Today we take a look at a custom piece we just finished, a complex-hilted longsword in the Saxon style. No, it isn't from Anglo-Saxon England or the pre-Viking period - longswords were a later development than that. Instead, this sword hails from the Electorate of Saxony, a region of the Holy Roman Empire that is located in present day Germany, where the cities of Dresden and Leipzig are located.
During the 16th and 17th centuries this area became associated with a particular artistic form that was often utilized in sword hilts featuring hollow-ground quillions and rings on the hilt with diamond shaped swells at the ends of the arms and the centers of the rings. If you want to learn more about complex-hilted longswords check out this previous blog that shows several original examples and other pieces we've made.
Check out our Saxon Military sword, a single-handed version from the same time period
As always, our swords are entirely made by us, by hand, at our shop in Minneapolis, MN. The blades are hand ground of 6150 carbon steel, hardened and tempered to 50-52 Rockwell. All of our products are made to look, feel, and function just like the historical originals on which they are based. Arms & Armor is dedicated to quality and authenticity. For over four decades we have worked with museums, collectors, and scholars around the world to develop a deep understanding of European weapons; knowledge we use to make products that exemplify the finest qualities of the very best historic pieces. When we select historic items to reproduce, being pretty isn't enough, they have to move with grace and beauty, and beg to be used when in the hand. These are pieces that feel as good as they look, and that work as well as they feel. Our mission is to craft items that recreate the look, feel, and function of the best historic originals.
Nathan Clough, Ph.D. is President of Arms and Armor and a member of the governing board of The Oakeshott Institute. He is a historical martial artist and a former university professor of cultural geography. He has given presentations on historical arms at events including Longpoint and Combatcon, and presented scholarly papers at, among others, The International Congress on Medieval Studies.
Craig Johnson is the Production Manager of Arms and Armor and Secretary of The Oakeshott Institute. He has taught and published on the history of arms, armor and western martial arts for over 30 years. He has lectured at several schools and Universities, WMAW, HEMAC, 4W, and ICMS at Kalamazoo. His experiences include iron smelting, jousting, theatrical combat instruction and choreography, historical research, European martial arts and crafting weapons and armor since 1985