Valiant Armoury Craftsman Series – Marseille XVa Longsword with Scabbard

The Marseille Type XVa longsword from Valiant Armoury is part of Valiant’s Craftsman Collection and is made in the USA. Unlike many earlier Valiant Armoury swords which had blades of Chinese manufacture, the swords of the Craftsman Collection are made entirely in the USA to ensure a higher level of quality in accordance with more exacting specifications.

The blade of the Marseille is crafted from 5160 high carbon steel and tempered to a 50-52 HRc hardness. The steel itself was twice normalized for a finer internal grain structure and to also homogenize the carbon content of the steel to ensure that it was evenly tempered when heat-treated.

The diamond cross-section blade is fairly stiff to optimize it for thrusting to minimize loss of penetrative power to blade flex. The crossguard and pommel are mild steel and the Poplar wood grip is overlaid in tight leather. The sword is paired with a scabbard with a hard core of Poplar; it is finished with a binding of leather, a steel chape, and integrated metal hanging buckles. Included is a sword belt with a pair of strap hangers which can be adjusted in tandem with the scabbard buckles to control the height and angle that the sword is slung from the belt.