Rustwarden Hand Forged High Carbon Steel Medieval Falchion | 31 Inch Overall with 25 Inch Blade | Medieval Collector Gift | RK-1291

Falchions were never one thing. The word covers a whole family of broad single edged swords used across Europe from about 1200 to the end of the sixteenth century, and the surviving examples argue with each other. Some are wildly cleaver shaped, some are almost straight. This one belongs to the straighter school. The back runs level from the guard to a long clipped point and the edge lifts gently to meet it, which gives a blade that still cuts like a falchion but tracks like a sword. That is a real historical type. The falchion in the Royal Armouries at Leeds and several German Malchus blades share this squared off, straight backed geometry, and it is the version most people find easiest to use.

Everything here is forged and finished by hand in Memphis, Tennessee. The blade is 1095 high carbon steel taken to 54 to 58 HRC and polished to a bright satin. The hilt is a plain steel cross guard with a rosewood grip and a fitted pommel cap. It ships with a russet red leather scabbard, and shipping inside the United States is free.

Specifications

What the straight back does to a falchion

A curved falchion carries its weight forward and rewards a heavy, committed swing. A straight backed falchion like this one spreads that weight along the blade instead of piling it into the last few inches. The result is a sword that still cleaves, because the edge is broad and the spine is thick, but that comes back on line quickly and points where you expect. For anyone learning cutting patterns, that predictability is worth more than raw chopping power.

The long clip at the point is the other half of the design. Rather than a short angled tip, the back of this blade drops away over several inches and meets the edge in a fine point. That lightens the very end, sharpens the recovery and gives you something genuinely useful for a thrust. It is the same thinking that later produced the bowie clip point, arrived at four centuries earlier and at sword scale.

Why high carbon steel and not stainless

This forge works in two steels and no others. Plain blades are 1095 high carbon steel. Damascus blades are 1095 and 15N20 forge welded in alternating layers. That is the whole list.

1095 sits at roughly one percent carbon with very little else in it, and that plainness is why it has been the default for hard working blades for over a century. It hardens deeply, it tempers back to a tough 54 to 58 HRC without fuss, and it takes a fine edge that a stone can restore in minutes. Stainless steel gets its corrosion resistance from a large chromium content, and at sword lengths that chromium is a liability. It makes big blades brittle and it coarsens the edge. We would rather give you a blade that needs a wipe of oil than one that snaps. Our page on Damascus versus stainless lays out the comparison properly.

The rosewood grip

Rosewood is dense, oily and close grained, which is exactly what you want under a sweating hand. It does not get slick the way a varnished softwood does, it resists dents, and it has a deep red brown colour with darker streaks that no stain can imitate. The grip is turned and hand fitted between the steel cross and the pommel cap, and the tang is peened over the top so nothing works loose.

Because rosewood is oily it needs less attention than most hardwoods, but it is still wood. Keep it away from direct sun and dry heat, and rub in a little oil once or twice a year. Our wooden handle care guide explains what to use.

Engraving, runes and your own design

Use the rune converter on this page to turn a name, a date or a short phrase into Elder Futhark and we will cut it into the steel or the handle. If you would rather have a Viking pattern than a rune line, choose your own design in the engraving option above the add to cart button and tell us whether it goes on the blade or the handle. Where a piece already carries an engraved design, your chosen engraving replaces it rather than sitting alongside it. There are examples and lettering sizes on the engraving page.

Care and sharpening

Carbon steel rusts. That is the only real maintenance this sword asks for. Wipe it down with an oiled cloth after you handle it, and keep it out of the scabbard for long term storage, since leather traps damp against a blade. Light surface spotting comes off with a rag and oil, and heavier patches with fine steel wool. Full instructions are on our steel care page.

The straight back and gentle edge curve make this an easy blade to sharpen freehand. Lay the existing bevel flat on a medium stone, take a dozen slow passes along the whole edge, move to a fine stone, then strop the burr off. Do not try to reset the angle. Our walkthrough on sharpening with a whetstone covers grits and angles.

Forged in Memphis

We forge, grind, heat treat, polish and hilt every blade in our own shop in Memphis, Tennessee, and we cut and stitch the leather here as well. Nothing in this listing came out of an importer catalogue with our name added to it. In stock swords ship in two to three business days. A made to order piece, or one with engraving, takes two to three weeks, and we will tell you the real date rather than a comfortable one.

A note on handmade variation

This falchion is hand forged, not machine made and not bulk produced, so the sword that arrives will not be a pixel for pixel copy of the photograph. The rosewood grain, the depth of the leather colour, the exact line of the clipped point and the pattern the satin polish leaves all vary, because each one is worked by hand from natural materials. The dimensions, the steel and the build stay the same every time. The character does not.

Frequently asked questions

Is this falchion sharp out of the box?

Yes, it arrives with a cutting edge. If you need it blunt for stage combat or for a display in a public space, leave a note with your order and we will grind it back before dispatch.

Can I use it for tatami or bottle cutting?

Yes. The blade is full tang, through hardened and peened at the pommel, and the broad forward section is well suited to mat cutting. Avoid steel to steel contact, which is what blunt sparring swords are built for.

Can I have a name engraved on the blade?

You can. Use the rune converter above for Elder Futhark, or pick your own Viking pattern in the engraving option, and tell us whether it belongs on the blade or the grip.

Will the rosewood match the photograph?

It will be rosewood, and it will be close, but the grain and the depth of red vary from board to board. That is the nature of a natural material worked by hand.

How is this different from the brass hilted falchion?

The brass hilted falchion has a more curved, deeply bellied blade and brass furniture. This one has a straight back, a longer clipped point and plain steel fittings, which makes it a little quicker and more neutral in the hand.

How long will delivery take?

Shipping is free within the United States and stock pieces usually arrive five to seven business days after dispatch. Add two to three weeks if you have ordered engraving.

What is in the box

• One hand forged 1095 high carbon steel falchion, 31 inches overall
• One russet red leather scabbard
• Care card covering oiling, storage and edge maintenance
• Your Elder Futhark rune line or chosen pattern, if engraving was ordered
• Forged and finished in Memphis, Tennessee

Explore the range

Browse the other falchions, the messers that share this single edged family, the wider sword range and the Damascus swords, or read the guides.