Hand-Forged Roman Gladius Sword, Fulham Type Broad Blade

The gladius was the standard short sword of the Roman legions, in service from roughly the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD. It was worn at the belt and drawn for close work behind the shield, where a short stiff blade could be thrust in the gaps of a formation. Three main patterns are recognised — Mainz, Fulham, and Pompeii — distinguished by blade profile rather than by length alone. This one is a modern, hand-forged interpretation of the Fulham pattern in 5160 spring steel.

The difference is blade profile. Mainz blades are waisted — they pinch in at the middle and swell again before a long point. Pompeii blades, the latest of the three, have straight parallel edges and a short triangular tip. Fulham sits between them: straight edges like a Pompeii, but with the long tapering point of a Mainz. The type is named after a sword recovered from the Thames at Fulham in London, linked to the Roman invasion of Britain in the middle of the first century AD, whose blade runs to roughly 50 cm — close to the length we forge this one at.

Yes. This is a real, fully functional gladius, not a cast display piece. It is hand-forged from 5160 high-carbon spring steel, full tang, oil-tempered, and sharpened to a true cutting edge before it ships. It is built to be handled and cut with, and finished cleanly enough to display as a centrepiece.

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 short broad blade like a gladius that toughness matters more than extreme edge retention, which is why we favour 5160 here.

Yes. The tang runs the full length of the handle and is peened over at the pommel, so the grip components are mechanically captured between the collar and the pommel. There is no rat-tail, no weld, and no glued-in stub to fail.

Yes, sharpened as standard and finished by hand. If you need it blunt for reenactment, 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.

It is heavier. Surviving Roman gladii are notably light, generally under a kilogram complete with hilt, because they were built thin and used by trained soldiers inside a formation. Ours carries more stock in the spine and edge so it holds up to modern cutting and to handling by people who did not grow up with one. If you want a strict museum-weight piece, ask for it through Custom Forge and we will grind the section down.

Yes. Blade length and blade width are both adjustable to order. Send us the dimensions you want and we will confirm what the Fulham profile will carry without losing its balance — a gladius that gets too long stops behaving like a gladius. Use Custom Forge to start that conversation.

The standard build is a ribbed wooden grip over a full tang, with a turned globular pommel and a riveted steel collar at the guard. Roman originals were commonly bone, ivory, or wood, and the ribbing reproduces the finger grooves seen on surviving hilts. Buffalo horn, bone, and rosewood are available on request, and the grain varies slightly from piece to piece.

Yes. Every sword ships with a brown leather scabbard with suspension rings, made by hand to fit the blade size you order. Historically a legionary wore the gladius high on the right hip, suspended from a belt or baldric, so it could be drawn with the right hand without fouling the shield arm. Officers wore it on the left. The rings let you rig it either way with your own straps.

Yes, within reason. It handles tatami mats, water bottles, and light green targets well, and the stiff broad section rewards a committed thrust. Do not use it on bone, metal, seasoned hardwood, or anything you would not put a good knife through, and check the peen and edge after every session.

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.