Hand-Forged Medieval Knight Sword, Brass Fittings

Appearance, mostly, and we would rather say so than invent a functional reason. Medieval European swords were fitted almost universally in iron and steel, because that is what a smith had and because steel is harder and takes impact better. Brass and bronze furniture does appear on swords — more often on eastern pieces, on later civilian swords, and on dagger and knife fittings than on medieval knightly swords — but gold-coloured fittings on a sword of this period are a modern decorative choice. The practical trade-off is worth knowing: brass is softer than steel, so a brass-finished cross will mark and dent more readily than a steel one if you actually knock it about. That matters not at all on a display sword and quite a lot on one you intend to use hard. Steel fittings are available on a custom build if you want the sword to take more abuse, and they change its character completely.

A turquoise-coloured cabochon — a domed, polished stone with no facets — set into the face of the disc pommel. Setting a stone in a pommel is not a purely modern idea: pommels on high-status medieval swords were sometimes inlaid with enamel, coloured glass, or a reliquary compartment, and the pommel face is the one flat surface on a sword large enough to carry decoration where it can be seen. That said, a turquoise cabochon in this style is our design rather than a documented arrangement. Other colours are available, and a plain undecorated pommel is an option if you would rather have the sword without it.

Differently from the blade, which is the main thing to understand. Carbon steel wants oil; brass-finished metal does not, and oil will simply attract dust to it. What brass does is dull and darken with handling, because skin oils and moisture react with the surface — some owners like that and let it develop, others want it bright. If you want it bright, wipe it with a soft dry cloth after every handling and use a proper metal polish two or three times a year, applied on a cloth rather than poured on. Keep polish away from the set stone and out of the leather, both of which it will damage. If you would rather the fittings needed no attention at all, order the sword in steel.

The fittings, almost entirely — the blade is a conventional knightly form and several of our swords share its dimensions. Our Oakeshott Type XII is the same 29-inch length but carries a fullered blade classified to a documented type, with plain steel fittings and a wheel pommel, and it is the one to buy if you care about historical classification. Our fantasy leaf-blade sword is the same length again but with a leaf-shaped blade that swells through the lower half, making it a much heavier cutter. Our medieval fantasy longsword is fullered and steel-fitted. This one is the decorative option: a brass-finished guard and stone-set disc pommel, built to be looked at. If the brass is what drew you in, this is the right sword; if it is not, one of the others will suit you better and we would rather you bought that.

Hand-and-a-half. The 6.7-inch grip is longer than a true arming sword, which runs nearer four inches and is strictly single-hand. This length lets you use the sword one-handed with a shield in the usual way, and bring the off hand onto the grip behind the first when you want more leverage on a cut or better control in a bind. At 1.58 kg it is comfortable one-handed for extended handling. Note that "arming sword" strictly means the single-hand form, so this sits in the longsword or hand-and-a-half family despite the blade length.

The blade is; the hilt is not. A straight double-edged blade of this length with an even taper to an acute point is a perfectly ordinary knightly blade and would not look out of place in a museum case. The brass-finished fittings and the set stone are modern decorative choices — medieval swords of this period were fitted in iron and steel, and while high-status pommels sometimes carried enamel or glass inlay, a brass guard and a stone-set pommel together are not a documented arrangement. We build the same blade with plain steel fittings if you want something period-appropriate.

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 tang is secured at the pommel rather than glued or threaded into a stub. It handles tatami mats, water bottles and light green targets well. Bear in mind that brass-finished fittings mark more easily than steel, so if you intend to cut with it regularly the steel-fitted version will stay looking better.

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 long double-edged blade with an acute point that flex is essential — a hard, brittle sword of this length would be dangerous rather than durable.

Yes. The tang runs the full length of the hilt and is secured at the pommel, so the guard and grip are mechanically captured on the tang itself. There is no rat-tail, no weld, and no glued-in stub. This matters more on a wrapped grip than people expect, because the leather hides the construction underneath — a hollow handle with a stub tang inside looks identical from the outside until the day it fails.

The grip is a shaped wooden core under a black leather wrap. The scabbard is black leather with fittings matched to the hilt, made by hand to fit the blade size you order — which is why a custom blade length always means a custom scabbard and adds to the lead time. Because leather is a natural material, colour and finish vary slightly between pieces. Store the sword outside its scabbard rather than in it: leather is tanned with acids and holds damp against carbon steel.

It arrives sharpened as standard along both edges, 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. And yes, steel fittings are available on a custom build, along with a plain cross, a different stone or no stone, and any wrap colour. Ordering it in plain steel gives you a completely different sword from the same blade, and it is worth thinking about which version you actually want on the wall.

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.