Help Center

Battling Blades designs and sells swords, machetes, axes and knives.  Many are considered to be "Battle Ready."  We strive to design and create products with the highest quality metals, bone, wood, and leather.  We pride ourselves on craftsmanship and have special interest in customer service.  We are a family owned and operated businesses and take great pride in the quality of our work.

Payment can be made using any major credit card through our verified PayPal checkout system.  Your credit card information is 100% secure.  If you do not have a PayPal account, you can pay via a regular credit card processing system.  Just scroll down when reaching the PayPal checkout and select "Pay with Credit Card."

The best way to contact us is through email at info@battlingblades.com.  You can also use the link below to access our contact form.  We will usually answer within 1-2 business days.

https://battlingblades.com/pages/contact-us

Battle Ready is a general term used to describe swords that can withstand contact.  To be Battle Ready, a blade must be made with high quality steel.  Generally, high carbon steel is best.  Battle Ready swords are typically full tang or have reinforced guards, pommels, or handles.  Unless otherwise specified, all of our blades are made with high carbon steel.

Damascus Steel is layered or pattern welded steel.  Different types of steel are layered together, heated, and folded or pattern welded.  This allows beautiful patterning to be shown on the blades while staying strong and sharp.  Although the process can vary based on available supply, our steel has 352 layers and is made with 11 pieces of steel.  The steel includes 3 pieces of #43 steel, 3 pieces of #40 steel, and 5 pieces of high carbon 1095 steel.  Our Damascus Steel is typically made through the following method:

          6 Pieces of Carbon Steel #43 and #40

          5 Pieces of High Carbon Steel 1095

          1st Fold- 11x2=22 Layers

          2nd Fold- 22*2=44 Layers

          3rd Fold- 44*2=88 Layers

          4th Fold- 88*2=176 Layers

          5th Fold- 176*2=352 Layers

If it is made any other way, the hardness and flexibility will match this steel combination.  If you have a steel construction request, please contact us before purchasing.

1095 Steel is a form of carbon steel, and is commonly used in swords, knives, and railroad spikes. It has a carbon content of .95% which hardens the steel.  This reduces the amount of wear that a blade will experience over time.  Other common types of carbon steel include 1060 steel and 1045 steel.  Steel under 1045 is considered "low carbon" steel.

It depends what you are looking for in your blades.  Damascus steel is beautiful and strong, yet flexible.  The flexibility prevents breakage of the blade, but the edge will wear faster than 1095 steel.  1095 steel lacks flexibility which allows a blade to keep a sharp edge, but does not have much flexibility which can cause the steel to fracture.  Clay tempering can reduce the hardness of the steel to increase the flexibility while maintaining a strong edge.  Both types are steel will require enormous force to break but all blades, no matter how strong, can break.

Rockwell Hardness, or the Rockwell scale, is a hardness scale based on indentation hardness of the steel. The Rockwell test determines hardness by measuring the depth of penetration of an indenter under a large load compared to the penetration made by a preload.  When testing metals, indentation hardness correlates directly with tensile strength.  This important relation permits nondestructive testing of metals with portable equipment.  Higher Rockwell Hardness indicates stronger steel, but also indicates less flexible steel.  

Yes, many of our 1095 steel swords, other than katanas, are intended for theatre.  If you need a theatre sword, please ask!

Nearly all are handmade but not all.  Originally, all of our blades were handmade, but we have expanded into newer designs that are occasionally machine made.  If you require a handmade blade, please ask!

Yes!  We love making custom swords!  Our order minimum on customization is $500.  We either create a design you make or we can make a new design for you.  Just send us an email at info@battlingblades.com to get more information about customization.

Yes!  We also love making custom knives!  Our order minimum for custom knives is $300.  We either create a design you make or we can make a new design for you.  Just send us an email at info@battlingblades.com to get more information about customization.

The most important factor is keeping it dry and well oiled.  Choji oil is best but mineral or coconut oil also works well.  Food safe oils are recommended for knives.  Leather sheaths can absorb water so it is best to keep it out of the sheath whenever possible.  If rust does appear on the blade, it can be wiped off using a 50/50 vinegar and lime mix.  After it is cleaned, re-coat the blade in oil for storage.

The average time of arrival is 3-4 business days after shipping but please allow up to ten business days due to variant shipping speeds.  Shipping times have been very slow lately due to recent current events so please be patient after getting a tracking update.

Every item we sell is handmade and we hold some in stock.  If you purchase a less popular item or we are out of stock, it may take up to twelve weeks to arrive.  If you need an item before a certain date, please contact us at info@battlingblades.com to make sure we can deliver on time.

Yes!  

Returns are completely free and very easy.  Just go to our return center, enter your order number, and you will receive instruction for an approved return within two business days.

You can return your item within 30 days of receiving your item.  For more information on returns, please follow the link below:  

https://battlingblades.com/pages/refund-policy

To access our return center, please follow the link below:

https://return.clicksit.com/shop/battling-blades

The longsword, also known as long sword or long-sword, is a type of European sword characterized by a cruciform hilt with a two handed with a straight double-edged blade.  The longsword was prevalent during the late medieval and Renaissance periods (approximately 1350 to 1550), with early and late use reaching the 13th and 17th centuries.  The term bastard sword is used to identify the longsword during the late medieval and Renaissance period.

A cutlass (also known as the pirate sword) is a short, broad sabre or slashing sword, with a straight or slightly curved blade sharpened on the cutting edge, and a hilt often featuring a solid cupped or basket-shaped guard. It was a common naval weapon during the Age of Sail.  The cutlasses are famous for being used by pirates.  Pirates used these weapons for intimidation as much as for combat.  Often no more than to gripping their hilts induced a crew to surrender.  They also used the flat of the blade to force compliance or responsiveness during interrogation.

The Gurkha knife is a Nepalese blade with an inward curvature.  The knife is similar to a machete and can be used as both a tool and a weapon.  The Gurkha knife remains the basic utility weapon of the Nepalese people.  It is also used by the the Royal Gurkha Rifles of the British Army, Nepalese Army, Assam Rifles, Gorkha regiments of the Indian Army, and of all Gurkha regiments worldwide.  Due to the worldwide regiment use, the weapon acquired the English name “Gurkha blade” or “Gurkha knife”. The Gurkha knife often appears in Nepalese heraldry and is used in many traditional rituals.

Gladius swords were used to describe the primary sword of Ancient Roman foot soldiers. Gladius is Latin for sword. Early ancient Roman swords were similar to those of the Greeks. From the 3rd century BC, the Romans adopted swords similar to those used by the Celtiberians. The also adopted various versions of the sword during their conquest of Hispania. These swords were known as the gladius hispaniensis, or Hispanic Sword. Conventionally, soldiers threw javelins to disable the enemy's shields and disrupt formations before engaging in close combat where the primary weapon was the gladius sword. A soldier generally led with the shield and thrust with the sword. All gladius types appear to have been suitable for cutting and chopping as well as thrusting.

Historically, katana (also known and samurai) swords were one of the Japanese weapons that were used by the samurai of ancient and feudal Japan.  The katana is characterized by its distinctive appearance with a curved, single-edged blade, a circular or squared guard, and long two-handed grip.  Western historians have said that katana were among the finest cutting weapons in world military history.

The longsword, also known as long sword or long-sword, is a type of European sword characterized by a cruciform hilt with a two handed with a straight double-edged blade.  The longsword was prevalent during the late medieval and Renaissance periods (approximately 1350 to 1550), with early and late use reaching the 13th and 17th centuries.  The term bastard sword is used to identify the longsword during the late medieval and Renaissance period.

The rapier sword is a loose term for a type of slender, sharply pointed sword. The rapier is optimized to be a thrusting weapon, but can also be used for cutting or slashing. This weapon was mainly used in Early Modern Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries.

A scimitar sword is a sabre or backsword with a curved blade, originating in the Middle East.  The curved sword or "scimitar" was common throughout the Middle East. The sabre, also spelled saber, is a backsword with a curved blade from the light cavalry of the Early Modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with the Central-Eastern European cavalry such as the Hussars, the sabre became widespread in Western Europe during the Thirty Years' War via the Croat light cavalry.  Lighter sabre’s also became popular with infantry divisions of the late 17th century. In the 19th century, models less curvature in the blades became common and were also used by heavy cavalry.

The scimitar sword is a backsword or sabre with a curved blade, originating in the Middle East.  The scimitar was widespread throughout the Middle East from at least the Ottoman period, with early examples dating to the 9th century.  There is debate on the origins of the word scimitar.  The Arabic term saif is likely to be derived from the same source as Greek xiphos (the straight, double-edged sword of Greek antiquity).  The Persian sword now called shamshir appeared in the 12th century and was popularized in Persia by the early 16th century.

The Viking sword (also known as the Viking age sword) or Carolingian sword is the type of sword prevalent in Western and Northern Europe during the Early Middle Ages.  The Viking sword developed in the 8th century from the Merovingian sword and was the primary sword used by the Scandinavian based Viking people.

The Han Jian sword is a double-edged straight sword stemming from the Han dynasty. These differ from the second common Chinese style sword call the Dao sword which are curved blade swords from the Song dynasty forward. The jian sword is similar to the European longsword while the dao can be compared to a saber or a knife. Originally, jian swords were made of bronze and first appeared during the mid-third century BC. During the late Warring State period, the material of the sword was switched to wrought iron and steel and adopted its modern look. The jian sword was primarily used by a class of swordsmen who made their living through fencing. Sword fencing was also a popular pastime for aristocrats. A 37-chapter manual known as the Way of the Jian is known to have existed but has since been lost. Outside of China, Chinese swords were also used in Japan from the third to sixth century AD but were replaced with Korean and native Japanese swords by the middle Heian era. Other than specialized weapons like the Divided Dao, Chinese swords are typically between 27 and 43 inches in length.