Henry V Sword

Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death in 1422, at the age of 35. During his reign, Henry V became one of England’s most important monarchs for several reasons. among them,  are his victories in the Hundred Years War. Until his untimely death from dysentery, he was recognized as a powerful warrior and brilliant military tactician – who fought as young as 14 and lead an army at 16. Despite the long list of achievements, Henry V is most remembered for his unparalleled military techniques displayed at the battle of Agincourt. Greatly outnumbered and starved, the English forces defeated the French almost entirely due to the young King’s military strategy. The Henry V battle ready sword, labeled as a type XVIII.1 by Ewart Oakeshott, was apparently ” hung above the chantry of Henry V until it either fell or was taken down and stowed away in an old chest”. When studying the Henry V medieval sword, Oakeshott described it as “the very epitome of a fighting weapon” and “one of the most beautiful medieval swords to handle I have ever known.”

Oakeshott described the sword as being graceful, with an acute tip. “the 2” wide blade dawns a four-sided flattened diamond cross-section, typically associated with type XVIII Medieval Swords. The extremely tapered blade points to its transitional role from a purely hacking and slashing weapon to one that had both cutting and thrusting capabilities. In the late 14th C., improvements in plate armor began to appear and a new type of sword was required to successfully counter these improvements. As a whole, the design of Henry V’s sword, mostly due to its blade geometry, makes it as one of the most interesting swords to handle. Perfectly balanced, responsive, powerful yet light, the Henry V sword is considered as one of the best-conceived swords of the late medieval period.  In later writings, Oakeshott described it as “..no mere funerary object, but as a magnificent fighting sword which comes to life in one’s hand.” Blade: 5160 High Carbon Steel. Dual Tempered HRc 60 48-50 at the core Total length: 39″ Blade length: 32″ Blade width at base: 2″ Weight: 2 lbs. Photograph of the original sword Henry V Sword Westminster Abbey, England Type: XVIII.1., 15th Century Sword.  

Get a Free Battle of Agincourt Henry V Medieval Collectible Coin when you purchase the Henry V Sword