Arming Swords

The arming sword is the knight’s sword — the straight, double-edged, one-handed blade worn at the side of every armored man of the High Middle Ages, from roughly 1300 to 1450. Built to pair with a shield or buckler, quick enough to control with one hand, and balanced by the crossguard-and-pommel architecture that gave the medieval sword its iconic cross silhouette, the arming sword is the shape most people picture when they hear the word “sword” at all.

Our arming swords keep the historical proportions — one-handed grips, cruciform guards, overall lengths consistent with surviving 14th- and 15th-century originals in museum collections — and interpret them across steels and styles: traditional 1095 high-carbon, layered Damascus with one-of-a-kind patterns, and low-maintenance stainless steel for display. Every sword ships sharpened with a sheath included.

Arming Sword, Knightly Sword, Knight’s Sword — Same Blade

The names all describe the same weapon. “Arming sword” is the collector’s term, “knightly sword” the historian’s, and “knight’s sword” the plain one — a one-handed medieval sword, distinct from the longer two-handed longsword and the in-between bastard sword. If you’re outfitting a wall, the arming sword is where the medieval collection starts.

Prefer two hands? See our longswords and bastard swords, or build your own custom sword.