A Squared Armory Blog

We were recently asked about what makes a good dagger.  Well, there are a few things you should for if you are shopping for a quality dagger, knife or sword.  Now, keep in mind, bladed weapons are very dangerous even if they are not sharpened.  If they are sharpened, you should be an expert before handling them.  They are seriously that sharp and that dangerous. 

When you are shopping for a bladed weapon, one of the first things to look for is solid construction.  You can tell if a piece is constructed well by looking at the tang.  If a dagger is full tang, the metal of the blade will continue through the handle to the end.  The tang is basically just an extension of the actual blade.  That is the base of the handle, which keeps the blade and handle attached (because it is all one piece).  Some poorly made replicas are not full tang, meaning they are NOT battle ready, nor are they valuable.  If you are looking for something just for decoration, these are probably the way to go.  The tang is smiths use to hold onto the blade when they are shaping it.  It is only natural to use it as the actual handle of the blade.

The hilt, or the tsuba on Japanese swords, is what separates the handle from the blade.  Depending on the style of the sword and its uses, the hilt can be a hand protector to mere decoration.  The rapier generally uses a basket hilt or some fanciful version of it as a means to protect the hand wielding the weapon.  What you are looking for in a hilt/tsuba is of solid construction.  Some very well constructed swords and daggers actually have the hilt created from the blade and the tang.  And all one piece construction is very desirable in a bladed weapon, especially if it is to be used on a regular basis.  The less pieces that make up the weapon, the stronger and more durable it will be.

Probably the most important thing to look for in a good blade is the blade itself.  Find out what it is made from.  Ultimately, if this weapon is going to be used for reenactments, etc…you really want to have a high carbon spring steel blade.  Stainless steel isn’t going to cut it (no pun intended).  Although, stainless steel is just fine for replicas and for display only items.  The thing about actually using a sword is that if you hit it hard enough against something, the blade can shatter.  That’s why you want high carbon spring steel.  It is fired at much higher temperatures, allowing for an increased hardness factor.  The higher temperatures followed by different levels of quenching also creates a more flexible steel.  When struck against, wood for example, the sword should not simply absorb the full energy of the blow.  If the steel is too rigid, it will take the full blow and where does all of that energy go?  Not only up into the arms of the wielder, but through the blade itself.  If the blade cannot flex, it will shatter.  A properly constructed spring steel blade will reverberate when struck against an object.  It will not shatter. 

I hope this has been interesting.  You should check out our medieval swords and medieval daggers pages for a great selection!

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Plate armor is very similar to an insect’s exoskeleton. It protects the bones and inner organs from crushing and cutting. Different styles of medieval armor was designed for different purposes. Some styles were better for protection again swords, while others offer better protection against projectiles such as crossbow bolts.

There are many pieces of plate armor that can be used together to protect the entire body, not just the chest and back. Medieval gauntlets were used to protect the hands and wrists from being severed by a sharp sword or axe. They had to be strong enough to withstand that kind of pressure, while still be mobile enough to allow a level of dexterity on the part of the knight. Without the ability to make a fist, a knight could not hold a sword.

Just like the Black Knight of Monty Python fame, all knights were at a risk of losing a limb from a well placed sword blow. That’s why some knights used leg armor to protect themselves. If you lost a limb, heck, if you even got a cut in the Middle Ages, you were at risk for infection and death. Protecting one’s limbs was the safest way to avoid such a demise, especially if one was engaging in battle.

The most famous of all plate armor (and the most important) was the breastplate or cuirass. The breastplate served a multitude of purposes. If a knight was not in battle, he would still often wear a cuirass when out and about. It still provided protection against dissenters and thieves, and it also could be used to show off the family’s Heraldry. An excellent example of this is the Richard the Lionhearted breastplate. If a knight showed that he was part of an influential family, thieves might think twice before attacking him.

Come to A Squared Armory to browse our collection of replica and wearable medieval plate armor! We have great pieces for the Renaissance Faire!

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If you are looking for a high quality, absolutely beautiful sword for your collection…I’ve got some great news for you!  The famous Marto swords are now available through A Squared Armory!  These stunning swords are made with intense attention to detail.  I mean, just look at this Silver Templar sword!  I can’t look at it without saying, “Wow!”

This Erik the Red Viking sword is well crafted and looks awesome on display.  The stunning leather wrapped scabbard makes a statement in your medieval sword collection.

Check out A Squared Armory for new products and overall amazing medieval replica weapons.

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Everyone knows that knights used more than just a sword in their daily activities.  But, what other weapons were there and what were they used for?  You might be surprised by the wide array of weapons at knights’ disposal.  The weapons weren’t just used as weapons either.  You might be surprised to learn that most medieval weapons were used in mundane activities such as gathering wood for a fire, hunting game, or sometimes…just for show.

Beyond your typical sword, knights usually carried a dagger with them at all times.  Not only did they come in handy in close combat like a surprise attack, but they were essential for living the rough life of a knight.  They were perfect for skinning game, cooking and eating (can you imagine a knight eating with a sword?) and whittling wood for skewers, arrows and pleasure.  The dagger had to be compact and sharp, lest it let its master down in a time of need.  Medieval daggers were indeed an important part of the knights’ personal arsonal.

Crossbows were an important weapon to the knights who were fortunate enough to carry one.  An excellent long range weapon, the crossbow was used for everything from hunting game in the forests to taking out a guard atop a castle wall.  There were only two long range weapons during the Middle Ages:  the crossbow and the trebuchet.  It would be overkill (to say the least) to use a trebuchet for hunting purposes, but the crossbow was the perfect tool.  Therefore, if one was available to a knight, he’d definitely carry it.  Medieval crossbows required skill to use them.  Practicing and perfecting one’s aim was paramount to using it effectively.

Now, let’s look at a weapons, like this Flange Mace.  This is one heck of a brutal weapon.  Think of a police’s billy club…then add about 5 pounds in flesh cutting steel blades.  Though an extremely effective weapon in close combat or in survivor mode against a large, predatory animal…weapons like these weren’t used as frequently as swords and daggers.  They are not multipurpose tools, which is fine but if you can only carry a certain number of weapons with you, you are probably going to pick the ones that will have other uses.  All I know is that I would hate to be on the receiving end of this weapon. 

It really is interesting to learn what these different weapons can do.  You can browse our medieval weapons section and be sure to check out the rest of A Squared Armory!

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Medieval helmets come in all shapes, sizes and styles.  What you might not know is why some helmets look so completely different from others from the same time period.  It’s all about function.  Ok, and some looks.  It may have been called the Dark Ages, but people still had a sense of style.

You will notice that some helmets are closed, or they have a face plate that can be raised when not in use.  Close helms are really the hardcore battle helmets.  The heavy gauge of the metal protects not only the head, but keeps the face safe from weapons and shrapnel.  You will often see elaborate air flow holes in these close helms, as they are meant to be closed for long periods of time.  You might have seen castle guards wearing such helmets, as they had to be prepared for anything, at any time.  A great example of a close helm is the Sugarloaf Great Helm.  This helmet offers excellent protection, and is meant to be kept on for long period of time.  You will notice that there is no way to life the face plate.  The elaborate pattern of air holes and the very narrow slits for the eyes indicates that this helmet was mainly used for defense or for border guards.  Plus, the pointed top is excellent for deflecting strikes made on the top of the head.

This Barbute helmet is made much more open, and was probably used as a precautionary measure.  Not necessarily for defense.  The crest on the top makes for excellent head protection against blunt weapons, but the more open face leaves a lot exposed.  The open face also makes it a lot easier to see out of, which could indicate this style was used more for close combat fighting.

Medieval helmets are just part of the whole medieval armor package.  Medieval knight armor was very extensive but for a very, very good reason.

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Well, more like a dagger.  But, Dundee sure did have a point (no pun intended) when he flashed his huge bowie knife.  Basically, you had to be prepared for anything, and having a capable dagger certainly helps.

In the Middle Ages, a knight could count on three things:  His sword, his spirit and his dagger.  Daggers weren’t just used as decoration or for special occasions…they were an everyday tool that helped keep people alive.  Multipurpose tools were very important in those days, especially if said liege was on a quest or simply surviving in the wild.  Less to carry with just as much function.  The dagger was used for hunting, cleaning a kill, getting wood for a fire, carving wood for bows or for shelter, close (very close) combat, and just about anything else you can think of that requires a smaller blade and easy transportation. 

There were several styles of daggers that came in useful for different things.  For example, more for prestige than anything, this Damascus blade dagger made itself useful both in the visual department and in the sharpness department.  Damascus steel is considerably stronger than regular steel, so it could be used for more aggressive acts.  Plus, you can’t beat the style.  In contrast, take a look at this simple Claymore dagger.  The simple design and thin straight blade is perfect for hunting, cleaning of a kill and it is awesome for carving wood.   

Though they do vary in style, daggers are basically the same structure.  A short blade, a comfortable and secure grip handle and a nice sheath to keep the blade safe from the elements.  Daggers tended to get used more than other edged weapons, so it was important to keep it in as good a shape as possible.  Shop our medieval daggers and get your multipurpose blade today!

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What’s the coolest medieval weapon, other than a trebuchet?  You got it…battle axes!  What more versatile medieval weapon is there?  Other than small daggers, axes were used for many different things in the Middle Ages.  Other than in battle, these multitasking weapons were perfect for mundane daily activities.  From cutting wood for a fire to hunting, medieval axes served as your typical knight or squires’ right hand.

There are so many different styles of battle axes that it is hard to fathom why people often forget about their importance, both as a weapon and as a tool.  Longer handled axes provided a reach advantage in battles and in melee style fighting.  You can see how different the long handled axe looks in comparison to a shorter axe.  This German gothic axe has a longer handle, which not only provides an advantage in battle, but in everyday situations as well.  The longer fulcrum length allows for a greater windup, and therefore, a more powerful blow.  This axe would come in handy on the hunt, especially for larger beasts.  The only thing about the long handled axe is that it is not as accurate.  In order to get full power from this type of axe, you need a longer windup.  That leaves the wielder open to mistakes in perception, and can cause the wielder to miss the intended target based simply off of trajectory.

That is why the shorter handled axes, like this One Handed Axe prove to be better in situations that require accuracy in striking.  This axe would be much better for attacking smaller prey, and the ultimate tool for chopping wood.  Though not great in battle situations, this axe works very well in close combat and melee fighting.  When accuracy counts, go with the shorter handle.

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Oh, it is not just good for the Renaissance Faire!  (It’s awesome for that)  But, there are more uses for chainmail in the modern world than you might think.  The incredible strength and durability of chainmail relies on the intricate design of interlocking chains of metal.  Individually, these chains are nothing special.  But, when interlocked in a 4 in 1 link matrix…you have got great protection from sharp objects.

You see, the interlocking chains makes it pretty close to impossible to penetrate with a blade or other sharp object.  Even razor thin rapiers have trouble piercing chainmail.  That is why divers started using chainmail during shark dives.  The coolest thing ever?  It worked.  They only tested the chainmail suit with smaller sharks such as blue sharks, but no matter how many of the sharks attacked the brave (crazy?) diver, they could not pierce his skin because of the chainmail.  Once he surfaced and removed the chainmail suit, they discovered there were no punctures, but there were a ton of bruises.  The link matrix prevented cuts but the bite pressure of the sharks jaws still transferred to the skin.  It’s all physics.  However, during Medieval times, they could probably deal better with bruises and broken bones than cuts and infections.  Even the tiniest cut could get infected and since they had no antibiotics - you were pretty much a goner.  Blood infections are nasty.  Broken bones, however, could be set and cast without the worry of an infection.  Chainmail must have saved many lives back in the day.

They even used chainmail in WWI to protect soldiers against small pieces of shrapnel.  It was made into a kind of veil for the lower part of their faces and necks.  Again, chainmail saves lives!  They also use chainmail gloves and arm protectors for slaughterhouse workers.  They are able to keep their hands dextrous because of the easy movement of the chainmail, but they kept their fingers and hands safe from the extremely sharp cutting instruments used daily in that environment.

All in all, chainmail is awesome.  You can still break bones and get bruised, but you are safe from cuts and infections.  Browse A Squared Armory’s chainmail armor to see just how cool it is! You can also check out our selection of medieval weapons for your collection!

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As with any art form…perfection takes time. Especially when it comes to the art of fencing or sword play. That’s why we offer wooden practice swords at A Squared Armory. Plus, they make really good props for plays and action sequences in films.

With practice swords, you can acquaint yourself with the feel of the sword in your hands, without the risk of cutting off said hands or any limbs, really. Though the wood can’t cut you, it still hurts if you are struck with one. So, please be careful and wield your practice sword as you would an edged weapon. Mom was right…Better Safe Than Sorry. The practice swords are weighted just like the real thing, so you can get comfortable holding the sword and striking with it. If you drop it, you won’t lose a finger (or a toe!) and you won’t knick up the blade.

Plus, they look awesome. Especially the natural wood katana and wooden practice kung-fu swords…perfect wooden replicas of the real weapons.

So, come browse our selection of wooden practice swords! Ask us about volume discounts for plays or film production! Here at A Squared Armory, we are all about the medieval weapons!

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Flintlocks were an evolutionary step in the history of guns. The flintlock is the foundation for modern guns. It was a vast improvement over the matchlock guns, which were basically fired by lighting a fuse. Obviously, the matchlock wasn’t very reliable, especially in high wind or rain. You could also see the fuse burning at night, which gave away your position to your enemy.

So, the flintlock was invented to fix these problems. The way the flintlock works is by using a piece of flint to strike the steel frizzen, which creates a spark that lights the gunpowder in the pan. Pretty simple, right? The flintlock was innovation at its finest and was in use for nearly 300 years.

Check out our English Flintlock guns! Don’t forget to browse our huge selection of medieval weapons for the Rennaissance Faire too!

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