Frequently asked Questions: Weapons

The scabbards are made exactly to the size of the blade. Please select a scabbard you like. If you´re not sure, whether it is a suitable one, contact us with your order number and we will recommend you a suitable style. If you have already received the sword, we will ask you after receiving your order to submit several measurements of the sword blade. If we still have not dispatched the sword, we will take measurements of the blade ourselves and have the scabbard made for you in correct size.

We cannot make a crossbow with such a high draw weight. Such strong prods were made from 2-3 years of water-soaked logs in Middle Ages. Today it would be made of spring steel, but our production is not designed for manufacturing it. We would not be able to deliver suitable cocking aid or windlass. Such a high draw weight makes no sense today. A high draw weight does not mean a long range. Extremely strong crossbows shot full metal arrows weighing 2-3 kg (4.4 – 6.6. pounds). Their strings / cables were loose (not tense) and the active draw length was short. Heavy wall crossbows were designed to pierce the shield walls and metal armor. Against such an order also speaks the fact that the crossbow with such a high draw weight would be a dangerous object that would be able to kill its operator in case of a technical defect, even if he/she was trained well. So the answer to your question is, we cannot make it, and even if we could, we would not accept such an order.

The daggers are approximately made as follows. The basic shape of the blade is made by a laser CNC machine. It is burned from spring steel. The semi-finished blade follows then in the groove cutter, where the cutting edge and the groove are milled. The blade is then oil-quenched and tempered to the desired hardness. Then the guard and pommel is attached to the blade tang. The tang is usually peened at the end (behind the pommel) and the cross-guard hard soldered with brass. Hardwood plates are placed under the handle wrapping from genuine cowhide so that the handle is sufficiently robust for a safe grasp. The steels surfaces obtain the desired finish in the end - with a wire brush or with a felt disc with polishing paste.

In the case of hand-forged blades, our blacksmith takes the already rolled spring steel and forges it by hand on the anvil or under the drop hammer. The steel gets more solid (denser) by forging. In the case of industrially rolled spring steel blades, the sheets of steel plate is cut to strips under drop snips, then ground or milled and immediately forged into the annealing furnace and oil-quenched. The properties of both kinds of steels are not very different, since industrial rolling is already very good! On forged blades are usually blacksmith marks, which give them an authentic and unique look.

Unfortunately we have no art historian in our team. I can recommend you to look up an expert in a directory of expert witnesses or an auction house in your country. If you intend to sell your original militaria, contact Herman Historica from Munich that specialize in auctions of this kind.

The steel from which the blade is made of is not hard and tough enough. The sword could not withstand an attack of a real sword. The blade would probably bend or break soon and the hilt could fall to bits.

As far as the axes produced in the Czech Republic are concerned (except imported axes), the hafts are made of hard kinds of wood such as ash, oak and beech depending on availability. If you want the handle to be made from a certain kind of wood, please note this in the comment to your order. Please understand that that this wish cannot sometimes be fulfilled.

For safety reasons in the international transport we are not allowed to ship such sharp weapon replicas. Please refer to a cutler or a locksmith near you. Some customers buy sharpening stones with the swords. We assume that they sharpen the blades themselves. Even if this procedure can be toilsome, it is quite possible. Please remember that by so perfect sharpening you create a literally lethal weapon!

Swords from this Indian manufacturer typically have the blade edge 0.5 to 1.0 mm thick, which is insufficient in terms of the safety precautions for European contact sword combats. From this point of view, the Windlass swords are NOT battle-ready. Otherwise these swords are fully functional. The manufacturer also warns that the specifications of their swords are close to those of the originals. Such swords are not suitable for today's usual force contact combats. For this reason, no warranty or maintenance is granted for damages resulting from combats or combat exercises.

Leather wrapping feels better in the hand, but the wire wrapping is more durable and looks better. Where it is not explicitly stated "stainless steel", the wrapping is of stainless steel. It then requires similar care as the blade - corrosion protection and dry storage.

Take a tape measure, hold the end of it with your left hand on your belt and pull the tape measure with your right hand over the thumb to the maximum. Read the information on the thumb and subtract the thickness of the sword parry. This is your individual maximum blade length of a sword that you can draw.