Stormcairn Hand Forged Damascus Arming Sword | 37 Inch Overall with 30 Inch Blade | Collector and Display Gift | RK-1301

The Damascus arming sword sits at the centre of the whole European sword tradition. Take a straight double edged blade about thirty inches long, put a simple cross guard at one end and a heavy round pommel at the other, and you have the weapon that carried on almost unchanged from the ninth century Viking sword through the knightly single hander of the high middle ages. Ewart Oakeshott built his entire typology around blades of this family, and the reason it lasted so long is that there is very little left to improve. It cuts, it thrusts, it parries, and it does all three without asking you to choose in advance.

This one is built from forge welded Damascus. The billet is 1095 and 15N20 welded in alternating layers, drawn out and folded, then forged into a blade with a broad central fuller and hardened to 58 to 60 HRC. The pattern runs the full thickness of the steel. Everything is made by hand in Memphis, Tennessee. The hilt is a straight steel cross, a warm hardwood grip and a large disc pommel. It ships in a leather scabbard, and shipping inside the United States is free.

Specifications

What the fuller does, and what it does not

The groove running down the centre of this blade is a fuller. It is not a blood groove, and it has nothing to do with suction, breaking a vacuum or any of the other stories that circulate. It is a stiffening rib in reverse, and the principle is exactly the same as the one behind an I beam.

When a blade bends, the steel at the surfaces does almost all the work in tension and compression, while the steel in the middle of the section contributes very little. Hollowing out that middle takes away weight without taking away much strength. A fullered blade of the same width and length as a flat one is significantly lighter and only slightly less stiff, which means it accelerates faster and recovers quicker. On a pattern welded blade the fuller does something else as well. Grinding into the layers exposes them at a shallow angle, so the pattern gathers into swirls and eyes along the groove where the flats show straighter banding. What you are seeing is the internal geometry of the billet made visible.

Why Damascus and not stainless

Two steels are used in this workshop. Plain blades are 1095 high carbon steel at 54 to 58 HRC. Damascus blades like this one are 1095 and 15N20 forge welded and taken to 58 to 60 HRC. There is nothing else.

The pairing works because the two steels weld cleanly to one another and behave differently in acid. 1095 darkens in the etch and 15N20, with roughly two percent nickel, stays bright, so the layers separate visually. The nickel also toughens the billet, which is what allows the extra couple of points of hardness over a plain blade without making the sword fragile. Stainless steel cannot be used. Its chromium content prevents a sound forge weld, it will not etch into contrast, and in a thirty inch blade the chromium carbides are a real fracture risk. The price of choosing carbon steel is that it will rust if it is neglected. See Damascus versus stainless.

The hardwood grip and disc pommel

The grip is a warm toned hardwood, shaped to a slim oval and fitted over the tang between the steel cross and a large disc pommel. The disc is deliberately heavy. On a thirty inch blade the pommel is what pulls the balance point back toward the hand, and without enough mass there the sword would feel nose heavy and slow. With it, the point comes back on line almost by itself.

Keep the wood out of direct sun and away from dry heat, and put a little oil into it once or twice a year so the grain does not shrink and let the guard work loose. Our wooden handle care guide has the routine.

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. On a fullered Damascus blade the usual place for a rune line is the flat beside the fuller, where the cut reads bright against the etched pattern. See the engraving page.

Care and sharpening

Etched Damascus wants a light film of oil at all times, because the acid that reveals the pattern also opens the surface slightly. Wipe the blade after handling and pay attention to the fuller, where oil and dust collect. Never use abrasive polish, wire wool or a rust eraser on the flats, as that will lift the etch and flatten the pattern permanently. Our steel care page explains how to deal with spots safely.

Sharpening does not touch the pattern on the flats. Work in sections along each edge on a medium stone, keeping the existing bevel and counting passes so both sides stay symmetrical, then refine on a fine stone and remove the burr. Go carefully at the point where the edges converge. See sharpening with a whetstone.

Forged in Memphis

The billet is stacked, welded and drawn out here in Memphis, Tennessee. The blade is forged, the fuller is ground, and the heat treat, straightening, etch and hilting all happen in the same shop, with the scabbard cut and stitched alongside. Nothing is drop shipped from an importer catalogue. A fullered Damascus blade of this length is one of the slower builds we do, so allow four to five weeks if it has to be made. Stock swords leave in two to three business days 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 Damascus figure is unique to each billet, so the swirls along your fuller and the banding on your flats belong to your sword alone. Grip grain, leather tone and the exact profile of the point vary too, because every part is worked by hand from natural materials. Dimensions, steel, layer count and hardness stay the same. The character does not.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Damascus genuine forge welded steel?

Yes. The blade is made from a billet of 1095 and 15N20 welded, drawn and folded, so the pattern goes through the full thickness. Grinding into it would show more of the same structure.

Is it sharp and can it cut?

It arrives sharp on both edges and it is a working sword, full tang and peened at the pommel. Tatami, bottles and light green wood are all within its range. It is not built for steel to steel sparring.

Is the groove a blood groove?

No. It is a fuller, and its job is to remove weight from the middle of the section where the steel does least work, in the same way an I beam is hollow in the web. It makes the sword lighter and faster.

Can I have runes cut into the blade?

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

Will my pattern match the photograph?

It will be the same style and contrast, but the exact figure is unique to each billet. Layer count, dimensions and hardness are consistent every time.

How long does delivery take?

Shipping is free within the United States and stock pieces arrive five to seven business days after dispatch. A made to order fullered Damascus sword takes four to five weeks before it ships.

What is in the box

• One hand forged 1095 and 15N20 Damascus arming sword, 37 inches overall
• One leather scabbard
• Care card written specifically for etched Damascus
• 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 Damascus swords, the bastard swords, the messers and the full sword range, or read the guides.