Kingdom of Arms Swords

Kingdom of Arms Swords is the latest project by sword industry legend Clyde Hollis, the man who originally started Generation 2 (now known as Legacy Arms, click here for our dossier on Gen2).

While they sell a few items from other companies, here we will only discuss their flagship house line made under the Kingdom of Arms brand.

Manufactured in: Made by Blade Culture International, Pangasinan, the Philippines

Steels Used: 5160 Spring Steel

Price Range: US$308-$999

Official Website: kingdomofarms.com

Having worked extensively with Filipino sword makers in the past, his latest project is to collaborate with the Philippines finest sword makers - Blade Culture International - but each blade is made to Clyde's strict standards in an attempt to recreate the most historically accurate battle ready replicas.

Clyde's emphasis and point of difference is in terms of weight, length, balance and construction (EVERYTHING at Blade Culture International is 100% hand made) - with an eye to create swords that may not be totally historically accurate, but are most certainly 'historically plausible'.

Clyde has an impeccable reputation for customer service and stands behind his products. Each product is guaranteed to be free from defects before it leaves the foundry and then again before they are shipped from the US warehouse. They are warranted to be FULLY FUNCTIONAL and will stand up to intended use such as test cutting, etc - however the following are not covered by product warranty:

Normal wear and tear of blade, reactions of natural materials like wood, leather, horns, or weave to sudden changes in climate and humidity during transport between countries of origin and destination.
Neglect, misuse/abusive use, failure to perform prescribed necessary maintenance, or disassembly by persons other than Kingdom of Arms. Use of cutting concrete, bricks, steel bars, and other forms of “sword abuse” will disqualify the sword from being repaired or replaced.

Overall, a generous return policy by a man proud of his products.

MAIN PRODUCT LINES

ANCIENT ERA SWORDS

When most sword companies 'play it safe' and only stick to swords with the broadest market appeal - Kingdom of Arms caters to those who prefer swords from all time periods. From swords like this Greek Falcata to Celtic Leaf Blade Swords and of course, Roman Gladii, Kingdom of Arms has you covered for swords stronger than the originals could have ever hoped to have been..

MEDIEVAL & EARLY RENAISSANCE SWORDS

This line is only in its infancy, but their goal is to create solid replicas of historical swords from migration era to early medieval, late medieval and early renaissance swords. Knowing Blade Culture International, the scabbards alone will be worth the price of admission..

FIXED BLADE KNIVES

Clyde has been attempting to perfect a Bowie design for nearly two decades now - and this latest, his Musso - is the latest in his quest to create the ultimate 'sword knife', and no doubt, will not be the last - keep an eye out on these amazing hand crafted fixed blades.

HOW THEY ARE MADE

Kingdom of Arms Swords are made exactly the same way as the blades produced by Blade Culture International - but refine each product to meet Clyde's specification.

As such, they are made the old fashioned way, forged entirely by hand and using only the best natural materials, including a stunning selection of local hardwoods.

The actual blades themselves are forged by a 3 to 6 man team all standing around and hammering on a truly unique anvil made from (wait for it) an artillery shell left over from WWII!

The individual components are made specifically for each piece – ensuring a high level fit and finish rare in this price range.

The blades of all Kingdom of Arms swords are hardened by heating and then oil quenching, followed by their own proprietary tempering process.

KNOWN ISSUES

As a relatively new company, but with around 65 years of combined experience in sword making, there have not been enough swords produced or sold for any issues to have been reported.

Clyde himself however notes: "One issue that does creep up from time to time is due to the climate of the Philippines itself causing the wooden components to be slightly humid when shipped. Despite best efforts, if shipped to an extremely cold climate, the wood may shrink and crack slightly."

You can prevent this by ordering during summer months or by applying a coating of linseed oil and keeping it in a humid, warm environment until the wood has time to adjust to its new conditions.