Red Dragon Armoury Combat Temple Church Sword (UNSHARPENED)
Be the first one to write a reviewIN STOCK
EN42J Spring Steel 1.5mm thick edge for HEMA (drilling not sparring) and stage combat. Includes leather wood core scabbard with belt suspension system. Replica of a sword found in the River Thames in London
Our Red Dragon swords feature high carbon EN42J Spring Steel blades that have been forged and tempered to perform like their historical counterparts. They have a core hardness of 45HRC approx. with an edge hardness of 50HRC approx. The hilts feature authentically styled guards and pommels constructed from steel, and wooden grips that are masterfully wrapped in leather cord for an aesthetic yet comfortable finish. They come complete with leather wrapped wooden scabbards and authentically styled integrated leather belts.
Our Red Dragon Combat Swords feature high carbon EN42J Spring Steel blades that have been forged and tempered to perform like their historical counterparts. They have a core hardness of 45HRC approx. with an edge hardness of 50HRC approx. The hilts feature authentically styled guards and pommels constructed from steel, and wooden grips that are masterfully wrapped in leather cord for an aesthetic yet comfortable finish. They come complete with leather-wrapped wooden scabbards and authentically styled integrated leather belts.
Our Temple Church sword is a replica of a sword found in the River Thames in London. The sword, forged in the period between 1300-1350, was discovered opposite Temple Church, the headquarters of the Knights Templar in England. During the 14th century, the gardens of the Temple in London ran down to the river’s edge where this sword was discovered. The discovery location, coupled with the crosses in the pommel, suggests that it is a Templar knight’s sword thrown into the river when the Order of the Temple was dissolved by Edward II in 1314.
The inlaid copper alloy crosses on the pommel are the same as those on the two-handed sword of Edward III at Windsor Castle. Furthermore, just below the guard, there is an inlaid mark in the form of a dagger. The same mark can be seen on Edward III’s sword. It is therefore entirely possible that both swords were made by the same swordsmith.
This is a large sword designed for powerful, slashing blows. It features a long, well-tempered, and flexible high carbon steel blade; the long fuller serving to greatly reduce its weight. The simple cross-guard is forged from steel and typical of the period. The waisted wooden handle is tightly wrapped in brown cord for a durable and secure grip. The large Oakeshott Type K steel pommel features an inlaid copper alloy cross and is held in place by peen block. The leather-covered wooden scabbard features an integrated leather belt and is embossed with the Cross Pattée of the Templar Order, and inscribed with the words “In Nomine Domini” (In the name of the Lord).
About Rawlings/Red Dragon Armoury
Red Dragon Armoury is a UK based designer and manufacturer of affordable HEMA gear. HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) is a growing community of dedicated martial artists recreating the techniques and traditions from the medieval fighting schools of Europe. These disciplines include work with the longsword, single-hand sword and buckler, dagger, wrestling and more. In addition to localized study groups armored and un-armored (blossfechten) tournament fighting is being held in several large annual events all over the world. Red Dragon Armoury is dedicated to bringing these groups affordable and safe gear that is suitable for a wide range of pursuits.
Developed in conjunction with Dave Rawlings, founder of the London Longsword Academy, their line of nylon polymer sparring swords have found favour with European broadsword sparring enthusiasts the world over. Made in the UK, the swords are crafted in a special-purpose high-impact polymer and provide a more realistic replacement for the wooden waster for drilling and pell work, at the same time providing a safer alternative for the steel blunt in contact sparring when used with appropriate protection. This range of swords is now standard in three of the largest HEMA competitions in the world and is constantly being adopted for other smaller competitions and tourneys.
Testimonials
The new synthetic swords have been developed by HEMA practitioners for HEMA practitioners, using our experience of the last decade of training and competition. They behave more like original steel swords than other plastic swords, and they handle more like antique swords than many of the steel replicas out there. Being plastic, they offer far greater safety than steel weapons. This increased safety, coupled with realism, should enable us to take our arts to the next level, particularly in competitive bouting.
- Matt Easton Schola Gladiatoria -UK
The new sparring range is something we have been waiting and hoping on for many years. The first mass produced, affordable and realistic western martial arts simulators available will allow the Western martial arts to be a lot more accessible, whilst allowing our current members to train to very high intensity levels whilst remaining safe.
This new range of training swords will transform what we do in the club, bringing beginners and advanced students together and allowing us much more flexibility for melee games and scenario based training, as well as full contact tournaments, they really cannot come soon enough!
- Michael and Nick Thomas, Instructors of the Academy of Historical Fencing - UK
