Templar Longsword

A Lost Sword Reborn

Our Two-Handed Templar Sword is another masterpiece of functional historical reproduction by Darksword Armory. Starting from a real historical greatsword sword that had lain undiscovered in the River Thames for centuries, Darksword’s master smiths have painstakingly brought this relic back to life. It is a flawless battle-ready sword that would make a fantastic weapon for a period-faithful Crusader knight re-enactment, and it would also do sterling service as the keystone of a LARP outfit of a warrior or paladin.

An Unparalleled Blade

Its blade is an Oakeshott Type XIIIa, one of the long blades that emerged amongst Crusaders in the 13th-century; the Two-Handed Templar Sword has a blade that is an enormous three feet in length. It is only subtly tapered, with a tip that is almost spatulate (rounded). Its weight is kept down by the wide, deep fuller that runs three-quarters of the lenticular blade, and this also brings the point-of-balance of the sword closer to the hilt, making it much more wieldable and agile. The blade is certified by Darksword with their dragon sejant makers mark.

Whilst making every effort to reproduce the original as faithfully as possible, Darksword’s smiths have chosen a distinctly un-medieval steel for it: 5160 spring steel. This chromium-steel alloy would have seemed miraculous to the medieval swordsmith who made the Thames sword, since it has near-miraculous elastic properties and strength – perfect for a resilient and rugged functional sword. The blade is heat-treated with Darksword’s trademark dual-temper, resulting in HRC 60 at the edge, with HRC 48-50 at the core. This means it is an exceptionally hard blade, and will perform admirably in light-combat and re-enactment settings – but remember to only use it with other similarly-hard swords, since it can seriously damage or break softer swords!

Time-Honoured Construction

Like its historical template, this Templar longsword has an elegant, minimalist cruciform cross-guard made from tough mild steel, the quillons of which flare very slightly in imitation of the Templar cross. The grip is wrapped in tooled brown leather to give an excellent grip surface for either bare hands or gloves. The hilt is made in full-tang construction: medieval smiths threaded the grip and pommel onto the ‘tail’ of the blade and peened it in place. This ancient method remains the gold-standard of reproduction swords, and ensures a grip that will not move, and a blade that will not come loose in use. The pommel is a large wheel-style of Oakeshott Type G – like the original, it is finished with an inscribed cross patée. It is also shipped with a beautiful reinforced-leather scabbard, and can be customised either sharp or blunted, with or without a high-quality interlaced sword-belt.

It is no coincidence that the Templar longsword which was taken from the Thames had survived intact for eight centuries; this design is time-tested and incredibly rugged, and will be a mainstay of your re-enactment or collection for many years.

(Curiosity)

The original blade which this sword is meticulously based upon, visible on display at the Museum of London, has a makers mark in the exact same place as ours has its dragon sejant mark from Darksword Armory: the original’s is in the form of a small dagger, inlaid in latten. Whose blade this was, or how the blade ended up in the Thames, remain a mystery!

Technical Specifications:

Total length: 45 inches

Blade length: 36 inches

Blade width: 2 inches

Blade material: 5160 carbon steel

Guard and pommel material: Mild steel

Grip material: Leather

Weight: 3 lbs. 4 oz.