Landsknecht Emporium – Blunt Trainer Dietrich XIV Arming Sword

The blunt version of the Dietrich type XIV sword by Landsknecht Emporium has a blade designed for HEMA and martial arts training; Landsknecht calls it a “thin blunt” with the edges being both thicker than many sport combat swords, but thick enough for safety and edge durability and reinforcement. The blade edges are rounded and rebated and the tip thickness is both flared and rounded. The blunt Dietrich is surprisingly agile and lightweight for this type of sword as Landsknecht put great care into the sword more closely replicating the performance characteristics, balance and weight of historical originals. Many may find the sword an excellent choice for the study of the I:33 manuscript.

The blade is ground from 51CrV4/6150 spring steel which was heat-treated to 50-52 HrC. The diamond cross-section of the blade with its soft spine resembles a lenticular shape and is only broken by the middle fuller on both sides of the blade, keeping the shape simple yet aesthetically pleasing for a training tool.

The crossguard is ground from mild steel and slid up on the tang in typical fashion for swords with the shoulders of the blade sitting in the crossguard to eliminate any gaps as best as possible, then the bottom of the crossguard is staked towards the tang to add even more security to the joint. The grip is a simple wooden core slid on the tang for a tight fit which is reinforced with epoxy resin. It is tightly wrapped in leather to complete the grip. 

The pommel is hollow, as seen on many original swords of this type – a property that helps to keep the overall weight of the sword low while still making a huge visual difference, but only providing the necessary amount of counterweight for this quick and light blade. For this, the pommel is prepared from three pieces of mild steel. The flats are formed into slight domes, and the side of the pommel is drilled, then hand-filed to fit perfectly on the tang. Only after each part is prepared does Landsknecht weld the three pieces together, followed by cleaning up the surfaces and attaching the pommel by hot-peening the tip of the tang for a very strong and lasting assembly.