Gravewind Hand Forged High Carbon Steel Bastard Sword | 41 Inch Overall with 31 Inch Blade | Collector and Display Gift | RK-1300

The bastard sword got its awkward name because nobody could decide what it was. Too long for one hand, too short for two, it sat between the arming sword and the true two hander and was called a hand and a half sword, an épée bâtarde or simply a war sword depending on who was writing. That in between quality is exactly why it was so widely used from the middle of the fourteenth century onward. One hand on the grip with a shield or a buckler for the road, two hands on the hilt when the fighting started, and a blade long enough to reach but light enough to recover. Fiore dei Liberi and the whole German longsword tradition were built on weapons of this size.

This sword is forged and finished by hand in Memphis, Tennessee. The blade is 1095 high carbon steel hardened and tempered to 54 to 58 HRC, broad through the middle and tapering to a strong point, with an engraved panel worked into the steel just above the guard. The hilt is a straight steel cross, a hardwood grip and a heavy disc pommel. It ships in a leather scabbard, and shipping inside the United States is free.

Specifications

What the disc pommel is actually for

People look at a pommel and see a decorative cap. It is a counterweight, and on a hand and a half sword it is the single most important component after the blade. A blade thirty one inches long puts a great deal of mass in front of your hands. Without something behind them the sword would feel like a shovel. A heavy disc at the end of the grip pulls the balance point back toward the cross, which means the sword pivots close to your hands instead of dragging round in a wide arc.

The disc shape in particular was popular through the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries because it packs weight into a small space and sits flat against the wrist rather than digging in. It also gives you something to push against with the heel of the second hand, which is where a lot of the leverage in half swording and heavy cuts comes from. Look at the balance of any surviving war sword and you will find the same relationship between pommel mass and blade length, arrived at by trial and error over two hundred years.

Why high carbon steel and not stainless

Two steels are used at this forge. Plain blades like this one are 1095 high carbon steel. Damascus blades are 1095 and 15N20 forge welded together. That is the whole list, and it does not change.

A blade of this length has to be right the whole way through. It has to harden evenly across a wide section, temper back to a spring that returns straight after a hard cut, and take an edge fine enough to be worth having. 1095 does all three, which is why it has been a standard for large blades for over a century. Stainless steels use a heavy chromium content to resist rust, and those chromium carbides make long blades brittle and blunt the edge geometry. A thirty one inch stainless blade is a decoration with a real risk of snapping. Carbon steel asks for a wipe of oil in return for a sword that behaves. Read Damascus versus stainless for the detail.

The hardwood grip

The grip is a single piece of hardwood, nine inches long, waisted slightly in the middle so both hands find a natural position. It is fitted over the tang between the steel cross and the disc pommel, and the tang is peened over the pommel so the whole assembly locks together. Nine inches is the classic hand and a half length. It is long enough for a second hand when you need power and short enough that the sword still handles cleanly in one.

Wood expands and contracts with humidity, so keep the sword out of direct sun and away from dry heat, and feed the grip a little oil once or twice a year to stop the grain shrinking back from the steel. Our wooden handle care guide explains what to use and how much.

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. That is worth reading twice on this sword, because it already carries an engraved panel above the ricasso. If you order your own inscription or pattern, yours goes in that place instead. See the engraving page.

Care and sharpening

Wipe the blade with an oiled cloth after every handling session and keep the sword out of its scabbard for long term storage, because leather holds moisture against steel. On a blade this size it pays to oil both flats and the edges properly rather than giving it a quick pass. Rust removal, oil choice and storage are covered on our steel care page.

Sharpening a long double edged blade is done in sections. Work six or eight inches at a time on a medium stone, keeping the existing bevel flat and counting your passes so both sides stay even, then repeat on a fine stone and strop the burr away along the whole length. Take extra care at the point, where the two edges converge and it is easy to round the tip. Our guide to sharpening with a whetstone has the method.

Forged in Memphis

Every stage of this sword happens in our shop in Memphis, Tennessee. The blade is forged from bar stock, ground, engraved, heat treated, straightened, polished and hilted here, and the scabbard is cut and stitched here too. Nothing is drop shipped from an importer catalogue. Long blades take extra time in heat treat and straightening, so a made to order piece needs three to four weeks. In stock swords leave in two to three business days and travel in a purpose cut long box.

A note on handmade variation

This sword is hand forged. It is not machine made and it is not bulk produced, so what arrives will not be a pixel for pixel copy of the photograph. The grain of the grip, the tone of the leather, the exact depth and spacing of the engraved panel and the way the polish runs down thirty one inches of steel all vary, because every part is worked by hand from natural materials. The dimensions, the steel and the build are the same every time. The character is not.

Frequently asked questions

Is the sword sharp when it arrives?

Yes, it ships with a working edge on both sides. Blunt versions are available for stage combat and public display, just leave a note with your order.

Can it be used one handed?

It can. At around three and a half pounds with the balance pulled back by the disc pommel, it is manageable in one hand for short periods, which is the whole point of a hand and a half sword. Most people will use two hands for cutting.

Can I replace the engraving with my own?

Yes. Use the rune converter above for an Elder Futhark line or choose your own Viking pattern in the engraving option. Your design takes the place of the panel shown rather than sitting next to it.

Will my sword look exactly like the photograph?

Length, width, steel and hardness will match. The wood grain, the leather colour and the small variations in the hand cut engraving will be unique to your sword.

What is the difference between this and the kriegsmesser?

This is a double edged sword with a symmetrical blade, a disc pommel and a nine inch grip. The kriegsmesser is a single edged war knife with a longer blade, a longer grip and knife style construction. The bastard sword thrusts better, the kriegsmesser cuts heavier.

How long does shipping take?

Shipping is free within the United States and stock pieces normally arrive five to seven business days after dispatch. Engraved or made to order swords add three to four weeks.

What is in the box

• One hand forged 1095 high carbon steel bastard sword, 41 inches overall
• One leather scabbard
• Care card covering oiling, storage and sharpening a long double edge
• Your Elder Futhark rune line or chosen pattern, if engraving was ordered
• Forged and finished in Memphis, Tennessee

Explore the range

See the other bastard swords, the messers and falchions, the full sword range and the Damascus swords, or read the guides.