15th Century Arming Sword

This arming sword in the Royal Armouries collection dates to the late-15th century and possibly has an English provenance. This type of sword was a medium to high status sidearm of the late-15th century and into the early 16th century, and it would have been the backup weapon of the knight and of the man-at-arms, used in combat both on foot and mounted. The sword shares some obvious similarities with the Westminster Abbey sword, which has been long associated with Henry V (but now believed to be from Henry VII's funeral achievements). It also shares a number of close similarities with other swords from English churches, and from representations of swords on English funeral effigies and brasses. Due to the state of preservation, it has been suggested that this sword may indeed have been taken from an English church monument in past centuries, where it was likely originally deposited in the late-15th century. Our precise and faithful replica is manufactured traditionally in very similar ways to the original. It features a robust cut and thrust Oakeshott Type XVIII blade of just over 30 inches, long curved quillons with characteristic terminals, short grip and prominent solid wheel pommel. The original has some unusual floral engraving at the base of the blade, which we have not replicated, because unfortunately on the original it is too damaged to reproduce with any certainty.