Khopesh - Hand Forged Egyptian Sword - Damascus Steel- 24"

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The khopesh is the sword of the pharaohs: the sickle-curved blade of Bronze Age Egypt, carried by kings, buried in royal tombs, and placed in the hands of gods across three thousand years of Egyptian art. This hand-forged khopesh measures 24 inches overall, pairing its distinctive sickle-curved blade of 352-layer Damascus steel with a full-tang hilt. The blade is forged, heat treated, and hand sharpened by master smiths with a full tang for genuine battle-ready construction. All Battling Blades orders ship from our own warehouse in Illinois, and custom engraving is completed in-house before your khopesh leaves our facility.

Specifications

• Overall length: 24 inches
• Blade profile: Sickle-curved with straight forte, edge on the outer curve
• Blade steel: 352-layer Damascus, progressively folded
• Construction: Full tang, battle-ready
• Engraving: Optional, completed in-house at our Illinois workshop

The Damascus Steel Blade

The blade on this khopesh is forged from 352 layers of Damascus steel. Our smiths begin with 11 pieces of steel and fold the billet progressively, doubling and redoubling the layers until the finished blade carries 352 alternating bands. On the khopesh the flowing pattern follows the sickle curve itself, making this one of the most dramatic canvases for Damascus in our entire catalog, and because the pattern is born in the folding, no two blades are ever alike.

The blade is forged to the classic profile, a straight forte sweeping into the curved section with the edge on the outer curve, then heat treated for the right balance of hardness and resilience and hand sharpened. Each blade passes our four quality control checkpoints before it is fitted and shipped. The originals were cast in bronze; ours is a modern forged-steel interpretation of the same iconic form, built to our battle-ready standard.

History of the Khopesh

The khopesh traces back more than four thousand years, descending from the sickle-swords of Mesopotamia and taking its classic Egyptian form by the Middle Kingdom. Its name comes from the Egyptian word for the foreleg of an animal, a shape the curved blade was thought to echo, and the same word appears in Egyptian texts describing strength and the arm of the king.

No blade in history is more tightly bound to royalty. Pharaohs are carved and painted with the khopesh in hand across temple walls from Karnak to Abu Simbel, gods are shown presenting it to kings as the emblem of rule, and when Howard Carter opened the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922, two khopesh swords lay among the treasures buried with the young king, one full-sized and one child-sized, presumably from his boyhood. Finely made examples, some deliberately left unsharpened, were placed in tombs as ceremonial and symbolic objects, which tells us the khopesh mattered to the Egyptians as much as an image of power as an arm of war.

The khopesh reached its height in the New Kingdom, the age of Ramesses II and the great battles of the Late Bronze Age, and then passed out of use as iron straight swords spread through the region around 1100 BC. Its afterlife, though, has never ended: the silhouette remains the visual shorthand for ancient Egypt itself, instantly recognizable on museum posters, film screens, and collection walls more than three thousand years after the last one was cast.

Anatomy of a Khopesh

The khopesh's form is unlike any other sword, built from three distinct zones:

• Hilt: The compact grip, cast in one piece with the blade on bronze originals, full-tang on our forged-steel version.
• Forte: The straight section extending from the grip, which gives the blade its reach and stiffness.
• Curve: The sweeping sickle section that defines the type, with the sharpened edge on the outer, convex side, the opposite of a farming sickle, whose edge lies on the inside of the curve.
• Hook tip: The blunt terminal of the curve, often finished with a small point or knob on historical examples.

Craftsmanship and Quality

Every Battling Blades khopesh is hand forged by master smiths through our direct workshop relationships, not mass produced. The blade is forged, heat treated, and sharpened by hand in your choice of steel, then finished with a full tang through the grip. This is battle-ready construction: a genuine forged blade built to the same standard as our swords, not a decorative casting. Custom engraving and etching are completed at our own facility in Illinois, so personalized orders never leave our quality control chain before shipping, and hieroglyphic-style engraving requests are welcome.

The Signature of Ancient Egypt

At 24 inches, the khopesh is one of the most visually striking pieces in our catalog and one of the rarest to find in genuine forged quality; nearly everything else on the market is a decorative casting. It anchors an ancient-world display alongside a gladius, xiphos, or kopis, gives an Egyptology collection its centerpiece, and makes an unforgettable gift for anyone drawn to ancient Egypt. And with the one-of-a-kind Damascus pattern, no other collector will ever own the same blade.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a khopesh?

A khopesh is the sickle-curved sword of Bronze Age Egypt, defined by a straight section near the grip sweeping into a curved blade with the edge on the outer side. It served as both a weapon of the New Kingdom armies and, above all, as the emblem of royal power, carried by pharaohs in art for more than a thousand years.

What does the name khopesh mean?

The name comes from the Egyptian word for the foreleg of an animal, which the blade's curve was thought to resemble. The same word appears in Egyptian texts as a symbol of strength and the might of the king's arm.

Is this khopesh battle-ready?

Yes. This khopesh features a hand-forged Damascus blade with a full tang and is built to the same quality standard as our swords, with heat treatment and hand sharpening at every step. It is a genuine forged blade, not a decorative casting, which sets it apart from nearly every khopesh on the market.

How many layers does the Damascus blade have?

The blade is forged from 352 layers of Damascus steel. Our smiths start with 11 pieces of steel and fold the billet progressively until 352 alternating layers form the blade, producing the flowing pattern that follows the sickle curve.

What's the difference between the Damascus and 1095 khopesh?

Both are hand forged with the same full-tang, battle-ready construction and 24-inch sickle-curved profile. This Damascus version is folded to 352 layers for a flowing, one-of-a-kind pattern, while the 1095 version carries a clean polished blade in classic high-carbon steel. The choice is aesthetic: patterned steel or traditional polish.

Were khopesh swords really made of bronze?

Yes. Historical khopesh blades were cast in bronze, since their era predates ironworking in Egypt. Ours is a modern interpretation forged in high-carbon steel, keeping the iconic Bronze Age form while building it to the standard of a functional modern blade.

Which edge of a khopesh is sharpened?

The outer, convex edge of the curve, the opposite of a farming sickle. On our version that outer edge is hand sharpened, following the historical convention.

Who carried the khopesh historically?

It appears in the hands of pharaohs and gods across Egyptian temple art as the emblem of royal authority, and it equipped the armies of the New Kingdom at their height. Two khopesh swords were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun, one full-sized and one child-sized, buried with the king in the 14th century BC.

How long is this khopesh?

This khopesh measures 24 inches overall, matching the typical size of historical examples, which generally ranged from about 20 to 24 inches.

What's the difference between a khopesh and a kopis?

Despite the similar names, they're unrelated. The khopesh is the sickle-curved bronze-era sword of Egypt with its edge on the outer curve, while the kopis is a later Greek sword with a forward-curving blade edged on the inner curve. The two make a striking ancient-world pairing on display, and we forge both.

How do I care for the blade?

Keep the blade lightly oiled and store it in a dry environment. Damascus is a high-carbon steel and not stainless, so a thin coat of mineral oil after handling prevents rust, and avoid abrasive polishes, which can dull the contrast between layers.

How quickly does it ship?

All Battling Blades orders ship from our own warehouse in Illinois, and most khopesh are in stock and ship promptly. If you add custom engraving, we complete it in-house, which adds minimal time to your order.

Shipping times refer to carrier transit time after an item ships. They do not include production time, custom work, engraving, etching, or other preparation time before shipment.

In-stock items typically ship within 1 to 4 business days, though this can occasionally take longer during high-volume periods or for items requiring extra handling. Engraving or etching on in-stock items may add 1 to 3 business days before shipment.

Custom, engraved, altered, made-to-order, backordered, and specialty items (including armor and chess sets) may require additional production time before they ship. Fully custom items typically take 4 to 8 weeks, but complex requests may take longer depending on the design, materials, approvals, and production requirements.

Once an item ships, delivery time depends on the shipping method, carrier, and destination. If you need an item by a specific date, contact us before ordering so we can confirm whether the timeline is realistic.

In-stock items with no customizations can be returned free within 30 days, as long as they show no signs of use. Returns are handled through our return center.

Items that have any customization (such as engraving or etching) or that show signs of use cannot be returned. Custom and made-to-order items are produced specifically for your order and are not eligible for return.

If your item arrives damaged, incorrect, or defective, contact us with your order number and photos so we can review the issue.