This 15th Century Arming Sword is a faithful recreation of Royal Armouries Sword IX.1426, an original late-medieval sword believed to date from the late 15th century and possibly of English provenance. More than five centuries later, the surviving sword offers a fascinating glimpse into the sidearms carried during the closing decades of the Middle Ages.
Arming swords remained important companions to knights and men-at-arms throughout this period. Compact enough to be worn conveniently at the side, yet capable of both cutting and thrusting, swords of this type could accompany an armoured fighting man whether mounted or fighting on foot.
Could This Sword Have Survived in an English Church?
One of the most intriguing aspects of Royal Armouries IX.1426 is not simply its design, but how it may have survived. The sword shares characteristics with examples associated with English churches, as well as swords represented on surviving funeral effigies and monumental brasses.
Its state of preservation has led to the suggestion that the original may once have formed part of an English church monument, possibly deposited there during the late 15th century. If so, its journey into the Royal Armouries collection may have begun not on a battlefield or in an armoury, but beside the memorial of someone for whom a sword remained an important symbol of identity and status.
A Sword from the End of the Middle Ages
The design is characteristic of a period when European swords were increasingly adapted to the realities of sophisticated late-medieval armour. Its robust Oakeshott Type XVIII blade is just over 30 inches long, combining cutting ability with a strong taper toward the point.
The hilt is equally distinctive. Long, dramatically curved quillons terminate in characteristic curled tips, while the short grip ends in a substantial wheel pommel. Together they create an unmistakably late-medieval profile and closely follow the proportions of the surviving Royal Armouries sword.
IX.1426 also bears similarities to the famous sword preserved among the funeral achievements at Westminster Abbey. That sword was traditionally associated with Henry V, although modern research instead places it with the funeral achievements of Henry VII. The comparison helps place IX.1426 within a broader family of swords represented in late-medieval English funerary culture.
Recreated from Royal Armouries IX.1426
This reproduction was developed to remain remarkably faithful to the surviving original and is manufactured using traditional methods appropriate to a functional recreation. The original sword carries unusual floral engraving near the base of its blade. Centuries of deterioration have left that decoration too indistinct to reconstruct with confidence, so rather than invent missing details, the engraving has intentionally been omitted from the reproduction.
The result is more than simply an interpretation of a late-medieval arming sword. It is a recreation of a specific surviving piece of history, one whose complete story may never be known, but whose form has endured for more than five centuries.
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