A single edged sword sharpens one side and leaves the other as a thick spine. That spine is the whole point: it lets you make the blade heavier toward the tip without making it fragile, so the cut lands with authority. Europe called the results falchions and messers, China called them dao, and they all solved the same problem the same way.
What is on the page
The falchions run 29 to 31 inches overall with 23 to 25 inch blades, including one with a dark hardwood grip and a brass cross guard and pommel, one in Damascus, a rune engraved Damascus piece, one with a faceted steel pommel and an etched raven, and a Viking falchion with an engraved valknut. The messers are the German answer and sit slightly longer at 31 to 33 inches with blades from 24.5 to 26 inches, covering grosse messer, langes messer and a Damascus version. The two Chinese dao are 35 and 36 inches overall with 26 and 27 inch blades, one straight backed. There is also a broad curved Viking scimitar at 36 inches with a knotwork engraved crossguard, a sawback short sword at 24 inches with an upswept clip point, a rune sword at 38 inches with a sawtooth spine and Elder Futhark etching, and a Damascus short sword with a serrated spine and a notched guard. Steel is plain 1095 high carbon at 54 to 58 HRC or forge welded 1095 and 15N20 Damascus at 58 to 60 HRC, and nearly all ship with a fitted leather scabbard. Prices run from 319 dollars to 520 dollars.
Sharpening one side
A single edge is easier to maintain than a double one, but the curved bellies here need the stone to follow the arc rather than sit flat. Our notes on sharpening a curved blade cover the technique. To shop by family, the European cleaver shape is in falchions, the German ones are in messers, and the Chinese blades are in jian and dao swords.
Ransack Viking is a US company based in Chicago, Illinois. These pieces are handmade in the Czech Republic, then imported, inspected and shipped from Chicago. Engraving is done in the US after arrival: text 19 dollars, symbol 39 dollars, family crest 49 dollars.
Free US shipping
On most pieces. Heavier and oversized ones carry a flat charge.
Hand Forged
Heated, hammered and ground by hand.
Engraving available
Names, dates or Norse runes on most pieces.
