The armoury
Falchions, Messers and Single-Edged Swords
The single-edged weapons of the Middle Ages: the falchion, the messer and the kord. A blade that widens towards the point cuts with mass rather than speed.
Made to order
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Typical dimensions
Single-edged cutting blades. The falchion and the messer are medieval choppers; the sabre was the weapon of the Polish hussars and nobility, handled with fluid cuts from the wrist and elbow.
- Typical length
- 80–100 cm
- Typical mass
- 0.9–1.4 kg
- Balance (POB)
- 11–20 cm
- Typology
- Sabres, falchions, messers
- Period
- 14th–17th c. · from the falchion to the hussars
- Blade section
- Single-edged, often with a false edge at the point
A sword that cuts like a cleaver
The falchion is a single-edged blade, often widening towards the point, on a sword hilt. It is known from the 13th to the 16th century — from cleaver-like examples such as the English Conyers falchion to slim, slightly curved ones. The centre of mass lies far from the hand, which gives the cut tremendous force.
The messer — German for 'knife' — has a grip of slabs riveted to a flat tang and a characteristic nail projecting from the guard to protect the hand. A whole treatise by Johannes Lecküchner, written in 1482, is devoted to fighting with it.
Frequently asked
- What is the difference between a falchion and a sabre?
- The falchion is a European weapon of the 13th–16th centuries with a straight or slightly curved blade that widens towards the point. A sabre has a clearly curved blade narrowing towards the point and eastern origins; in Poland it spread in the 15th–16th centuries.
- How much does a falchion weigh?
- Usually 0.9–1.4 kg at a length of 80–100 cm. It feels heavier than it is, because the mass sits towards the front of the blade.
Guides
- How Much Does a Sword Weigh?A knightly sword weighs 1–1.4 kg, a two-hander 2–3 kg. A weight table for every type of sword and where the myth of heavy medieval swords comes from.
- The Polish Hussar Sword: Koncerz, Pałasz and SabreKoncerz, pałasz and sabre: what the winged hussars really fought with, how long the hussar sword was and why it hung from the saddle rather than the belt.
Other types of sword
- Early medievalViking and Carolingian blades, 8th–11th c.
- Arming swordsKnightly one-handers for sword and shield, 11th–14th c.
- LongswordsBastard swords and longswords, 14th–16th c.
- Two-handersZweihänders and claymores, 15th–16th c.
- DaggersMisericordes, rondels, side knives.
- TrainingFeders and HEMA swords, made to order.
- AccessoriesStands, scabbards, belts, oil and wax.