Hand-Forged Medieval Falchion Sword, Fluted Pommel

The falchion is the single-edged cutting sword of medieval Europe, in use from roughly the 13th century into the 16th. It was carried by infantry and common soldiers as much as by knights, and it appears constantly in medieval manuscript illumination — the Maciejowski Bible is full of them, usually paired with a shield. It survived alongside the arming sword for three centuries because it did one thing exceptionally well, which was cut. What separates a falchion from a Messer is hilt construction rather than blade shape: a falchion has a conventional sword hilt with the tang running through to a pommel.

Three things, and the first is the one people forget. Economics: a single-edged blade uses less steel and takes far less finishing work than a double-edged one, which mattered enormously when good steel was expensive and every bevel was ground by hand. That is a large part of why the falchion was a common soldier's weapon. Structurally, leaving the back thick means all the mass sits behind the one edge doing the cutting rather than being split between two, so the blade cuts harder than a double-edged sword of the same weight, and the thick spine resists bending. The trade-off is that you cannot cut on the backstroke, and a thick single-edged blade is a poorer thruster than a tapered double-edged one — which is exactly why the falchion lived alongside the arming sword rather than replacing it.

They are the same class of sword — single-hand medieval falchions — so the difference is in the hilt and the styling rather than the category. This one carries dark forged fittings against a bright satin blade: a cross with squared flared terminals, a deeply fluted pommel, and a bare rosewood grip left unwrapped, with a brown leather scabbard with buckled straps. Our other falchion is the plainer, more restrained pattern. Buy that one if you want period simplicity; buy this one if you want visible forge work in the fittings and a sword with more presence on a wall or at the belt. Handling is comparable — both are single-hand cutters.

One-handed. The 5-inch grip is sized for a single hand and nothing more, which is correct for the type — a falchion was carried as a sidearm with a shield or buckler in the other hand. If you want a two-handed single-edged sword, look at our larger patterns instead, or ask through Custom Forge for a longer grip on this blade.

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 cross and fluted pommel are forged steel and the tang is peened over the pommel rather than glued or threaded. It handles tatami mats, water bottles and light green targets well. 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 heavy single-edged cutter that toughness is the point — the blade delivers a lot of energy into whatever it meets and the steel has to absorb what comes back without chipping or setting a bend.

Yes. The tang runs the full length of the hilt and is peened over at the fluted pommel, so the cross and rosewood grip are mechanically captured on the tang itself. There is no rat-tail, no weld, and no glued-in stub to fail. On a forward-weighted cutting sword that construction matters — the leverage a blade like this exerts on the hilt under a hard cut is exactly what breaks stub tangs.

Fluting is the pattern of grooves cut around the pommel, and here it is both decorative and practical: it breaks up the surface so the pommel does not read as a plain lump of steel, and it gives your palm something to register against when your hand slides back under a heavy cut. Functionally the pommel is a counterweight and the structural anchor of the hilt — the tang is peened over it, so it holds the whole assembly tight. The cross is forged steel with squared, flared terminals, left dark against the bright blade rather than polished to match. Both are solid steel, not cast alloy or plated pot metal.

It is a leather scabbard built the traditional way, around a fitted core rather than as a flat leather sleeve — that is what keeps the sword from cutting its way out and lets it hold the blade securely without a retaining strap doing all the work. The leather is tooled, stitched and dyed brown, with a decorated throat at the mouth and buckled straps for belt suspension. Each one is cut by hand to the blade it is made for, which is why a custom blade length always means a custom scabbard and adds to the lead time. Keep the sword out of it for long-term storage: leather is tanned with acids and holds damp, and both are bad for carbon steel over months.

Yes, sharpened as standard along the edge and the clip, finished by hand. If you need it blunt for reenactment, larp, stage use, display, or to satisfy import rules where you live, choose the display-blunt option or tell us in your order notes. There is no extra charge either way.

Yes. Blade length, blade width, fittings finish, pommel style and grip material are all adjustable to order. If you want this blade with plain medieval furniture rather than the dark forged cross and fluted pommel, we will build it that way — say so and we will quote it. Send us a manuscript reference or a photograph of a surviving falchion and we will tell you honestly what we can match before starting.

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. Import and blade laws vary by country, so please check your local rules before ordering.