Hand-Forged Medieval Sword, Oakeshott Type XII

It is the standard system for classifying medieval European swords, devised by the scholar Ewart Oakeshott. Rather than sorting swords by country or by date, he sorted them by the geometry that determines how a sword actually behaves — blade profile, cross-section, taper and fuller — with separate lettered schemes for pommel forms and cross guards. The blade types run from X through XXII, picking up where Petersen and Wheeler's Viking-age classifications leave off. It is used by collectors, curators and makers because it describes what a sword does rather than where it happened to be found.

The Type XII is a broad, flat, double-edged blade with a fuller running roughly two-thirds of its length, tapering evenly from the shoulder to an acute point. It emerged as the knightly sword of the 12th century and remained in use into the 14th, and it is probably the shape most people picture when they picture a medieval sword. The design is a compromise in the best sense: broad enough to cut properly, tapered enough to thrust, light enough to carry all day. Its larger hand-and-a-half relative is designated Type XIIa.

The blade is: broad and flat, long fuller, even taper to an acute point, which is the Type XII definition. The grip is where it deviates. A Type XII proper is a single-hand sword with a grip of around four inches, and this one is 6.3 inches, long enough to take a second hand. That edges it toward Type XIIa, the great-sword variant — though a true XIIa carries a longer blade than 29 inches. The honest description is a Type XII blade on a hand-and-a-half hilt. It is a modern interpretation of the type rather than a copy of a specific catalogued sword, and if you want a strict single-hand XII we will build one to that grip length through Custom Forge.

They are close in size and format, so the difference is intent rather than dimensions. This sword is built to a documented historical classification — Type XII blade geometry, a period wheel pommel, a straight cross, and nothing on it that a 13th century smith would not recognise. The Medieval Fantasy Longsword is a fantasy design: the same broad category of sword, but with fittings and styling chosen for looks rather than accuracy. Buy this one if you collect or reenact historically, or if you want to be able to say exactly what type of sword you own. Buy the fantasy longsword if you want the medieval silhouette with more visual character and are not concerned with period accuracy.

Hand-and-a-half. The 6.3-inch grip works properly in one hand with a shield or buckler, which is how a Type XII was carried, but it is long enough to add a second hand behind the first when you want more leverage on a cut. That flexibility is exactly what the XIIa variant was developed for. A strict single-hand grip is available as a custom option if you want the sword closer to the historical standard.

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 wheel pommel are solid 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. Medieval smiths were chasing the same property with the steel available to them — a blade hard enough to hold an edge but tough enough not to shatter — and 5160 gets there reliably in a way medieval iron could not.

Yes. The tang runs the full length of the hilt and is peened over at the pommel, so the cross, grip and pommel are mechanically captured on the tang itself. There is no rat-tail, no weld, and no glued-in stub to fail. This is also how the originals were built, which is worth knowing if you are buying for historical reasons.

The point of balance is where the sword sits still on a single finger, and on a Type XII it typically falls a few inches forward of the cross. It matters more than total weight for how a sword feels. Two swords of identical weight can handle completely differently depending on where that mass sits: balance close to the hand and the sword feels light, quick and easy to redirect but hits with less authority; balance further out and it cuts harder but is slower to recover between strokes. The Type XII is admired precisely because it sits in a sensible middle, which is why it stayed in service for two centuries. The pommel is the main tool for adjusting it — a heavier pommel pulls the balance back toward the hand, which is why pommel style is a custom option rather than just a decorative choice.

The grip is a wood core under a black leather wrap. The straight cross and the wheel pommel with its raised central boss are polished steel — solid, not cast alloy or plated pot metal. The scabbard is black leather with oxblood leather cross-lacing running its length, made by hand to fit the blade size you order. Because leather is a natural material, colour and finish vary slightly between pieces.

Yes, and on this sword those choices genuinely change what you get. A longer blade takes it toward a true Type XIIa; a four-inch grip takes it back to a strict single-hand Type XII; a heavier pommel shifts the balance toward your hand. Blade finish and wrap colour are adjustable too. If you have a specific catalogued sword in mind, send us the Oakeshott type, a museum reference, or measurements, and we will tell you honestly what we can match before quoting.

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.