Beakcrown Hand Forged Damascus Longsword | 44 Inch Overall | Black Leather Grip and Raven Etched Pommel with Down Swept Second Guard and Brown Leather Scabbard | Knightly Gift | RK-2102

The Beakcrown is a hand and a half longsword with a pattern welded Damascus blade, a black leather hilt and a raven cut into the face of the pommel. What sets it apart from a plain knightly sword is the hilt architecture. There is a full width straight crossguard partway down the hilt, and then a second, smaller down swept guard sitting where the leather meets the steel. The section of grip between the two is meant to be held directly, which turns the sword into a very different tool depending on where your hands go.

That idea is older than most people assume. Fifteenth century fencing manuscripts are full of fighters gripping the blade itself in armoured combat, a technique now usually called half swording, and longer swords of the period often carried a second pair of small guards to give the forward hand something to work against. This one is made by hand in the Czech Republic. Ransack Viking imports it, checks the hilt assembly and the etch before it goes on the shelf, and ships it from our Memphis, Tennessee warehouse with the brown leather scabbard shown.

Two hands on the grip changes everything about how a sword moves, and how to buy a first sword covers what to weigh. The raven is Odin’s bird before it is anything else, and the two ravens sets out the sources. For a grip that takes one hand or two, look at the bastard swords.

Specifications

Two guards and what the space between them is for

On an ordinary longsword your hands go behind the crossguard and stay there. Here you have a choice. Both hands behind the main guard gives you the long lever and the wide reach that a longsword is famous for, with the pommel counterweighting the blade. Move your leading hand forward, past the crossguard and onto the short section of leather between the two guards, and the sword shortens dramatically in the bind. The lower down swept guard is what stops that hand sliding onto the edge, and the straight guard above becomes something you can push and lever against.

Historically the small forward guards on great swords and longswords were called parrying hooks, and they existed exactly because fighters kept choking up on the blade. It is a reminder that a longsword was never only a swinging sword. In armour, where a cut does almost nothing against plate, the useful attacks are thrusts into gaps and strikes with the pommel and guard, and every one of those is easier with a shortened grip.

Pattern welded Damascus and what the lines actually are

The blade is forge welded from alternating layers of 1095 and 15N20, drawn out, folded and welded again, then ground and etched. The pattern is not printed or applied. It is a cross section through the layer stack, and the reason you can see it at all is chemistry. 15N20 carries about two percent nickel, which resists the acid etch, so those layers stay bright while the 1095 layers darken. The swirls follow wherever the smith moved the steel, which is why the pattern crowds and stretches along the fullers and around the tip.

It is hardened to 58 to 60 HRC, a touch harder than a plain carbon blade of the same size, because the layered structure is more tolerant of that hardness than a monosteel blade would be. Both steels in the mix are simple carbon steels, so this is not stainless. It wants oil.

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 Beakcrown the raven on the pommel is that existing design, and the broad flat of the crossguard is the other natural place for a name or a date. Engraving is done here in the United States after the piece arrives. Read more on the engraving page.

Handling and balance

A longsword this length balances two to three inches ahead of the main guard, which is close enough to your hands that it feels alive rather than heavy. The long grip means small movements of the rear hand produce large movements at the tip, so the sword rewards a light rear hand and a firm leading one. The teardrop pommel is substantial and sits in the heel of your palm on a two handed grip.

This is a hand forged sword with a real edge, built for display, for collectors and for controlled cutting practice on soft targets. It is not offered as a full contact sparring sword and should not be crossed with another steel blade.

Care

Damascus made from carbon steels rusts, and rust on an etched blade is worse than rust on a plain one because pitting eats the contrast out of the pattern. Wipe the blade after every handling session, keep a thin coat of mineral or camellia oil on it, and do not store it in the leather scabbard for long periods. If the etch ever looks flat, a careful wipe with a mild acid such as diluted vinegar and then a full neutralise, dry and oil will bring the contrast back. Feed the scabbard and the grip with leather balm two or three times a year. Full instructions are in our steel care notes.

Damascus wants oil more than plain steel does, because the etch that shows the pattern also opens the surface, and caring for a Damascus pattern covers what to use.

Made in the Czech Republic

The Beakcrown is made by hand in the Czech Republic. Nothing about it is drop shipped from an importer catalogue. Ransack Viking buys these outright, brings them into the United States, unpacks and inspects each sword for hilt tightness, edge geometry and etch quality, and holds stock in our Memphis, Tennessee warehouse. Forging and folding a Damascus blade of this length is slow work, so allow one to two weeks of processing before your order ships. United States shipping is free. Every piece carries our lifetime warranty against defects in forging, grind, heat treat and fittings, with no end date and no receipt needed.

A note on handmade variation

This is hand made rather than machine made or bulk produced, so what arrives will not be a pixel for pixel copy of the photograph. Damascus especially never repeats. The layer count is the same but the way the pattern falls across the flats, the density of the swirl near the tip and the depth of the etch all vary from blade to blade. The leather takes dye unevenly, the raven sits a fraction differently on each pommel, and the profile of the guards moves slightly. The dimensions, the steels, the heat treat and the build are the same every time. The pattern is unique to your sword.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Damascus real or is it an etched pattern on plain steel

It is genuine pattern welded steel, forge welded from 1095 and 15N20. The pattern runs through the blade rather than sitting on the surface, which is why it continues across the bevels and into the edge.

Can I hold it with one hand

Yes, that is what hand and a half means. One handed it is nose heavy but manageable, and the long grip lets you add the second hand for a cut and drop it again.

Is it sharp out of the box

It arrives with a cutting edge. Ask in your order notes for a blunt edge if you want it for reenactment display and we will roll the edge before shipping.

Will the pattern wear off

No. It is structural. Polishing will dull the contrast over years of handling, and a light re etch restores it.

Does it come with a belt or hanger

It comes with the brown leather scabbard shown. No belt or suspension rig is included.

How long does shipping take

Processing runs one to two weeks, then free shipping inside the United States. Returns are accepted within seven days of delivery.

What is in the box

• Beakcrown longsword with a 1095 and 15N20 pattern welded Damascus blade
• Black leather grip, straight crossguard and second down swept guard
• Teardrop pommel with an etched raven
• Brown leather scabbard
• Lifetime warranty against defects in forging, grind, heat treat and fittings
• Hand made in the Czech Republic, shipped from our Memphis, Tennessee warehouse

Explore the range

See the rest of the longswords, the full Damascus swords range and everything under swords. For steel, sharpening and history reading, start with the guides.