What’s A Claymore Sword?
By Adelia Ladson
A Little Bit Of Claymore Sword History
Used in the late Medieval period, the Claymore Sword was used, in the Scottish Highlands, to fight each other and the English. It is a type of broadsword, and its name derives from the Gaelic word “claidheamh”, which means “sword”, and “mor”, which means “large”. Over the years, the Claymore sword became associated with Scottish heritage and was a mark of distinction for Scottish officers. It symbolized their strength, prowess and was a link to the Highland way of life.
Characteristics Of The Claymore Sword
The Claymore sword has some characteristics of other swords of the time period, however, it is longer than other two-handed swords with an average overall length of around 55”. It has a double-edged blade with a length of 42” and it weighed from 5 to six lbs. Langets run down the center of the blade from the crossguard. The sword has a distinctive cross-hilt that has forward-angled arms ending in either spatulate swellings or quatrefoils. The pommels vary from a wheel-shape to a knob-style.
High-Quality Claymore Sword Examples
You can find pretty decent replica Claymores out there but if you want a sword that is truly a collector’s dream, these are my recommendations. Each was crafted of high-quality materials with unsurpassed attention to detail.
Legends In Steel Scottish Early Pattern Claymore Sword
I’m going to start with the Legends In Steel Scottish Early Pattern Claymore Sword, which is on the lower-end of the price spectrum. It is an exceptional sword for the price and an accurate representation of the early style of Claymore. The wide blade is made of rust-resistant stainless steel and the handle is an attractive spiral hardwood, topped by a brass-plated pommel. The brass-plated crossguard has the traditional quatrefoils. A leather, over-the-shoulder scabbard comes with the 43” overall historical sword.
Catholic Kings Claymore Sword
The rest of the Claymore swords that I’ve included are from the exclusive collection, “Historical, Fantastic and Legend Swords”, made by Marto. Located in Toledo, Spain, this company has been crafting the most significant collectible swords in the world since 1961. Many of the swords are replicas of real swords housed in European museums. The Catholic Kings Claymore is a reproduction of one of the most spectacular swords in Spanish History. The mythical sword was used by Ferando II and Isabel II to knight Columbus when he returned from his first trip to America. It became a symbol of royal power in religious and political ceremonies and a symbol of the beginning of Spain as a nation. The Marto reproduction has a stainless steel blade with a red handle wrapped in gold roping and bookended by an extravagantly decorated, gold-finished pommel and crossguard. There is also intricate artwork etched in gold on the sword.
Silver and Gold Claymore Sword
The Silver and Gold Claymore from Marto has ornamentation depicting “the Lion and the Unicorn”, which are the heraldic symbols of the United Kingdom, representing England and Scotland. Starting from the top of the sword, the metal wheel pommel is pewter-colored with gold-colored ring accents and a lion and unicorn, locked in battle, is crafted in 3D-relief in intricate detail. The wooden handle has pewter-colored and gold-colored metal ornaments embedded in the wood. The traditional Claymore crossguard is intricately detailed with gold leaf and vine and the quatrefoils are silver with gold fleur-de-lis accents. The langet, going down the blade, has a ramping lion in gold on a pewter background. The 57” overall sword has a stainless steel blade that has gold-etched heraldic artwork. This really is a beautiful piece of work from Marto.
Claymore Sword Of Charles V
Marto pulled out all of the stops when crafting the Claymore Sword Of Charles V replica. A Duke of Burgundy and a Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V was the ruler of both the Spanish Empire from 1516 and Holy Roman Empire from 1519, as well as, of the Netherlands from 1506, until he voluntarily stepped down from these positions. He was known, in his time, as “The Emperor”, as no other king reached to unify under his rule such an immense empire. The exceptional replica sword is decorated with the shield of the Hapsburg Empire and Castilla-Leon-Granada, Aragon-Sicily, Austria, Burgundy, Brabant, Flanders and Tirol. The 47 1/5” overall sword has a stainless steel blade and a red handle, wrapped with gold roping.
Shop Products Here:
- Legends In Steel Scottish Early Pattern Claymore Sword
- Catholic Kings Claymore
- Silver and Gold Claymore
- Claymore Sword Of Charles V
