The falchion

A falchion is a single-handed, single-edged sword of European origin with a length of 94–102 cm. Falchions appear in various forms from approximately the 13th to the 16th century. In some versions, the falchion resembles the sax and later the sabre, and in other versions more like a machete with a crossguard.

The blade designs of falchions varied greatly by region and time. They were almost always single-edged and had a slight curve from the blade to the tip. Most were also equipped with a crossguard and a grip, similar to swords. Unlike the double-edged swords of Europe, few falchions have survived. There are currently fewer than thirty known examples. From the 15th century onwards, alongside the falchion in Western Europe, the Messer also developed, which closely resembles the falchion. Later, the backsword and various types of sabres evolved from it. 

It remains a mystery why there is such a large discrepancy between the frequency of falchions in art from that time and the surprisingly small number of preserved falchions from the Middle Ages. Currently, there are fewer than 30 confirmed surviving medieval falchions, compared to the thousands of straight double-edged swords from the same period. Current research by James Elmslie suggests that the overrepresentation in medieval art may be a form of artistic expression to convey certain meanings, such as indicating who the enemies in the story are. Falchions are often depicted with 'villains', such as biblical enemies or non-Christian barbarians. 

Falchions are sometimes misunderstood and confused with machetes. However, the historical falchions that have been found are very thin and medium lighter than a double-edged sword. These weapons were therefore not chopping or cleaving weapons like the machete, but fast striking and cutting weapons. More comparable to the shamshir or sabres, despite their broad blade.

In contrast to Central European Messers and smaller fighting knives like the tesak, which were often roughly constructed and sometimes popular among the peasant population, surviving falchions show a high degree of craftsmanship. They often have richly decorated bronze pommels and sometimes incised blades. Although some forms of falchions, especially early Lombard examples, blur the line between sword and tool and are depicted as used by common infantry, the preserved examples show that they were fine status weapons. For instance, the Conyers falchion belonged to a noble family, and the weapon is depicted in illustrations of battles between mounted knights. Some later falchions were richly decorated and used by the nobility; an example is a richly engraved and gilded falchion from the 1560s in the Wallace Collection, with the personal weapon of Cosimo I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany.

One of the few remaining falchions, the Conyers falchion, has the shape of a large machete. This type also appears in artworks and seems to be limited to the 13th and 14th centuries. Despite their profile, these weapons had a very thin blade, often only 1.2 mm thick at the back, 7 cm from the tip, with a slight tapering shape towards the cutting edge, transitioning into a secondary facet. This gave the blade a very sharp edge, while still retaining some durability. Modern theories suggest that the falchion was primarily intended for use against unarmored opponents.

The majority of images in art reflect a design similar to that of the großes Messer. The Thorpe Falchion, a surviving example from 13th century England, weighed just under 904 grams. Of the total length of 956 millimeters, 803 millimeters is the straight blade with remarkable pointed or claw-like ends, similar to the much later kilij of Turkey. This type of weapon remained in use until the 16th century.

A subtype of the 'umbrella-hilted' falchion is seen in the Maciejowski Bible. Additionally, there is a group of 13th and early 14th-century weapons that are sometimes identified as falchion. These have a falchion-like blade mounted on a wooden shaft of 30–61 cm long, sometimes ending in a curve like an umbrella. These can be seen in numerous illustrations in the mid-13th-century Maciejowski Bible.

The Elmslie typology is a system for the classification and description of single-edged European thrusting weapons from the late Middle Ages and early Baroque period, approximately 1100 to 1550. It is designed to provide classification terminology for archaeological finds of single-edged weapons, as well as visual representations in art. It includes swords from the European Middle Ages (approximately 11th to 16th century) and currently divides them into five main types, each with different subtypes. Historian and swordsmith James Elmslie introduced the typology in 2015, as a supplement to the Oakeshott typology, which deals with double-edged swords from the same periods.

Single-edged swords and fighting knives (seax) were used in Europe until the Viking Age, but from the 10th century they became less popular and by the 11th century they had virtually disappeared. This may have been related to religious changes, making such weapons less popular among followers of Western Christianity. In Scandinavia and the Baltic regions, which converted to Christianity later, single-edged weapons remained in use longer until these regions s converted to Christianity. For more than 200 years, the straight, double-edged sword was the most used weapon in Western Europe (Oakeshott Type X to XIII).

Type 1
Single-edged swords re-emerged in the early 13th century with Type 1 blades, which were short but wide and widened towards the tip.

Type 1a
The classic medieval falchion, seen in many medieval manuscripts and a few archaeological finds (for example, the "Conyers falchion" in Durham Cathedral). Probably originated around 1230 AD and possibly used for 100 years. Characteristic are the flaring blade and the broad, sharp tip.

Type 1b
These falchions can be straight or slightly curved. Most remaining falchions are only very slightly curved. Sometimes they are compared to machetes, but they are thicker at the basic (4–5 mm) and taper to less than 2 mm at the widest part. The blade is wedge-shaped with an angled cutting edge, making them effective at cutting, especially through fabric or unarmored targets.
Subtype 1b often has a flattened tip without sharp tip. Examples of these come from medieval drawings, but not in archaeological finds.

Type 1c
These have serrated ends and flattened backs, especially known from the Maciejowski Bible. They often have a grip that resembles a knife with a thin tang, sometimes curved. Elmslie sometimes calls them ‘proto-messer’ or ‘messer-like’, because they resemble a knife more than a sword. They may be related to North Italian weapons called Falcastro. In modern culture and among swordsmiths, they are sometimes called “bible chopper”.

Type 1d
These swords have a distinct point at the top, with a reinforced section on top of the back and a thin cutting section below.

Type 2
Subtype 2a is also known as ‘reverse edged’ falchion. Used around 1300–1370, sharp on the shorter side with a flattened section for a strong point. Known from two surviving examples. Archaeological evidence from Dordrecht shows scabbards of Type 2a. They were mainly found in Northern France and Burgundy and spread limitedly to Great Britain and Western Germany.

Type 3
These blades have serrated or clipped points.

• Subtype 3a: A short clip point that cuts well and can still pierce a bit.

• Subtype 3b: The point becomes longer and sharper, cutting edge remains deep for strength.

• Subtype 3c: An even more extreme clip with a long point and massive blade, allows for good cutting.

• Subtype 3d: Short clip point popular in the 15th century, also called ‘cat’s claw’. Slimmer than earlier models.

• Subtype 3e: Multiple serrations on the back (usually 2, sometimes 3). Rare, more often on messers than on falchions.

Type 4
More seen in Eastern Europe. They sometimes resemble a Messer or sabre.

• Subtype 4a: Back with a ‘step’ down, then back up at the end.

• Subtype 4b: Only a step down.

• Subtype 4c: Only a step up, often called ‘yelman’, likely inspired by Turkish swords.

• Subtype 4d: Step up and down, usually not sharp, often around the ‘sweet spot’ area of the sword.

Type 5
Symmetrical blades, usually straight and with little curvature. Often difficult to notice in museums. Also called ‘single-edged swords’ or ‘Early Backswords’.

• Subtype 5a: Blade almost parallel, point curves up towards the back.

• Subtype 5b: Blade parallel, ends in a spear head.

• Subtype 5c: Blade tapers towards the back, usually just past the middle of the sword.

• Subtype 5d: Often from Slovenia, more a large knife than a sword. Curves on both back and cutting edge. Has a blade with a nail to protect the hand.

Subtype 5e: Large knife with ‘broken back’, back curves negatively downward. Also has a Messer-like grip.