Our Anglo-Saxon Sword is a great example of the type of weapon wielded by the warriors of the late 10th and early 11th Century. It is based on the Wandsworth Sword found in the Thames River in two pieces, a year apart and now resides in the fantastic London Museum.
Anglo-Saxon Sword by Arms & Armor Inc.
Swords of this form where the sidearm of elite fighters in the constant warfare of the period. Armor was rare being limited to mail shirts and helms for the highest status leaders. This is an exceptional example of the type of sword that would have had a shield as a constant companion. The shield and sword both being used in an offensive manner and creating a formidable challenge to any warrior of the period.
The understanding we have today of how this combat looked and was conducted is exceptional compared to just a few decades ago. Sources such as Hurstwic and Dimicator have lead us to a deeper knowledge of the exceptional skill talent and training these fighters would have been capable of.
Anglo-Saxon Sword with custom wire bound grip
This wide bladed Type X sword is a great cutter and feels exceptional in the hand. It has a peened construction and is finished with an excellent edge. The grip is usually finished in thin leather skived to a hard wood grip.
If you are interested in early Medieval Swords this would be a great choice for your collection. It might even have been an ancestor who lost it so many years ago on the Thames, wouldn't it be nice to bring one home :-). Check out our spotlight video and let us know if you need one.
Nathan Clough, Ph.D. is Vice President of Arms and Armor and a member of the governing board of The Oakeshott Institute. He is a historical martial artist and a former university professor of cultural geography. He has given presentations on historical arms at events including Longpoint and Combatcon, and presented scholarly papers at, among others, The International Congress on Medieval Studies.
Craig Johnson is the Production Manager of Arms and Armor and Secretary of The Oakeshott Institute. He has taught and published on the history of arms, armor and western martial arts for over 30 years. He has lectured at several schools and Universities, WMAW, HEMAC, 4W, and ICMS at Kalamazoo. His experiences include iron smelting, jousting, theatrical combat instruction and choreography, historical research, European martial arts and crafting weapons and armor since 1985