About Arms & Armor

Arms & Armor was founded in 1982 by Christopher Poor, an armorer, sword smith, and former professional jouster.  Early on Chris sought out experts on European weaponry, including Ewart Oakeshott with whom he formed a lasting friendship and eventually founded The Oakeshott Institute. These relationships have allowed him to handle, measure, and take latex molds of historic swords in museums and private collections around the world.  

The company grew through the 1980's and attracted a group of skilled and dedicated artisans, including Arms and Armor manager Craig Johnson, who has been involved in Historical European Martial Arts/ Western Martial Arts since the early days of the community. Five of our staff have been making swords at Arms and Armor for over 25 years. This combination of first-hand experience, scholarly research, and a decades long commitment to accuracy provides a working knowledge of weapons and armor that few others achieve.

Arms & Armor crafts a wide variety of items from the Medieval and Renaissance periods. Each replica is researched and based on examples found in museums, private collections, and other historical sources. Our goal at Arms & Armor is to replicate the look, feel, and function of historic original weapons. All of our items are crafted by hand, so each piece varies slightly from any other. This hand-crafted attention to detail and commitment to authenticity has made us popular with museums, collectors, and reenactment groups around the world. 



Our Products

Craig Johnson researching armor at the Chicago Institute of Art.When we design a product we choose materials to produce characteristics similar to those sought by the original makers. We use 6150 carbon steel for our sword blades which provides performance characteristics similar to those of the very best historical European examples.  We harden and temper our blades to a Rockwell hardness of 50, which also replicates the hardness of the very best historical blades. The pommels, crossguards, heads of weapons, and other three dimensional parts are cast in a low carbon steel or bronze. This approximates the iron and bronze used by Medieval and Renaissance weapons makers. The grips are made from wood and leather. Our choice of materials and attention to form guarantee excellent quality replicas designed to be the best available today.

Arms & Armor produces weapons and armor for specific needs such as museum interpretation, historical displays and theatrical productions. These items are often historically accurate, but have been modified to meet the needs of the customer. We work with large and small productions across the country including regional and national theatres, opera, TV, and film companies. We look forward to enhancing your production and assisting your design and technical staff in any way we can.

 

What Comes with a Purchase from Arms & Armor?
At Arms & Armor, we provide quality and service you cannot find elsewhere. Our method—individually hand-crafting reproductions of the highest caliber—allows you the experience of the true feel and majestic look of the great swords of the past. Unlike cheap imports, our pieces are not bulk manufactured; more importantly, ours are accurate to specific and documented pieces from the period you seek. We strive to recreate the very essence of the original. 

When you consider purchasing a piece from Arms & Armor you can depend on quality being foremost in mind. When we face the choice of compromising craftsmanship or reducing costs we have chosen to maintain quality above all else. While we work hard to control our costs, the superior value of our items will not be affected. The needs of the individual customer dictate where they will spend their hard earned money. We are not producing swords for all budgets, but concentrate on crafting items for those who desire the very best in historical accuracy and exceptional quality.

Our commitment to the finest materials, skills and patience is supported by an equal dedication to customer service. We see the importance in taking the time to discuss your order and answer your questions in person. The necessary time to individually craft your item, taking no shortcuts, ensures the quality of the piece we send you. We will not ship it if we would not be proud to own it ourselves.

Our research experience with each facet of the historical construction and use of these weapons sets us in a unique position to create your piece to exceptional standards. We consider each factor contributing to a sword's overall dynamics. As you handle a work from Arms & Armor, you will notice the carefully considered balance of competing elements, creating an heirloom that not only looks just like the original but feels like it as well.

Belt grinding a blade.

Today, these unique originals from the past are our pattern book. We strive to replicate the elegant feel as well as the look of these artifacts that inspire us.

 

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