Knight’s Collection Cinquedea Short Sword

Full of Italian Renaissance character and fully functional, this reproduction Cinquedea short sword is as fully capable of powerful chops and grievous slices and puncturing thrusts as the originals. A fashionable short sword that hearkened back to the in-vogue ancient world, the Cinquedea was as much a status symbol as it was a tool for urban self defense. Robustly built, its design is inherently strong and stable at the base of the blade. With this Cinquedea, the collector and enthusiast alike finally have a beautiful example that not only rounds out a collection, but allows one to experience the impressive cutting power of this short sword personally when used to slice through bottles or tatami mats.

The tough and rigid 18 inch blade is crafted from 1065 high carbon steel which is well-tempered and finished with a keen cutting edge right out of the box. Its reinforced tip allows for powerful thrust and punctures and its wide blade base imparts impressive durability to the whole piece. The guard and its accompanying pommel are crafted from steel and the blade is soundly mounted and anchored into the pommel with a peen over the pommel. Its simple, but beautiful grip is of polished rosewood. The sword comes with a durable wooden scabbard which is bound in stitched faux leather and completed with a protective metal chape.

The cinquedea was a distinctive Italian Renaissance weapon that blended the characteristics of a large dagger and a short sword, becoming especially popular during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Its name, meaning “five fingers,” likely referred to the extraordinary width of the blade near the hilt, which often measured roughly the width of five fingers across. The weapon featured a broad triangular blade with dramatic tapering toward a sharp point, giving it impressive cutting power while still allowing effective thrusting attacks. Many surviving cinquedeas are richly decorated with etched panels, gilding, and intricate hilt designs, reflecting their role as fashionable civilian sidearms carried by wealthy nobles, merchants, and soldiers in Renaissance Italy. Despite their artistic appearance, cinquedeas were fully functional weapons that combined agility, close-quarters effectiveness, and striking visual presence, making them one of the most recognizable edged weapons of the Italian Renaissance.