This weekend in the USA we celebrated mother's day, in which we celebrate mothers (ahhh, simple American holidays).   In light of the importance that mothers play in EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR LIVES, we invite you to post a picture of your favorite mother armed with a sword, spear, axe, or whatever kind of historical weapon.  Sometimes the world forgets that no fury contends with that of a mother - and if she has a sword that fury is ten times as fierce.  Also, yeah, the banner photo of Judith offing Holofernes isn't exactly a matriarchal sword pic, but it's rad, so deal with it ..read more

Cinco de Mayo is primarily an American holiday that celebrates Mexican culture and heritage in the US, but its origins commemorate the victory of Mexican republican forces over the army of Napoleon III of France at the Battle of Puebla, 1862.  Contemporaneous with the American Civil War, the Battle of Puebla was part of a larger conflict in which the French 2nd Empire asserted control of Mexico in concert with Mexican monarchists and other conservatives.     A painting of the Battle of Puebla The former French President, and at the time, Emperor Louis-Napoleon III, was eager to ..read more

Here is a recently finished sword we have done for a commission. It is based on the style of swords popular in the North of Italy at the beginning of the 16th Century. These long single handed swords were robust complex hilted swords that were the transition from medieval swords to the rapier. They had a great deal of popularity around the Italian sphere of influence and are often seen in Venetian art of the period. The hilt is a simple cross with slight S shaped arms and two side rings detailed with grooved beads at the center. The inner guard is a sweeping X shape meeting in the middle ..read more

This year so far we've had the pleasure of attending three HEMA events, of very different characters, all of which were wonderful.  We have previously written a bit about attending the Valley of the Sun Cutting Tournament early this year, and since then we've had the chance to attend the Texas Sword Retreat and the Icebreaker Open HEMA tournament.  Both were excellent, and all three really highlight some of the really good stuff happening in the American HEMA scene.  At all three events we were there selling some products, but that was really secondary to our educational mission ..read more

Today we have two swords up in our Artisan Section. A massive Two Hander and a16th century side sword. Both pieces are one of examples and when they sell they are gone. The two hander is based on very large examples from the later medieval period and can often be seen depicted in battle scenes of the day.  Large Two Hander The long grip is covered in black leather and allows one to move the tip of the blade with great force with minimal movement of the hands. The great two handers like this are exceptionally impressive swords when on parade and even more fearsome when opposing ..read more

Today we take a close look at a custom Saxon-style rapier we just finished. This style is very characteristic of rapiers, sideswords, and complex-hilted longswords from 16th and 17th century Saxony - an area of modern day Germany that was previously the Electorate of Saxony in the Holy Roman Empire. A previous custom Saxon Rapier we made As always, our swords are entirely made by us at our shop in Minneapolis, MN out of 6150 carbon steel, hardened and tempered to 50-52 Rockwell. Our swords and other weapons are made to look, feel, and function just like the historical originals on which ..read more

Today we examine an interesting custom piece modeled on the sideswords of the mid-16th century. Rather than a swept hilt, this sword features two curving posts on the outer guard and a triple-barred inner guard. Weighing just over 2.5 pounds this sword is capable in the cut and the thrust.   A sword from a similar period and with some shared design features, such as the use of posts for the outer guard, is our Serenissima Rapier, pictured above.  Check out all of our production rapiers here, and some of our custom projects here.   As always, our swords are entirely made by us at ..read more

The discovery at Wandsworth on Thames of a Type X sword dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period was one of the great finds of the early study of medieval swords in modern times. Our Anglo-Saxon Sword is based on this exceptional weapon from the turn of the 10th Century. The Wandsworth Sword was originally found in the Thames River in two pieces, a year apart, a lucky occurrence. It now resides in the London Museum which is being moved to a new facility. Anglo-Saxon Sword by Arms & Armor Inc. Swords of this form where the sidearm of ..read more

Sword and Weapon care We have gotten a few questions from folks on care and maintenance lately so thought we could look over how to keep our weapons at their best. Our items have all the attributes of the originals they are based on. Good care and use will keep your piece like new for many years and there is no reason you should not hand it down to generations to come. It also means a little attention now can prevent a tough job of refinishing in the future. Wipe with oil after use. The care and maintenance of these items should be just as authentic as the item. The ..read more

Today Dr. Nathan Clough takes a closer look at how disc guards on 14th and 15th century polearms were attached, what they were for, and how these weapons were used.  This was spurred by some questions that our sword friend Matt Jensen had in his review of our new 15th C. Glaive. Below you can see the guard on our piece, and the original on which it is based, a poleax in the Wallace Collection in London, A926.   Rondel Guard on our Glaive A detail of the guard from poleaxe A926 in the Wallace Collection A glaive with a similar guard from an early 15th C. painting. Similar ron ..read more