Individual commissions · Swords Vault
Sword configurator
Build a sword from parts that actually existed: blade geometry, steel grade, fittings, grip wrap, scabbard and engraving. The preview follows every change. We price the finished design with the maker and reply by email.
Beta version — click freely, nothing is ordered without a message from you
Email address: contact@swordsvault.com · Or use the contact form →
SV-50HF-BST-SHP-STE-BLA-BAS
- Overall length
- 119 cm
- Blade length
- 91 cm
- Estimated mass
- 1420 g
- Point of balance
- 9 cm
- Edge hardness
- 52–56 HRC
Beta version — click freely, nothing is ordered without a message from you
Sword type
Single-handed (arming sword)
A light knightly weapon of the 10th–14th centuries. Quick in the wrist, meant to be used with a shield.
Hand-and-a-half (bastard sword)
The longsword of the fencing-treatise era. A compromise between reach, leverage and control.
Two-handed greatsword
A weapon of formations, not duels. The long lever buys cutting power at the cost of speed.
Blade geometry
Classic tapered (Oakeshott XII)
Evenly tapering edges with a fuller over two thirds of the length. Cuts and thrusts in equal measure.
Broad cutter (Oakeshott X/XIII)
Near-parallel edges and a shallow fuller. The mass goes into the cut, not the point.
Leaf-shaped (leaf blade)
Waisted in the middle and widened at the percussion node. A Celtic and ancient pattern.
Narrow piercer (Oakeshott XV/XVIII)
A stiff diamond section and an acute point. An answer to plate armour, not to cutting.
Curved messer (kriegsmesser)
A single-edged blade with a gentle curve and a clipped point. A drawing cut rather than a chop.
Fuller or ridge
No fuller (diamond section)
A pronounced central ridge. The stiffest point and the greatest mass.
Single fuller (2/3 of the blade)
Takes mass out of the middle of the section without losing stiffness. The standard solution.
Short fuller at the guard (1/3)
Lightens the base while leaving mass in the forward, working part of the blade.
Twin double fullers
Two narrow grooves separated by a rib. A late Gothic and Renaissance look.
Broad Viking fuller
A shallow groove taking up close to half the blade's width. The lightest of the options.
Steel grade
1060 — carbon steel
A plain steel at 0.60% carbon, usually tempered to 52–56 HRC. Historically faithful and forgiving to work.
50HF — chromium-vanadium spring steel (51CrV4)
A Polish grade, equivalent to European 51CrV4. Takes impact well and resists edge chipping. 52–56 HRC.
EN45 — silicon-manganese spring steel
The blade returns true after flexing, which is why it goes into pieces handled by inexperienced hands. 52–56 HRC.
9260 — silicon spring steel
About 2% silicon gives this steel the springiness it is known for. The “90° and back” demo is a sales line, not a standard — but in its class 9260 does forgive the most. Selective temper: 56–58 HRC edge, 50 HRC spine.
Pattern-welded damascus
A billet of alternating 1095 and 15N20; the nickel in the latter etches out as bright bands. This is not wootz — the pattern comes from the layers, not the crystal structure. 56–58 HRC.
Edge
Sharp (for mat cutting)
A hand-finished bevel. For tatami and soft targets — not for contact with another person.
Blunt (display and reenactment)
A rounded edge at least 2 mm thick — the minimum safe contact calls for in reenactment.
HEMA training (sparring)
A 2.5–3 mm edge and a rounded point. For sparring in historical fencing.
Guard shape
Straight cross (Oakeshott cross 1)
A forged bar with chamfered terminals. The standard of the whole Middle Ages.
Flared and pierced
Quillons flaring at the ends, pierced with a cross motif.
Curved towards the blade (Oakeshott cross 6)
Arched quillons shield the hand and bind an opponent's blade more readily.
With a side ring (Oakeshott cross 11)
The ring shields a finger hooked over the guard — a grip known from the treatises.
Sloped Gothic
Quillons dropping at an angle, with faceted edges.
Pommel shape
Wheel (Oakeshott pommel I)
A rounded disc with a chamfered rim and a central boss. The commonest and best balanced.
Brazil nut (Oakeshott pommel A)
An early medieval almond shape that rests comfortably against the heel of the hand.
Scent-stopper (Oakeshott pommel T)
A faceted Gothic pear. It gives the second hand something to push against.
Faceted octagon
Eight facets catching the light. A geometric, late Gothic shape.
Three-lobed Viking
A historical pommel divided into three lobes, grooved between them.
Grip leather colour
Wooden grip core
Ash
A light, springy core that damps the shock of a blow well.
Bog oak
Wood aged in peat for centuries — hard and almost black.
European walnut
A dense grain, soft in the hand and stable as humidity changes.
Wrap texture
Leather over cord risers
Cords under the leather form grooves that the fingers settle into.
Wire binding
Leather interwoven with twisted wire matched to the fittings.
Embossed braid
A stamped braid pattern gives a texture that does not slip in the hand.
Scabbard
No scabbard
The sword alone, in a padded transport sleeve.
Basic scabbard (wood and leather)
A fitted wooden core lined with felt, covered in leather, with a steel chape.
Scabbard with a belt harness
Forged and engraved throat and chape fittings, plus a suspension belt with buckles.
Scabbard leather colour
Engraving in the fuller
An inscription chiselled or etched along the fuller. A shorter motto reads better — a long one runs down into the narrower part of the blade.
Ordering through the basket is not live yet
The configurator is in beta and does not take orders automatically. Your design has not been saved anywhere — until you send a message, nothing happens.
We are not a forge: an individual commission goes to the maker we source our swords from. Write to us with the specification copied in, and we will come back with a lead time and a binding price. We will also tell you whether the parts you picked make sense together.
What happens after you send a design
A sword like this is made one at a time, to order. We pass the specification to the maker, come back to you with a lead time and a price, and you decide — nothing starts until you confirm.
Design and a check on the proportions
We go over the design you send: whether the blade length, the grip and the chosen pommel add up to a sensible balance. If something conflicts, we say so before anything starts.
A price from the maker
The specification goes to the workshop that makes that type of sword. We come back with a lead time and a price — only your confirmation starts the order.
Forging and heat treatment
The blade is made from the steel grade you picked, then normalised, quenched and tempered. With a selective temper the edge and the spine cool at different rates.
Fittings, scabbard, and our own measurements
Guard and pommel are fitted to the tang and peened, the scabbard is built on a wooden core. We measure the finished sword ourselves and put the real mass and balance point on its card.
Questions about individual commissions
Are these swords fully functional?
Yes — the blade is forged from spring or carbon steel, with a tang running the full length of the grip. This is not a zinc-alloy casting. A sharp edge will cut mats, but it is not for contact with another person; sparring calls for the training variant.
How long does it take?
Usually 3–5 weeks from confirmation, depending on the steel grade and the scabbard, plus shipping. We write at every stage.
Can I choose my own motto or coat of arms?
Yes. In the engraving step you type any text — in Latin, in your own language, or in runes. For a coat of arms, send us the file after your enquiry.