Medieval Weapons

A thousand years separate the Viking raids from the last battles fought in full plate, and the weapons changed with the armour they faced. The one-handed arming sword and the round shield gave way to the longsword and the poleaxe; the bearded axe of the Norse became the Dane axe and then the halberd; the seax that every freeman carried shrank into the knightly dagger and grew into the falchion and the messer. This page gathers every medieval weapon Battling Blades makes, sword, axe, polearm and knife, so the whole period can be browsed in one place. Each family below has its own collection with a fuller guide, and the medieval weapons buying guide sorts them by century.

Our Damascus and 1095 high carbon pieces are hand forged. A small number of designs, some crusader and Templar swords among them, are made in stainless steel and are marked as such on their listings. Steel, hardness, tang construction and dimensions are stated on every product page and vary by design, so read the piece you are buying rather than assuming from the family.

Browse by type

Swords

Arming swords and Viking swords for the one-handed shield-and-sword age. Longswords and bastard swords for the hand-and-a-half blades of the 14th and 15th centuries. Greatswords, zweihanders and claymores for the two-handers that closed the period. Falchions and messers for the single-edged cleaving blades, and crusader and Templar swords for the blades of the holy wars. The medieval swords collection holds the swords alone.

Axes

Bearded axes, Dane axes and battle axes in the Norse tradition. See Viking axes, or the whole Norse arsenal in Viking weapons and armor.

Polearms

Halberds, poleaxes and leaf-bladed war spears, the weapons of the ranks. See halberds and poleaxes and spears, or the whole shafted family in polearms.

Knives

The seax, the single-edged knife of the Saxons and Norse, and the Scottish dirk.

Maces, flails and war hammers

The blunt weapons of the plate-armour age join this page as they are added to the range.

Choosing a medieval weapon

Period

If you are building a display around a century, the families sort cleanly. Viking swords, bearded axes and seax belong to the 8th to 11th centuries. Arming swords and crusader blades to the 11th to 13th. Longswords, bastard swords, falchions and halberds to the 14th and 15th. Greatswords, zweihanders and claymores to the very end of the period and just past it.

Steel

1095 is the traditional monosteel, typically finishing around 56 to 58 HRC, and takes a satin or antiqued finish. Damascus is layered high carbon steel forged and folded so the pattern runs through the blade, and no two patterns repeat. Both are high carbon and want to be kept clean, dry and lightly oiled. Stainless pieces need less upkeep and are chosen where fine detail and corrosion resistance matter more than blade performance.

Size

The range runs from a seax you can hold in one hand to an 84 inch halberd and greatswords past 60 inches. Check overall length against the wall or stand before ordering; our wall mounts and stands collections list what each will hold.

The iconic medieval weapons article walks through the period weapon by weapon, and the types of swords guide covers the sword families in detail.

Frequently asked questions

What were the main medieval weapons?
The sword in its one-handed, hand-and-a-half and two-handed forms, the spear and its descendants the halberd and poleaxe, the axe, the mace and war hammer, the bow and crossbow, and the knife. The spear was the most common; the sword was the most prized.

What is the difference between this page and the medieval swords collection?
Medieval swords holds the swords alone. This page adds the axes, polearms and knives of the same period.

Are these functional or decorative?
Our Damascus and 1095 pieces are hand forged, hardened high carbon steel. Construction details are stated on each listing, and the stainless pieces are marked as such.

Are these sharpened?
Each listing states how that piece is finished. The steel is hardened either way.

Can they be engraved?
Yes. Blade and scabbard engraving and etching are done in our Illinois workshop. See the engraving options on each listing.