The Truth About the "Gothic Bastard Sword"

By Björn Hellqvist

There are swords that catch the eye of sword enthusiasts because they have "it" - the combination of graceful lines and lethal practicality combined into a piece of cold steel. One type of sword that has these traits is the long-sword. These swords were intended for use with both hands, allowing thrusts, cuts and parries. A sword of this type is kept in the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, UK. It is often glimpsed in books on medieval arms and armor, as it is included in one of the displays in the Royal Armouries. This display itself consists of a late 15th century Gothic armor together with horse armor, both of German origin, with the sword on the mounted knight's left side. Replicas of the sword are available, and it has become a favorite with many sword enthusiasts. What few people know is the true story behind the sword.

The Sword

The total length is 52.9" (134.5 cm) and the weight is said to be 3 lbs. 3 oz (1.45 kg). The inventory # of the sword is XXI.31 (not to be confused with the Roman numerals used in Oakeshott's typology). At the Royal Armouries, the XXI class designation is used for items that are considered "modern imitations." So, how did a reproduction end up in one of the most well known collections in the world? Before answering that, we'll take a closer look at the sword itself.

The Blade

The blade is a type XVIIIb according to Oakeshott's typology. Having a diamond cross-section, it tapers to a narrow point. It has a length of 42.5" (108 cm), a width at the hilt of 2" (5.1 cm), a width at point before curve of point of 0.7" (18 mm), and a thickness at the top of blade of 0.225" (5.7 mm). This type appeared around 1450, and seems to have been around for some 70 years before being replaced by other forms. It is designed to be both armor-piercing and able to deliver good cuts. The blade is believed by some to be genuine, but according to one of the curators at the Royal Armouries, it is somewhat roughly finished.

The Cross

The 10.8" (27.5 cm) wide spatulate cross is a style 5 according to Oakeshott's typology. The style is more common with swords of earlier types, but it isn't impossible that a type XVIIIb blade could have been fitted with it. The slight horizontal S-curve of the cross appears in period art around 1430, making it look like the blade and cross are contemporary with each other. The perforations are also very rare - another factor to weigh in when determining the authenticity of the sword. Perforations were usually less elaborate - often just a small, simple cross-shaped hole. Curiously enough, the very thing that lends the hilt elegance is what is probably not in style with period crosses.

The Grip

The 8.3" (21.2 cm) grip is slightly waisted, easily accommodating both hands. The lower half is leather-covered wood, where cord (?) shapes a distinct "X" under the leather, while the upper half is wood wound with metal wire. The style is one seen in many swords after 1350, which corresponds with the rest of the hilt. A similar grip can be seen on the effigy of Johan Georg von Waldburg, who died c. 1470. Few, if any, are preserved.

The Pommel

This is a 1.16" (29.6 mm) thick disc-shaped iron pommel with chamfered edges (thickness of the edge 0.5" (12 mm) and with a diameter of 2" (5.1 cm). This is clearly a type I according to Oakeshott's typology. The style was popular all through the Middle Ages, being common from the middle of the 13th century onwards. The pommel alone cannot be used to narrow down the time frame.

Wielding the sword

The only information I have on the handling characteristics of this sword is that it is slightly blade-heavy. The point of balance isn't known, nor is the center of percussion. To learn more about it, it would have to be removed from the current display, something the curators are reluctant to do.

Could the Sword Be Authentic?

So, is it authentic or not? Based on the facts above, while it's possible that a sword looking like this could have been made in the 1400's, the curators at the Royal Armouries seem certain that it isn't genuine. The whole thing is simplified by the fact that the seller of the sword was most probably Ernst Schmidt, active in Munich (München), Germany. The sword was probably made in the 1890's in the atelier of Mr. Schmidt (quite possibly by Schmidt himself) and similar swords can be seen in his pre-WW1 (c. 1910) catalog. An interesting thing is the fact that there was an older sword, apparently kept in the National Museum in Munich, which was the inspiration for the sword. The older sword, or a copy thereof, might have been made in the 17th century (a most interesting feature of this sword is the crystal pommel), but the whereabouts of it isn't known today. The scabbard was made at the Tower Armouries, London, and the whole thing is used to embellish the Gothic knight display.

Ernst Schmidt - Maker of Fine Reproductions

Ernst Schmidt was the proprietor of a highly respectable firm (situated in Pfandstrasse 5, Munich), dealing in antique arms and armor (both reproductions and originals), and other fine arts items. He bought the atelier in the late 1870's and was active until about 1930. He employed several skilled artisans, whose skills were needed in repairing antiques as well as producing copies of attractive items. Everything was sold as reproductions, but it is possible that consecutive transactions were made by less honest dealers who claimed that the stuff was genuine. Schmidt's wares were popular, and found their way into many collections both in Germany and abroad, like the Higgins Armory Museum (http://www.higgins.org/) in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Fakes, Forgeries and Reproductions

So, if the sword was made in the 1890's, why was that? During the 19th century, there was an increased demand for medieval and renaissance arms and armor due to the renewed interest in the Middle Ages (of which Sir Walter Scott's novel "Ivanhoe" from 1819 is but an example). The supply wasn't as great, though, so a replica production as well as a flourishing fake business started. The fakes could be all new or put together from original parts of different provenance, with an original hilt fitted to a new-made blade or vise versa. The new parts were often treated with acid to achieve an antique finish, making it harder to tell the age of the piece. While the replicas were sold as just that, unscrupulous dealers passed off the fakes as genuine. Expert craftsmen made some of the fakes; restorers who had access to the great collections and who made a fast buck from producing a copy of the piece they were restoring. Much of this trade was based in the traditional sword-making areas in Germany. Today, many hundreds of fakes are around in museums and private collections. Some of them are recognized for what they are, but many are still believed to be genuine. As the 19th and early 20th century fakes have a tendency to crop up at auctions and antique dealers, the buyer should indeed beware. The fake business is still about, today mostly in areas of great collectability like Japanese swords and Third Reich swords and daggers.

Conclusion

The sword is very elegant, and it can be regarded as an impression of what a late 15th century sword could look like. There is no known preserved sword that looks quite like it, but Schmidt had a sure eye for the stuff, unlike many fakes that are too elaborate or clumsy. In his catalog, there are two swords that are similar to it. #346 have the aforementioned crystal pommel, and appear to have a longer blade than the Royal Armouries sword, while the other sword (#351) is shorter and has a metal pommel. The "Gothic Bastard Sword" stands as a fine example of the 19th century's idea of the medieval sword, and judging by its popularity today, that idea is still very much alive.

Modern versions

There are at least three versions of this sword on the market. The oldest is the "Gothic Bastard Sword" (GBS), offered by Museum Replicas Limited. The other two are made by Del Tin; models 5155 and 5157 "Gothic Hand-and-a-Half" (GHH), respectively. There's at least one real crappy version made in Pakistan or India, which barely can be identified as inspired by the original (or rather the MRL copy of the copy of perhaps an older sword). If one wants the version closest to the original, the Del Tin 5157 is the one to go for.

Author's Thanks

Thanks to Mr. Philip J. Lankester (Senior Curator at the Royal Armouries), David Counts, Gus Trim, Paul Kilmartin and Fulvio Del Tin for invaluable info and comments.

Sources and bibliography

Correspondence with Mr. P. J. Lankester graciously provided by Mr. Counts

Letter from Mr. P. J. Lankester, dated 25 January 1999

Clements, John: Medieval Swordsmanship, Paladin Press 1998

Cope, Anne (editor): Swords and Hilt Weapons, Multimedia Books 1989

Edge, David and John M. Paddock: Arms & Armor of the Medieval Knight, Bison Books 1988

Grancsay, Stephen (ed.): Arms + Armor From the Atelier of Ernst Schmidt Munich, Mowbray Company, 1967

Oakeshott, Ewart: The Sword in the Age of Chivalry, Boydell & Brewer 1964, 1994

Oakeshott, Ewart: Records of the Medieval Sword, Boydell & Brewer 1991