Tinker Pearce 9th Century Viking Sword

Michael ‘Tinker’ Pearce has designed a series of swords made by Hanwei in 5160 steel, which emphasise authenticity, functionality & performance.To satisfy the sparring & cutting needs of Western Martial Artist, each of the 4 styles being made in live (sharp) & sparring (blunt) versions, each sword has outstanding handling characteristics.The carefully controlled heat treating of 5160 (Tinker’s blade steel of choice) by the ‘Marquenching’ process produces-excellent toughness & flexibility at a hardness of HRc 50-52 allowing for superior edge retention on the sharps, anti burr & tip-flexing safety features on the blunts. While not a direct copy of any particular sword, the viking sword design was inspired by historical examples from the early 9th century, most notably finds from the Trondheim, Norway where the circular indentation hilt decoration was popular.The scabbards are provided with suspension points & a period chape, giving the sheathed sword a very attractive appearance. The construction of the Viking “pair” differs from other swords in the Tinker series as much as they are tang-riveted (peened) in period fashion re-enactment requirements, & the blunt blade is very much directed towards re-enactment rather than sparring.However, as with the other swords in the series, replacement blades are available for those with the knowledge to undertake the task of removing & replacing peened blades.The handling characteristics of the two swords are virtually identical.