Two Handed Medieval Sword

Late 15th century – German. Originally found in the Landesmuseum, Zurich.
Type XVIIIa.

The Two-Handed Medieval sword, was very popular in Germany during the mid to late 15th century. As the Middle Ages progressed, this versatile Sword continued to evolve according to the battlefield requirements of the day. The dedicated cutting designs of the 13th century gave way to the thrusting oriented swords of the late Medieval Era.

By the Gothic period, the type XVIIIa two-handed sword, with its rigid diamond shaped needle tip blade, became the most essential part of the medieval Knight’s arsenal. The hollow ground sword blades were not only capable of power cuts but offered exceptional advantages with their keen ability to piece through the ever-developing plate armor.

Not only did the fifteenth century longsword possess a blade profile that allowed for effective thrusting, but it also retained a large measure of its earlier ancestor’s cutting ability. The simple, yet elegant simplistic geometry of the sword reflects the Gothic artistic revival that not only inspired bladesmiths and armorers but also architects and painters of the period. The deeply hollow ground blade and clean hexagonal quillions and fishtail pommel attest to this artistic revival. Swords during this period were not only exceptionally engineered but also reflected clear artistic patterns and influences from the gothic architectural structures of the time. Hence, the Two-Handed Gothic medieval swords, and thus Type XVIIIa medieval battle ready swords, were not merely weapons of war, but beautifully crafted artistic pieces in their own right.

Blade: 5160 High Carbon Steel. Dual Tempered HRc 60
48-50 at the core Total length: 49″
Blade length: 38″
Blade width at base: 2″
Weight: 3 lbs. 5 oz.