The Oakeshott

Type Xa

The Oakeshott is named after the late, preeminent scholar of the Medieval Sword, Ewart Oakeshott (1916-2002). It is impossible to quantify the impact Ewart Oakeshott had on the modern renaissance of interest in the Medieval sword. His classification system is the common parlance in the discussion of the Medieval sword. His long list of publications, and his contributions to the work of other scholars, provided the foundation and a context for the modern sudy of the sword. We agreed with several of our customers, who suggested naming this sword after Oakeshott as a tribute to the man and his work — especially because the original sword that inspired this recreation was one that Oakeshott himself found very special. The inspiration for this model is a beautiful, remarkably well-preserved sword in the Wallace Collection (London) with a hollow-ground cross-section. Scholars generally have dated this sword to the 14th century, but Oakeshott in Records of the Medieval Sword argues that it is probably much earlier — between 1050 and 1150 AD. The Oakeshott is classified as an Oakeshott Type Xa. Oakeshott describes the typical Type Xa as a broad flat blade of medium length with a narrow fuller (narrower than a typical Type X, but not as narrow as a Type XI), running the entire length of the blade. Though the point is narrow enough for thrusting, this is principally a cutting sword, designed for use against opponents in mail armour. This is a unique design for a Crusader era sword, elegant and yet still brutally functional.

Specifications
Overall length: 40.25″ (102 cm)
Blade length: 33.75″ (85.73 cm)
Blade width: 2″ (5 cm)
CoG: 4.375″ (11 cm)
CoP: 22.25″ (56.5 cm)
Weight: 2 lbs 8.2 oz (1.14 kg)

This sword is offered in a limited edition of 500 swords worldwide.