Italian Storta Sword

The Italian Storta Sword captures one of the more distinctive blade styles to emerge from Renaissance Italy. With its sweeping profile, elaborate fittings and versatile hand-and-a-half grip, the storta combines the visual presence of a Renaissance sword with the broad, curved blade associated with powerful cutting designs. Cold Steel's interpretation brings that character to life in a sword designed by Luke LaFontaine, making it an impressive choice for collectors drawn to the less conventional swords of 16th century Europe.

The storta rose to prominence in Italy during the early 16th century, developing from earlier European cutting swords including the falchion. Surviving examples reveal considerable variation in blade shape, hilt construction and decoration, giving the storta a character all its own. Many examples paired substantial cutting blades with increasingly elaborate Renaissance hilts, reflecting an era when a sword could be both a practical fighting instrument and a display of craftsmanship and status.

Luke LaFontaine developed this Cold Steel Storta using elements from two historical stortas and a hand-and-a-half Italian sabre from the same period. The resulting design combines historical influences with a well-balanced configuration and a grip that accommodates either one or two hands. The blade is made from 1060 high carbon steel, while decorative steel fittings give the hilt its unmistakable Renaissance character. A handsome leather grip completes the sword and provides the extra length needed for its versatile hand-and-a-half configuration. For collectors looking beyond familiar rapiers, longswords and falchions, the Cold Steel Italian Storta offers a striking interpretation of a fascinating Renaissance sword form.