Ashenhold Hand Forged High Carbon Steel Grosse Messer Sword | 33 Inch Overall with 26 Inch Blade | Medieval Collector Gift | RK-1297

Not every long knife was a slim town sidearm. The broader messers, the ones with a blade over an inch and three quarters wide and a spine you could stand a coin on, were field weapons. They appear in the hands of Landsknecht foot soldiers and in the equipment lists of city militias, and their job was to cut through padded jack, buff coat and light mail rather than to fence delicately in an alley. This is that heavier kind. The blade is wide from guard to clip and the spine stays thick almost to the point, which puts real weight behind the edge without making the messer slow, because the mass is spread along the blade instead of piled into the last few inches.

It is forged and finished by hand in Memphis, Tennessee. The blade is 1095 high carbon steel hardened and tempered to 54 to 58 HRC and polished bright. The hilt is a plain steel cross with a pale hardwood grip and a steel pommel cap, and the messer ships in a black leather sheath with steel throat and chape. Shipping inside the United States is free.

Specifications

What blade width actually changes

Width is the least understood dimension on a sword. People assume a wider blade is simply heavier, but that is not the interesting part. A wider blade is stiffer edgewise for the same thickness, which means it resists twisting in the cut. When an edge that is not perfectly aligned meets a resistant target, a narrow blade wants to roll and the cut skates. A broad blade fights that roll, so a slightly imperfect cut still bites.

The cost is air resistance and a little more inertia, which is why broad messers like this one have long grips. Seven inches of handle gives you room to slide the hand back for a heavy cut or forward for control, and it lets a second hand help on a big swing even though this is a one handed weapon. That is the same reasoning that eventually produced the two handed kriegsmesser, arrived at one step at a time.

Why high carbon steel and not stainless

Two steels are used here and there are no exceptions. Plain blades are 1095 high carbon steel. Damascus blades are 1095 and 15N20 forge welded together.

On a broad blade the choice matters more than usual, because there is more steel to get wrong. 1095 hardens right through a section this size and tempers back evenly to 54 to 58 HRC, giving an edge that holds and a body that flexes rather than snapping. Stainless steel needs a large chromium content to resist rust, and those chromium carbides make a thick, wide blade noticeably more brittle while also stopping the edge going properly fine. The price of carbon steel is a little maintenance. Wipe it, oil it, and it will outlast you. Our note on Damascus versus stainless covers the metallurgy.

The pale hardwood grip

The grip is a light toned close grained hardwood, left with a natural finish so it grips rather than polishes slick. It is shaped to a long flattened oval that fills the hand and tells you where the edge is without a glance. The flat tang runs the whole length and the steel cross and pommel cap are fitted tight against the scales.

A pale wood shows marks more readily than a dark one, which some people like and some do not. Either way it wants the same care. Keep it out of direct sun and dry heat, and feed it a little oil once or twice a year. Our wooden handle care guide lists suitable oils.

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. This blade has an unusually generous flat, so longer inscriptions work well on it. See the engraving page.

Care and sharpening

Bright polish on a wide flat shows every fingerprint, so wipe the blade down with an oiled cloth after handling. Keep the messer out of the sheath for long term storage, since leather traps humidity. Spotting lifts with oil and a cloth if you catch it early. The full routine is on our steel care page.

A broad single bevel is very forgiving to sharpen. Lay the bevel flat on a medium stone and take long steady strokes down the whole edge, then repeat on a fine stone and clear the burr with light passes on the back. The clip needs the handle raised slightly so the point stays sharp rather than rounding off. Method and grit choices are on sharpening with a whetstone.

Forged in Memphis

This messer is forged, ground, heat treated, polished and assembled in our own shop in Memphis, Tennessee, and the black sheath is cut, stitched and fitted with its steel furniture here as well. Nothing is drop shipped from an importer catalogue. A stock piece leaves in two to three business days. A made to order or engraved messer takes two to three weeks, and we will tell you the honest date.

A note on handmade variation

This messer is hand forged, not machine made and not bulk produced, so what arrives will not be a pixel for pixel copy of the photograph. Grain and tone in the pale grip, the depth of black in the leather, the exact profile of the clip and the way the polish reads in different light all vary, because each piece is worked by hand from natural materials. The dimensions, the steel and the build stay identical. The character does not.

Frequently asked questions

Does it come sharp?

Yes, it arrives with a full working edge. Blunt versions are available on request for stage and display use, just say so in the order notes.

Is it too heavy to use one handed?

No. At around two and a half pounds it is a substantial but manageable one handed weapon, and the seven inch grip lets you add a second hand for a heavy cut if you want to.

Can I have runes cut into it?

Yes. Use the rune converter above for an Elder Futhark line, or choose your own Viking pattern in the engraving option, and tell us whether it goes on the blade or the grip.

Will mine look like the photograph?

The blade shape, length and steel will match. The pale wood grain and the leather finish will be slightly different on every one, because both are natural materials.

How does this compare with the narrower messers in the range?

This one is longer, wider and about half a pound heavier, with a bigger grip and a black sheath with steel fittings. It cuts harder and forgives poor edge alignment better. The narrower messers are quicker and easier to carry.

What is the delivery time?

Shipping is free in the United States and stock pieces arrive five to seven business days after dispatch. Engraved orders need two to three weeks first.

What is in the box

• One hand forged 1095 high carbon steel broad messer, 33 inches overall
• One black leather sheath with steel throat and chape
• Care card with oiling, storage and sharpening notes
• Your Elder Futhark rune line or chosen pattern, if engraving was ordered
• Forged and finished in Memphis, Tennessee

Explore the range

See the rest of the messers, the falchions, the complete sword range and the Damascus swords, or read the guides.