King Henry V Sword with Scabbard and Belt, Circa Early 15th Century

King Henry V Sword with Scabbard and Belt, Circa Early 15th Century

It is a sword that was designed to be a superb weapon - simple, practical, and of high quality. The enormous, thick pommel looks misleadingly heavy, but is actually hollow. The raised rims on either side were brazed onto an inner iron disc. The recesses in the pommel were gilded with gold and accentuated with painted red crosses at the time of the king's funeral. The sword was hung above King Henry's chantry at Westminster Abbey until at some point it was stowed away in an old chest. In 1951, it was discovered, cleaned (by Mr. Oakeshott himself!), and added to the display of King Henry's other accoutrements - his helm, shield, and saddle - in the Abbey Museum. It was obviously well-used; the blade appears to be slightly narrowed from multiple sharpening. The original grip is long gone, the current wood grip is thought to be a rough replacement. This sword is labelled a type XVIII in Oakeshott's Records of the Medieval Sword.

As a prince at the age of 16, Henry was nearly killed by an arrow that penetrated his face. As king, he led a small band of knights and archers to victory over a much larger French force at the Battle of Agincourt, one of the most stunning accomplishments in English military history.

This sword from Windlass Steelcrafts is a precise replica of the iconic sword of Henry V. Like the original, it's a relatively short weapon, designed for fast cutting and thrusting. The blade is slightly hollow ground and the edge is sharpened at the factory. It's beautifully balanced and feels lively in the hand. The pommel is hollow like the original and is appropriately gold plated in the recesses, and has red enamel crosses emblazoned on each side (we used enamel instead of paint for the sake of durability). An accurate, fully functional replica of a true battle sword once used by the king of England. A design with just enough flair for a sense of elegance, but no doubt a pragmatic, effective cutting weapon. Includes top-grain leather scabbard and belt.

• Overall length 85.5 cm
• Blade length 68 cm
• Handle length 10 cm
• Diameter of pommel 6 cm
• Length of the crossguard 18.5 cm
• Blade width at the guard 53.98 mm
• Blade width 10 cm off the blade point 28.64 mm
• Thickness of the striking edge 1 mm
• The point of balance (centre of gravity) is approx. 8 cm in front of the guard
• Weight of the sword 1166 g
• Weight of the scabbard including belt 580 g
• Total length of the belt including buckle 152 cm
• Material: 1080 High Carbon Steel
• Edge: Sharpened

Premium quality made by Windlass Steelcrafts®