Wyrmtide Hand Forged 1095 Steel Flame Bladed Longsword with Matching Dagger | 43 Inch Sword and 15 Inch Dagger | Rune Etched Ricasso and Leather Wrapped Grips | Norse Collector Gift | RK-1751

The Wyrmtide is a two piece set built around a flame bladed longsword and a dagger ground to the same wavy profile. The undulating edge, known to collectors as a flamberge, runs from the ricasso to within a hand span of the point, and the ricasso is sleeved in stitched brown leather with a line of Elder Futhark runes etched into the flat just below it. The hilt is a straight steel crossguard with knobbed ends and a pair of side rings, a long leather wrapped grip and a faceted pommel, so the sword can be worked one handed or with both hands crowded on the grip.

The flame blade is usually assumed to be pure decoration and it is not. A wavy edge presents more cutting surface within the same blade length, and when a flame blade meets another blade in a bind it judders instead of sliding cleanly, which was said to spoil the feel a fencer relies on. Sixteenth century German makers used the profile on two handed swords and on parrying daggers for that reason before it drifted into ceremonial use. Every Wyrmtide is forged, ground, heat treated and finished by hand in the Czech Republic, and it ships as a matched pair with both pieces polished to the same standard and a certificate of the lifetime warranty against defects. Kept with the flame bladed swords, and worth setting against the longswords before you decide.

Specifications

What the wavy edge actually does

Set a straight edge and a flame edge side by side at the same length and lay a string along each one. The flame edge takes more string, because the curve doubles back on itself again and again. That extra edge length is doing two things. It gives you more steel in contact with whatever you are cutting for the same reach, and it changes the angle at which the edge meets the target with every inch of travel, so a draw cut bites at a slightly different attitude along its length rather than skating.

The second effect only shows up when the blade meets another blade. A smooth flat rides along an opposing edge quietly. A flame edge catches, releases, catches again, and the vibration travels straight up the opposing blade into the hand. Period fencing manuals talk about reading pressure through the bind, and a blade that chatters is a blade that is hard to read. The dagger in this set is cut to the same profile for exactly the same reason, because a parrying dagger lives in the bind more than the sword does.

The steel and the heat treat

Both pieces are forged from 1095 high carbon steel and taken to 54 to 58 HRC. That band is deliberately chosen for a long blade. Push a sword much harder than 58 and you buy edge retention at the cost of toughness, which is the wrong trade in a blade three feet long that flexes when it is handled. At 54 to 58 the steel takes and holds a working edge, springs back rather than taking a set, and can be dressed with a stone rather than needing a grinder.

1095 is a simple carbon steel with no chromium in it, which is why it takes the fine satin polish you see in the photograph and why it will rust if you leave it wet. The rune panel below the ricasso is acid etched into the flat and then the surrounding steel is brought back to polish, so the runes sit slightly below the surface and will not wear off with handling.

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, the leather or the wood. 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 where it goes. Where a piece already carries an engraved design, your chosen engraving replaces it rather than sitting alongside it. On the Wyrmtide that means your line takes the place of the existing rune panel at the ricasso, and you can also ask for a short line on the dagger. Full details of what we can cut and how deep are on the engraving page.

Handling and balance

The point of balance sits roughly four inches ahead of the crossguard, which is where a cutting longsword wants to be. Further forward and the sword hits harder but recovers slowly. Further back and it feels quick in the hand and dead in the cut. Four inches is the compromise that lets you throw a cut and bring the point back on line without fighting the weight.

The grip is long enough for two hands, and the side rings on the crossguard give you somewhere to hook a finger if you prefer a longer reach with one hand. Take the weight in the pinky and ring fingers and keep the index loose. A sword gripped tight in all four fingers will not turn in the hand and every cut becomes a chop. This is a forged and heat treated sword with a real edge, not a wall hanger, but it is not intended for full contact sparring against another steel blade and we do not sell it for sparring.

Care

1095 rusts. Wipe both blades down after handling, because fingerprints are slightly acidic and will etch a shadow into a polished flat within a week in a humid room. A light coat of mineral oil, camellia oil or a purpose made blade oil is enough. Store the sword horizontally or point down rather than point up, so any oil that migrates does not pool in the grip and soak the leather. Feed the leather grip once or twice a year with a neutral leather conditioner. If a rust bloom does appear, take it off with a soft brass brush and oil rather than sandpaper. There is more detail on our steel care page.

Made in the Czech Republic

This piece is made by hand in the Czech Republic, in a workshop that still works the old way. The steel is forged, ground, heat treated and finished by smiths who learned the trade from the people before them, and the wood, horn and leather are cut and fitted by hand rather than pressed out on a line. That is also why no two pieces come out exactly the same.

Ransack Viking is a United States company. We import these pieces ourselves, check every one when it lands and ship from our warehouse in Chicago, Illinois. Engraving is done here in the United States after the piece arrives, so your runes or your own design go on before it leaves for you.

A note on handmade variation

These are made by hand and not by machine or in bulk, so what arrives will not be a pixel for pixel copy of the photograph. The waves in the flame edge are ground by eye and no two blades carry them at exactly the same spacing. Hammer texture, the depth of the etch, the tone of the leather wrap and the exact profile of the pommel all move a little from piece to piece because each one is worked by hand. The dimensions, the steel and the build are the same every time. The character is not, and that is the point of buying something forged rather than stamped. We wrote up the types of daggers separately, and there is a piece on how to hang a blade on a wall as well.

Frequently asked questions

Is the sword sharp when it arrives

Yes. Both the sword and the dagger arrive with a working edge that will cut paper and light targets. If you would rather have a blunted edge for display or for handling around a household with children, say so in the order notes and we will ship it with a rolled edge instead at no extra cost.

Can I use this for sparring

No. It is a forged and heat treated sword with a real edge, and it is fine for cutting practice on soft targets, for collection and for display. It is not a blunt trainer and it should never be used in full contact sparring against another person or another steel blade.

Does it come with a scabbard

No. The Wyrmtide ships as the sword and the matching dagger. A flame blade needs a scabbard cut to its own waves to fit properly, so we build those to order rather than including a generic one. Contact us if you want one made for your sword.

Will it rust in storage

Only if you let it. 1095 has no chromium in it and needs a film of oil between the steel and the air. Oiled and stored somewhere with stable humidity it will keep its polish for years. Left damp in a basement it will spot within a month.

Can I get my own runes on it

Yes. The rune converter on this page turns a name, a date or a short phrase into Elder Futhark and we cut it into the blade in place of the standard panel. You can also send a Viking pattern of your own instead of a rune line.

How long before it ships

Processing takes one to two weeks because the sword is made rather than picked from a shelf. Custom engraving adds a few days. Shipping inside the United States is free and returns are accepted within seven days.

What is in the box

• Wyrmtide flame bladed longsword in 1095 high carbon steel
• Matching flame bladed dagger, same steel and same finish
• Care sheet with oiling and storage instructions
• Lifetime warranty against defects in forging, grind, heat treat and fittings
• Forged and finished in the Czech Republic

Explore the range

See the rest of the longswords, the full range of swords, our daggers, and the guides for how these blades are heat treated.

Close to this one

In the same category sits the Flamewake flamberge sword. A near match for this one is the Flamewave flamberge sword, pattern welded Damascus. Closest to this in the range is the Scrollward flamberge sword, 36 inches overall.

Fitting out further, the Grimhook zweihander belongs with it. Nothing here exactly right, build one to your own spec on the custom Viking sword page.

If sparring is on your mind, the Vulkbrand flame bladed greatsword is made for that job, and our intro to HEMA is a useful next stop.