1300 – 1350 AD
Museum of London,
Original found in the River Thames in London.

The cross on the pommel confirms it as a Templar Knight’s sword. The history of the Templars seems to indicate that the sword was thrown into the river when the Order of the Temple was dissolved by Edward II in 1314 . At the time, many Templars were executed or imprisoned, and in 1314 the Order's last grand master, Jacques de Molay, was burned at the stake. The embellishing of the pommel, with its decorative cross, was common among the Templars, giving clear indication as to the origins of the sword. This fourteenth century sword is forged from 1060 High Carbon steel. The blade is satin polished and tempered to a Rockwell hardness of 53, while the hilt is fitted with an Iron pommel and cross guard. The handle is made of wood, wrapped with antiqued brown leather.

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-Italian 16th C.

As armor was gradually discarded, and greater skill was developed in the use of the sword, the hilt was made to protect the hand by various combinations of curves and connecting bars. This hand forged swept hilt rapier style was very popular among the nobility during the late 16th and early 17th Centuries. During the Renaissance period, the rapier came to indicate its bearer's social status. Armed men were stopped at the gates of London and their swords were measured, if their blade was considered to be too long for their status, their swords were shortned on the spot, to be certain the men adhered to the English sumptuary laws.

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The Normans (also called Northmen or Norsemen) were the descendants of the Scandinavian Vikings who raided the European coastal settlements at the outset of the 8th century. Despite the Norman's conversion to Christianity and their adoption of Frankish way of life, the Normans retained many of the traits of their Germanic ancestors. This sword is historically tied to the Normans because of its frequent appearance in the Bayeux Tapestry: an embroidery that depicts the Norman Conquest. The Norman, classified as type XI by Oakeshott's typology, is fitted with a wheel pommel and straight guard.

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14th C.

Inspired by the original, presently on display in the Royal Ontario Museum(shown below). A similar model is also on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection. The Gothic Sword is an innovation in functionality. The short, triangular-shaped blade was originally designed in Italy in the late 14 Century to slip into the gaps in plate armour, and it is stiff enough to excel at this task. This style of blade became very widely used throughout Europe in this time period as a popular close quarters weapon.

This DSA version of the 14 Century Gothic Dagesse sword is a faithful reproduction of the popular cut and thrust sword. The blade is wide at the shoulders and narrow at the tip, bringing the point of balance back for excellent tip control. The guard and pommel are worked in brass, as is the original on display in the Royal Ontario Museum. A unique take on the traditional arming sword, this piece is an eye-catching weapon and will stand out next to more standard swords worked in plain steel.

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This is a classic example of the Medieval swords found during the later part of the 14th C. and commonly used by the nobility during the 100 years war. The Medieval swords of the era were forged with the traditrional wheel pommel and slightly curved quillions.

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Tower of London Collection, England

Henry V was King of England from the year 1413 until his death in 1422, at the ripe old age of 35. In his 35 years, though, he became one of England’s most important monarchs for several reasons, including his many victories in the Hundred Years War. Until his untimely death from dysentery, he was recognized as a powerful warrior and military leader – fighting from as young as 14, and leading an army at the age of 16.
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The English Prince Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, lived from June 15, 1330 to June 8, 1376. He is a well known historical figure; well known for his chivalrous (and occasionally non-chivalrous) actions, and for never being crowned king despite being the eldest son of King Edward III – he died before his father, and the crown passed to his son Richard instead. Edward would also later come to be known by a nickname of indeterminate origin – “The Black Prince,” a name well known to scholars in the fields of art, history, literature and theater.

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Tower of London Collection, England

The Dark Ages, specifically, refers to a time (476–800) when there was an absence of a Roman emperor in the West; or, more generally, to the period between about 500 and 1000, which was marked by frequent warfare and a virtual disappearance of urban life. The Dark Ages, also known as the Early Medieval Period, began by the deposition of the last western Roman Emperor by a Germanic leader in 476 A.D. The period is marked by the "Germanization" of the Roman armies and a massive wave of attacks on the Roman Empire commonly referred to as the "German Invasions".

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original sword found in The National Museum of Finland, Helsinki

Viking swords, like the Vikings themselves, have reputations for being brutal and utilitarian devices, simplistic hacking weapons with little in the way of grace or beauty. This view has been perpetuated pop culture. For those who study Viking history and culture, though, they know that is simply not the case. Many Viking weapons that have remained for us to examine were not only functional but beautifully decorated. One such example is this sword, based on a find in Finland that dates back to the 11th
Century.

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The Carpathians, a fictional race of people, said to be the ancestors of Vampires, survive by drinking the blood of humans. Unlike Vampires however, they do not kill their human prey. Carpathians use their telepathic abilities to lure humans in order to feed. They then use those same abilities to erase the human’s memory of the incident. All vampires were once Carpathians. Carpathians became Vampires after killing a human while feeding, or after losing his “lifemate”.
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From approximately 250AD until 802AD, Europe experienced a transitional phase commonly known as the Migration Era. During this time many people groups wandered from place to place before finally settling down roots as the Early Middle Ages began. German and Slavic tribes clashed with Viking invaders for many years before beginning to create kingdoms and empires that would define the shape of Europe and course of its history for centuries to come. Many different waves of "barbarian" invaders made their mark on the area at this time as Europe began to solidify into the Middle Ages. The evolution of the sword underwent some drastic leaps forward during this period.

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"The Black Knight" Medieval Sword is Inspired by E.A. Christensen's sketch work, found on p. 121 of Oakeshott's "Record of the Medieval Sword". While preserving the historical essence of the blade and pommel, our rendition of the sword was given a fantasy flare with it's morbid crossguard and blued steel blade.
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Tower of London Collection, England

English Archers were some of the deadliest warriors of the Middle Ages, and their fearsome weapon – the English longbow – was a marvel of engineering. It enabled the English armies to strike devastating blows at great range at very little risk to themselves. Used with great effectiveness since the early 12th century, the longbow helped establish English dominance in many battles that followed.

However, as they were only truly effective at a distance, if the archers were attacked they would need a close range weapon to defend themselves with. This weapon would later be referred to as an Archer’s Sword.

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The Norman conquest was a pivotal event in England’s history. It largely removed the native ruling class, replacing it with a foreign, French-speaking monarchy, aristocracy and clerical hierarchy. This, in turn, brought about a transformation of the English language and the culture of England in a new era often referred to as Norman England..

By bringing England under the control of rulers originating in France, the Norman conquest linked the country more closely with continental Europe, lessened Scandinavian influence, and also set the stage for a rivalry with France that would continue intermittently for many centuries. It also had important consequences for the rest of the British Isles, paving the way for further Norman conquests in Wales and Ireland, and the extensive penetration of the aristocracy of Scotland by Norman and other French-speaking families, with the accompanying spread of continental institutions and cultural influences.

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