Maintenance and Care for Your Sword

All of our swords are made using high-carbon steel. High-carbon steel is the best and most authentic material a sword can be made of, as it was used during both the medieval and renaissance periods and is still used today in modern high quality knives and swords.

The main problem with carbon steel is that it rusts. So, maintenance is really about keeping your sword out of contact with moisture or the air. Blades and metal should be protected from moisture at all times.

If you are using your sword often, oiling the sword with a lighweight oil and a soft cloth before and after each use should be fine. If the sword is to be stored for a length of time or is being used for decorative or display purposes, coating the sword with a carnauba-based wax will reduce the need to regularly treat it with oil.

Do not store your blade in the sheath for extended periods of time as this will cause damage and pitting to the blade over time.

For a more thorough discussion of sword maintenance, please see Patrick Kelly's excellent article:
"Care and Maintenance of the Modern Replica"



Sword, Spear and Weapons Information and Links

The Oakeshott Institute - A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to promoting interest in ancient arms and armor through a hands-on educational approach. Ewart Oakeshott, was the leading authority on European arms and armor, and was the creator of The Oakeshott Medieval Sword Typology

The Association for Renaissance Martial Arts - The internet's premier educational site for the study and practice of Medieval and Renaissance fighting skills. Of particular interest on this site, is a vast section of historical combat manuals, including an excellent article on the use of arms and armor during the Viking period, entitled "Viking Fighting Notes from 23 Sagas", which provides quick access to information from 23 Sagas (consisting of over 1600 pages) relating to Viking age combat.

Viking Age History - The Hurstwic site provides an extensive set of articles detailing "Daily Life in the Viking Age", "Society in the Viking Age", "Martial Arts, Shipbuilding, and other Manufacturing in the Viking Age", "Language, Literature, and the Arts in the Viking Age", and "Myths and Religion in the Viking Age". Two excellent articles among these are Viking Swords, which is an in-depth article discussing the history and use of swords during the Viking age. The article discusses how swords, in Viking society, were a mark of nobility due to the fact that they were difficult to make, and therefore rare and expensive. For example, out of over one hundred weapons found in Viking age pagan burials in Iceland, only 16 are swords. The second one being The Viking Spear, which is an in-depth article discussing the history and use of spears during the Viking Age. The spear was the most commonly used weapon in the Viking age and this article shows examples of it's use through the use of excerpts from the sagas, as well as practical examples.

Spotlight: Oakeshott Type X Swords - An article by Patrick Kelly, in which he discusses the history and characteristics of Viking age swords which fall under the classification as Oakeshott Type X swords.