drives. You will see people swing swords like this one-handed in videos; it is possible and it is a poor idea. You lose control of the point and put all the load on one wrist.

Yes. It is hand-forged from 5160 high-carbon spring steel, full tang, oil-tempered, and sharpened to a true cutting edge before it ships. The guard, ferrule and ring pommel are solid steel and the tang runs through to the pommel rather than being glued or threaded into a stub. It handles tatami mats, water bottles and light green targets. Do not use it on bone, metal, seasoned hardwood, or anything you would not put a good knife through.

The blade is forged from 5160 high-carbon spring steel, the same alloy used in heavy-duty truck leaf springs, prized for toughness and edge retention. It is oil-tempered for a hard cutting edge backed by a flexible, shock-absorbent spine. On a blade this heavy that toughness is essential — a sword carrying this much mass delivers a great deal of energy on impact, and the steel has to absorb what comes back.

Yes. The tang runs the full length of the hilt and through to the ring pommel, so the guard, ferrule and grip are mechanically captured on the tang itself. There is no rat-tail, no weld, and no glued-in stub to fail. On a sword this heavy that construction is not a luxury — a stub tang would not survive the loads this blade generates.

It is the black oxide scale that forms on steel in the fire, left on the blade rather than ground away. The edge bevel is then ground and polished bright, so you get a black blade with a clean bright line along the working edge. It is a finish produced by the forging itself, not paint or a coating, which is why it looks different on every sword and why a cheap black blade with a sprayed finish never looks quite right. Care is simple but specific: oil it like any carbon steel, and do not polish the dark flats. Forge scale offers a little more corrosion resistance than bare steel, but once you buff it off it cannot be put back.

It is heavy, and we will not pretend otherwise — the blade alone is over two kilograms before the hilt is counted, which makes it the heaviest cutter in this family. What you get is an enormous cut; the mass forward of your hands does most of the work and it goes through soft targets almost regardless of technique. What you give up is speed, recovery and endurance. Expect to feel it in your forearms after a short session. If you want the shape and the finish without the mass, order a thinner section through Custom Forge.

It arrives sharpened as standard along the edge and the clip, finished by hand. Choose the display-blunt option if you need it unsharpened for larp, stage use, display, or to satisfy import rules where you live — there is no extra charge either way. The guard, collar ferrule and ring pommel are steel. The grip is bare wood, left unwrapped, which means there is no leather to stretch, wear through or come loose over time. Wood grain varies from piece to piece.

Yes. We ship worldwide from Nepal by DHL or FedEx in 7 to 14 business days with tracking. In-stock specs dispatch within 2 to 3 business days; fully custom builds take roughly 4 to 6 weeks to forge first. This is a large sword and travels in an oversized carton, so check that your delivery address can accept it. Import and blade laws vary by country, so please check your local rules before ordering.