Build a Custom Sword
This is a commission page. You set the sword type, the steel, the blade length and thickness, the fittings, the scabbard and the engraving in the tool below, and the piece is then made to that spec. Nothing here is pulled off a shelf.
Once you order, the build sheet goes to the workshop. Forging, fitting and finishing take 4 to 6 weeks. The finished sword then comes to North Babylon, New York, where it is checked over and shipped from.
Work down the steps in order. Each one tells you what it changes about the sword you end up holding. Engraving is set near the end of the tool and is done in the United States.
How a commission runs
- You build the spec. Work down the tool above and choose the type, the steel, the blade dimensions, the fuller, the fittings, the scabbard and any engraving. That build sheet is what gets made.
- You order. Ordering locks the spec. Because the sword is made to your own choices it is not returnable, the same way an engraved piece is not returnable. Read the sheet back before you pay.
- The workshop makes it. Blades are forged, not cast. The steel is shaped, hardened and ground, the fittings are set and the sword is sharpened. The scabbard is made last so it fits that blade. This takes 4 to 6 weeks.
- It is checked and shipped. The sword arrives in North Babylon, New York. The edge, the seating of the guard and pommel, and the scabbard fit are looked at here, then it ships from there.
Picking the type
The Norse and medieval European group covers the Viking sword, the arming sword, the longsword, the broadsword and the claymore. The Viking sword and the arming sword are one handed, broad and fairly short, the shape that went with a shield. The longsword and the claymore are longer and take two hands, with a grip long enough to work the point at the far end. The broadsword sits between them, wide and front heavy.
The Japanese group is the katana and the wakizashi. Both are curved, single edged and made to cut. The katana is the long one, held with both hands. The wakizashi is the shorter companion blade, easier to keep on a stand or handle indoors.
The gladius is Roman, short, straight and stiff, made for close work behind a large shield.
The rapier is a thrusting blade, long and narrow with its mass kept back near the hand. The scimitar is slim and deeply curved. The falchion is short, wide and heavy at the front, closer to a cleaver in profile.
If you want to see the finished versions of these before you commission one, the swords collection holds them all.
Blade, fuller and balance
A fuller is the groove ground down the flat of the blade. It takes steel out of the middle of the cross section, where it does the least work. The blade comes out lighter without losing much stiffness. It is not a blood groove and it has no effect on a cut. What it changes is weight and where the weight sits.
Length and thickness do the rest. A longer blade puts more mass further from your hand, so it swings wide, turns slowly and asks more of the wrist and forearm to hold steady at arm’s length. A shorter blade comes back on line quickly. Thickness adds stiffness and weight through the whole blade, which suits a broad cutting shape more than a narrow thrusting one.
Pick length against your own reach and against where the sword will live. A long two handed blade needs a wall or a floor stand.
Fittings and the scabbard
On a European blade the crossguard is the bar across the base of the blade. It stops the hand running forward and adds weight at the balance point, so a heavy guard pulls the feel of the sword back toward you. On a katana or wakizashi that place is held by the tsuba, a plate between the blade and the grip.
Grip wrap is leather or cord over the core. It decides how the sword sits in a closed hand and how much it slides.
The pommel is a counterweight at the end of the grip. It pulls the balance point back toward the hand, and a heavy one on a long blade makes the sword feel shorter than it measures.
The scabbard is cut and fitted to the finished blade rather than to a standard size, so it is made last. Leather color is yours to choose. Shaped to that one blade, it will not fit another sword.
Display sword or sparring sword
These are made sharp, and they are built to be looked at, handled and collected. Nothing on this page is rated or proofed for contact fighting, sparring, re-enactment, cutting drills against other steel, or any edge on edge contact. There is no test standard behind them saying otherwise.
Steel hardened to hold an edge chips when it is struck edge to edge. A sword built for contact is a different object, left softer, thicker through the edge and blunt. That is not what is made here.
Handle a sharp sword accordingly and store it in the scabbard or on a stand. Local law decides what you can own and carry where you live, so check before you order.
Questions
How long does a commission take?
4 to 6 weeks in the workshop. After that the sword is checked in North Babylon, New York and shipped from there.
What steel can I choose?
Plain 1095 high carbon, hardened to 54 to 58 HRC, or Damascus forge welded from 1095 and 15N20, hardened to 58 to 60 HRC. Both are forged, not cast.
What does engraving cost?
A name, a date or a line of text is $19. Elder Futhark runes are $19. A Norse symbol is $39. A family crest is $49, and the artwork for it is asked for at checkout. Engraving is done in the United States.
Can I return a commissioned sword?
No. A piece made to your own spec is not returnable, the same as an engraved piece. The lifetime warranty still covers defects with no end date.
Where are these made?
The swords are handmade in the Czech Republic by the workshop. Engraving is done in the United States. The company is in North Babylon, New York, and orders ship from there.
Where to go next
If you would rather buy a sword that is already made, start with swords, Viking swords or Damascus swords. A sword needs somewhere to sit, which is what sword stands and displays are for. For a larger order, see wholesale and group orders. You can also build a custom Viking axe or a custom Damascus knife.