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There are a lot of swords out there - history has given us countless examples to follow when it comes to building blades, and many have histories and stories behind them that most unaware of. Our solution to that is this - our Sword of the Month newsletter! Designed to educate and inform, this newsletter will give you the run-down on some of history's incredible swords, both fictional and non. We will give you a close-up of the deadliest weapons to grace the battlefield, and before we are done, you will not only know what the sword looks like, but where it came from, what battles it might have fought in, what the sword can do (in the case of blades from myth and legend), and more! So sit back, sword aficionados, and enjoy a bit of history about one of the many blades that helped to make history!
Sincerely,
Medieval Collectibles |
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| Henry V was a British monarch of the early 15th century. He was the son of Henry IV and the second English monarch who came from the House of Lancaster. He inherited the throne from his father in 1413 at the age of 26, and he ruled as king until 1422, when he died suddenly at age 35 in France. Henry V was a martial king, one prone to taking to the field of battle and fighting alongside his troops, as evidenced by the many scars he bore from his youth, spent leading parts of his own army against the Welsh during the revolt of Owain Glyn Dwr, as well as fighting in the Battle of Shrewsbury. Many would expect the sword of a King to be ornamented in some way, and indeed, Henry's was - later in life. An accomplished warrior, Henry fought in many battles, and experts agree that it is not difficult to imagine a warrior such as Henry using a sword like this - simple and effective, as opposed to a more showy and elaborate one. The sword itself is typified as a XVIII.1 by Ewart Oakeshott, and the man himself had the distinct pleasure of cleaning the blade personally. He has described it as "one of the most beautiful medieval swords to handle" that he has ever known, and for good reason. Simple as the original is, it is exceedingly well-made and well-preserved. The blade has a length of 27 inches, with some profile tapering to provide an effective cutting and thrusting edge. The pommel and cross on the original were made from iron, with a gilded finish that Oakeshott suspects was made as a funerary addition, added on only after Henry V's death in 1422. The pommel is large but light, giving the sword an overall weight of about 2 pounds, 3 ounces, and is painted with a red cross at the center. |
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| Recreations of the Henry V sword tend to favor its design heavily, and for good reason. The style of the blade is, as Ewart Oakeshott claimed, "the very epitome of a fighting weapon". The original is well-balanced and feels natural in the hand (Oakeshott even compared it to a good fishing-rod), and the ornamentation is enough to be noteworthy, but not so overbearing as to be nonfunctional. Recreations match the curved guard and large pommel, as well as the stiff blade that was made for cutting and thrusting. Sized as a one handed sword, any battle-ready version of the sword of Henry V is sure to be a weapon that a warrior will come to love. The history of the sword is was once called into question, its form once having been dated to the late 15th century. This was later retracted, with experts dating the blade to the first quarter of the 15th century - right around when Henry V ruled, fought, and died. Indeed, the quality and design of this blade leave little doubt in the minds of most that this is the sword that was once or twice described as being among the achievements about the tomb of Henry V. |
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Henry V Sword
with Scabbard
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Henry V
Dagger
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Henry V
Sword
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