Maciejowski Falchion — Hand-Forged 13th-Century Crusader Cleaver Sword with Umbrella Pommel

The Maciejowski Falchion is a 13th-century medieval European single-edged sword design preserved in the artwork of the Maciejowski Bible (also called the Morgan Bible or Crusader Bible, catalogued as Morgan Library MS M.638). The sword features a broad cleaver-style blade and a distinctive umbrella-shaped pommel. It's most strongly associated with Crusader-era warfare in the mid-1200s AD. Our hand-forged reproduction is modelled directly on the illuminated manuscript artwork — drawn from actual 13th-century period sources, not modern invention.

Both belong to the broader forward-weighted single-edged sword family. The Greek Kopis (6th-4th century BCE) is the ancient Mediterranean ancestor; the medieval European falchion is a much later independent development that arrived at similar geometric solutions to the same battlefield problem — concentrating chopping force at the impact point of a single-edged blade. The falchion isn't a "descendant" of the Kopis in a direct lineage sense (1,500+ years separate them, with no documented continuity), but they're cousins in blade geometry and combat role. Collectors building a forward-curving / single-edged sword collection across cultures naturally include both. See our complete Kopis range for the Greek originals.

The standard "medieval sword" most people picture is the knightly arming sword — double-edged, balanced for both cut and thrust, used by knights and officers. A falchion is fundamentally different:

• Single-edged (not double-edged)
• Broad cleaver-style blade (not narrow uniform-width blade)
• Forward-weighted for chopping (not balanced for thrust-cut combinations)
• Used by lighter-armored infantry, mercenaries, and common soldiers (not exclusively knights)
• Cheaper to forge — required less steel and less precision than the arming sword

The falchion was the medieval European working-class chopping sword. The Maciejowski Falchion specifically is the 13th-century Crusader-era variant with the umbrella pommel.

The umbrella or "hooked" pommel that defines the Maciejowski Falchion serves three purposes. First, it provides grip security — the hooked shape catches the bottom of the user's palm and prevents the sword from being knocked out of the hand during forceful chopping strikes. Second, it functions as a counterbalance to the forward-weighted blade, bringing the sword's balance point closer to the hand for better control. Third, it's a period-identifying feature: this specific pommel shape appears almost exclusively in 13th-century European arms artwork and is rarely seen in 14th-century or later falchion variants. The umbrella pommel is what distinguishes a Maciejowski-era falchion from a 15th-century falchion or a Cluny Falchion or a Conyers Falchion.

Fully battle-ready. The blade is 5160 high-carbon leaf-spring steel, full-tang, water-tempered along the edge, and pre-sharpened at the forge — meeting our battle-ready standard. The forward-weighted broad blade is genuinely effective for cleaving cuts — historically the Maciejowski-era falchion was specifically used against lightly-armored opponents in close-quarter medieval combat. Suitable for cutting practice, HEMA training, controlled test cutting, and serious medieval reenactment use.

The standard blade is 18 inches (overall 25 inches with the 7-inch handle). Four blade lengths available via the Blade Length option on this product page: 16, 18, 20, or 22 inches. The 18-inch standard matches the most-documented historical Maciejowski Bible falchion size. 16 inches gives you a compact sidearm-scale falchion; 20-22 inches extends into officer-grade reach.

Approximately 1,100 grams (1.1 kg / 2.4 lbs) at the standard 18-inch blade configuration. The weight is forward-balanced — most of the mass is in the broad belly of the cleaver-style blade. That gives the falchion its chopping authority while the umbrella pommel counterbalances enough mass back toward the hand for controlled use. Weight scales with blade length: shorter drops it, longer adds it.

Three handle options. Rosewood (standard) is dense, dark-grained hardwood — the most commonly used material on our sword line. White-wood Sadhan is a lighter hardwood for contrast. Horn (+$10) is genuine animal horn — the most period-authentic medieval falchion handle material, often used on actual 13th-century historical finds. Horn handles have a slightly translucent quality, develop character with age, and are favored by serious historical reenactors who want the most documentary-accurate kit. All three are full-tang construction with hand-riveted hardware.

Yes for solo cutting practice, paired form training, and controlled test cutting. The Maciejowski Falchion is a sharp battle-ready sword, NOT a blunt training sword — so it's not appropriate for live full-contact sparring with another person. For free sparring you'd want a blunted training falchion (which we can produce on custom commission). For tatami mat cutting, kata practice, and structured cutting drills, this falchion performs at battle-ready standard. The forward-weighted blade and umbrella pommel match historical fechtbuch references for medieval sword-use.

Yes — every Maciejowski Falchion includes free text engraving AND a custom logo / photo upload option. Two engraving fields on this product page:

• Personalize Your Blade — free-form text for names, initials, medieval Latin mottos (Deus Vult, Pax Vobiscum, In Hoc Signo Vinces), Crusader-era inscriptions, dates, family mottos, fantasy character names
• Custom Logo & Photo Engraving — upload your own image file for heraldic crests, family arms, knight's coats of arms, religious insignia, HEMA school logos, RPG faction emblems

Both engraving methods hand-applied during the finishing stage. Particularly valuable on this Crusader-themed sword for buyers commissioning gifts, presentation pieces, or personalized historical kit.

5160 high-carbon spring steel — leaf-spring stock, the same alloy used in heavy-duty vehicle suspension. Tough, springy, holds an edge well. Hammer-forged from a single billet (never welded or laminated), water-tempered along the edge, and hand-finished. This is the same steel used across our entire battle-ready sword range — Kopis, Falcata, Falchion, Khopesh, Khyber, Seax, Viking, Xiphos. The 5160 alloy gives the falchion the right combination of edge retention and impact toughness for the chopping cuts the design is built around.

This falchion is forged-to-order — production typically takes 2 to 4 weeks depending on engraving complexity and current workshop queue. Custom heraldic logos and complex engraved designs can add 3-7 days. After forging we ship worldwide with tracked, insured DHL or FedEx delivery. See our shipping policy for country-specific delivery estimates and our warranty policy for the lifetime craftsmanship guarantee covering every piece.