Falchion Swords

About

The falchion is the medieval sword that does not look like one. Single-edged, broad toward the point, and weighted forward like a cleaver rather than balanced like an arming sword, it turns up across Europe from the 13th century onward in manuscripts, effigies and surviving finds. The shape owes something to the seax and something to the agricultural tools it sat alongside, and it stayed in service for three hundred years because a broad forward-weighted blade is straightforward to forge, straightforward to maintain, and unmistakable in the hand. Every falchion here is hand-forged and full tang, in the same steels we use across the rest of the catalog. Choosing a falchion Blade profile Falchion profiles vary more than most sword families. Some are near-straight with a clipped point, closer to a messer. Others carry a pronounced belly and a swept tip. Neither is more historical than the other, and the choice is largely about which silhouette you want on the wall or in the hand. The listings note overall length and blade shape for each piece. Steel Our falchions come in 1095 high carbon and in pattern-welded Damascus. 1095 is the traditional monosteel choice, typically finishing around 56 to 58 HRC, and takes a clean satin or antique finish. Damascus is layered high carbon steel forged and folded so the pattern runs visibly through the blade, and no two are identical. Both are high carbon steels and both want to be kept clean, dry and lightly oiled. Length The range here runs from 23 inches to 41 inches overall. Shorter falchions sit closer to the historical norm, since the original was a one-handed sword. The longer pieces are a modern interpretation and make more of a statement on a display mount. What to check on any falchion Look for a full tang running the length of the grip, a guard seated tight against the shoulder with no movement, and a hardened blade rather than a soft decorative one. A falchion carries more mass forward than a straight sword of the same len