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Home » Swords » European Swords » Dark Age Swords » Hanwei Practical Viking Sword
$170.99 – $189.99
Shipping $8 - $45 in the lower 48 states, excluding PO/APO. Shipping calculated at checkout.
The Hanwei Practical Viking sword is designed with the reenactor in mind. The blade is made of well tempered high carbon steel with a blunt edge and rounded tip for safer sparring. The guard and pommel are solid steel, while the grip is wood with a leather wrap. Includes a wood look fiberglass scabbard with steel accents and hanging rings.
| Overall Length | 35 3/4'' |
| Blade Length | 30'' |
| Weight | 2 lb 4 oz |
| Edge | Blunt |
| Width | 38.5 mm |
| Thickness | 6.3 mm - 4 mm |
| Pommel | Peened |
| P.O.B. | 6 3/16'' |
| Grip Length | 3 3/4'' |
| Class | Sport Combat |
| Culture | Viking |
| Manufacturer | Hanwei |
| Country of Origin | China |
Take advantage of our deposit option and pay only a deposit (+shipping) at this time. The cart will process this as a normal order and calculate your shipping costs so you know what to expect. When the item is available to ship we will contact you for the balance.
Please note: this deposit is non-refundable. Turn around time is an estimate and can vary depending on the manufacturer’s given work load.
This option is not for in stock items, it is only for special orders with long turnaround times. If you do order something marked as in stock, the stocked model will not be held for you. A new special order with the listed turnaround time will be started for you instead, to allow you the time to pay off the full price.
Swords listed as “Sport Combat” (also known as “Stage Combat”) are specifically designed for combat reenactment, stage and film fights, and other activities where they will be hit edge to edge together.
Using a sword in this capacity is very different than how a sword would have been used historically, and as a result the sword must be made differently. Sport combat swords feature extra strong tangs and thick blades with thick edges. Sport combat swords will generally weigh more than a “Battle Ready” equivalent and are not made to be sharpened.
Swords listed as “Sport Combat” will hold up to a fair amount of usage, but will wear out with time. No sword is indestructible, and “Sport Combat” swords are no exception.
Our sharpening service will provide a good serviceable edge on the blade. The result is typically “very sharp” with a small secondary bevel and a bit of an “apple seed” profile. The resulting edge is somewhat dependent on the particular blade. Some blades will take and hold sharper edges than others and the thickness of the blade will determine how wide the bevel will need to be. We adjust the angle of the edge to suit the specific blade and attempt to get as close to a bevel-less edge as possible without marring the surface of the blade.
The sharpening service is done with a belt sander. The process involves many passes with sanding belts of various grits. The blades are rested between passes to prevent them from becoming hot and damaging their temper. By default we will sharpen as much of the blade as possible including any false edges if appropriate. If you have a different preference, feel free to make that request in the special instructions at check out. We can sharpen only the last half or third of an edge, for example. Our sword sharpening expert has personally sharpened several thousand swords at this point, so will provide you with a professional service.
The resulting edge will be “sword sharp” not razor sharp. Our goal is to provide you with a usable edge for cutting practice that will hold up to some use and not require constant re-sharpening. In other words, we intend to provide you with a serviceable weapon, not a personal grooming implement. The service will not provide a completely bevel-less edge. To create that type of edge will necessarily scratch up the blade surface and we lack the machinery and time to provide a full re-polishing of a blade’s surface. A service of that nature would be significantly more expensive as a great deal more time would be required. We do not offer this type of service at this time.
We make no guarantee that the resulting edge will meet with your expectations. Every blade is different and some will take and hold a sharper edge than others, due to the blade material, heat treatment or geometry. Some customers can also have incorrect assumptions about sword sharpness and improper expectations as a result. All we can say for sure is that the resulting edge will be sharper than the default edge, in most cases, significantly so. We can not provide any refunds for the service once it has been completed, so consider it to be provided “as is”. That being said, if you are unhappy with the product for any reason, we do still allow you to return the item for a full refund, including the sharpening costs under our normal return policy. This does not apply to special sharpening requests, for example if we sharpen something specially for you that does not normally list that option on our site. The vast majority of our customers are happy with the results of the service, so as long as you keep the above mentioned in mind, we are confident you will be pleased with the results as well.
A factory blemished model will have small cosmetic defects but no issues that will affect its function. Examples include, small surface scratches, scabbard dents or cracks, minor blade pitting, etc. Larger issues like blade chips, cracks, warps or anything else that will affect performance will not be included with these. Please note that we do not keep track of every specific minor blemish, so please do not contact us asking for details, we will not have them available. We are offering these items at a further discount for customers who are not overly concerned with cosmetics and intend to put them to some use.
A munitions grade item is not up to our normal high standards. Munitions grade items will typically have various bends or twists in the blades, basically rendering them as 2nds quality. These items are still a great choice for collecting and re-enacting and functional pieces will still be functional. Please keep this in mind when ordering.
Swords marked as “Battle Ready” are made to a higher standard than your average display weapons. The blades are usually made of carbon steel, as opposed to the more brittle stainless steel and feature longer and stronger tangs.
“Battle Ready” does not necessarily mean the blade is sharpened, this depends on the manufacturer. Some sell them sharp like Cold Steel, some dull like Windlass Steel Crafts, and some do both like Hanwei. So if you need to know if it is sharp or not and it is not mentioned in the description, just ask.
In general “Battle Ready” swords are functional weapons that will live up to actual combat usage. They are closest to historic examples in the fact that when properly sharpened they can cut as designed. However, “Battle Ready” does not mean indestructible. Any sword can be broken. Use common sense with your sword, and it will last for generations. A sword being listed as “Battle Ready” does not constitute a guarantee that it will withstand any abuse you can throw at it. “Battle Ready” swords are not designed for blade to blade type combat, you will want to select “Stage Combat” swords for this activity.
On blades, the “Width” is measured in millimeters and is taken where the blade leaves the hilt. A second measurement is provided when a blade widens further down, such as in a leaf shaped blade. The second measurement is taken at the blade’s widest point.
Please note: Due to the hand made nature of these items, all specs should be considered as approximates. This info is provided to give you a good idea of the product being presented, the one you receive may vary from the specific one we took measurements of.
“Country Of Origin” refers to the coutry where the product was manufactured. This is not to be confused with the “Culture” spec. For example, a culturally “Japanese” Sword could be made in India, a culturally “German” sword could be made in the US or a culturally “Indian” sword could be made in China. The historic “culture” associated with a particular sword and the country a reproduction is currently being made in, are two separate things and should not be confused.
The Pommel entry refers to how the pommel, and usually by extension the whole sword, is held together. Possible values include “Peened” where the blade tang goes through the pommel and is hammered flat at the end, Threaded” where the end of the tang has threads and the pommel is screwed on, or “Nut” where the tang goes through the pommel and is secured by a separate threaded nut at the end.
On a sword, knife or dagger, The “Blade Length” spec is measured from the tip of the blade to where the blade enters the hilt, this will include a ricasso portion if present. For katanas, this measurement includes the habaki.
On a spear it is a measurement of the edged portion and does not include the socket. On an axe, it is a measurement of the axe edge itself, in a straight line from point to point.
Please note: Due to the hand made nature of these items, all specs should be considered as approximates. This info is provided to give you a good idea of the product being presented, the one you receive may vary from the specific one we took measurements of.
As you’d imagine, “Overall Length” is the full length of the item in question. It is the length of the main item itself, not including any accessories. For example, this measurement for a sword would be for the sword itself, from the tip of the blade to the end of the pommel. This measurement will not include any scabbards, sheaths, boxes etc.
Please note: Due to the hand made nature of these items, all specs should be considered as approximates. This info is provided to give you a good idea of the product being presented, the one you receive may vary from the specific one we took measurements of.
“Thickness”, not to be confused with a blade’s “Width” is measured in millimeters on the blade where it first leaves the hilt and will refer to the thickest portion. For example the back edge on a katana or the mid section on a diamond shaped blade. Sometimes you will see two entries here, in that case it is usually because the blade is “distal tapered” meaning that it gets thinner towards the tip. The second measurement is taken approx. 1” from the tip.
Please note: Due to the hand made nature of these items, all specs should be considered as approximates. This info is provided to give you a good idea of the product being presented, the one you receive may vary from the specific one we took measurements of.
P.O.B. stands for Point Of Balance, this is measured in inches from the hilt down the blade. It refers to the point on the blade where the sword achieves a perfect balance. A number of 0” would balance exactly at the guard, while a negative number will have a POB in the hilt itself. In theory a sword with a POB of 0” is perfectly balanced. In practice however, there are many reasons why you may not want this for a particular sword. A POB of 3”- 5” usually results in a well balanced sword, but does depend on the type of sword. In general, a low POB results in good point control well suited to a thrusting blade, while a higher POB adds impact to a cleaving blade. A very high POB will result in a sword that feels heavier than it actually is and is difficult to wield.
Please note: Due to the hand made nature of these items, all specs should be considered as approximates. This info is provided to give you a good idea of the product being presented, the one you receive may vary from the specific one we took measurements of.
The “Weight” spec refers to the item itself and does not include any packaging or accessories. For example, it would be the weight of a sword not including a scabbard.
Please note: Due to the hand made nature of these items, all specs should be considered as approximates. This info is provided to give you a good idea of the product being presented, the one you receive may vary from the specific one we took measurements of.
The “Edge” spec will tell you about how sharp a blade is. Possible values could be “Rebated” meaning the edge is intentionally thickened for safety, “Blunt” meaning the edge is fairly thick with little to no taper, ‘Unsharpened” which would taper to the edge but stop short of having any real cutting ability, “Slightly Sharp, Moderately Sharp , Sharp, or Very Sharp” Sharp or Very Sharp are considered good for cutting swords. Moderately Sharp is close, but may need to be touched up to get the best performance. A common misconception is that swords should all be “razor sharp”. However for reasons we won’t get into here, this is not the case.
Please note: Due to the hand made nature of these items, all specs should be considered as approximates. This info is provided to give you a good idea of the product being presented, the one you receive may vary from the specific one we took measurements of. The Edge ratings in particular are somewhat subjective and each blade can vary. Consider this as a general guideline only.
The “Class” spec can have four possible values:
The “Culture” spec will denote if the item is associated with a specific group of people, conflict or geographic area. For example, “Viking”, “Crusader”, “Pirate”, “Indian” “WWII”, and so on. Please note that many items will not fall into a specific culture like this and were used by many peoples or across many time periods.
As you would imagine, the “Manufacturer” spec refers to the brand or company the item is made by. Not all products will have a manufacturer listed. Some products do not fall under a specific brand.
Unsharpened edges will be thinner than a “blunt” edge, but will not offer any cutting ability. They will typically taper towards an edge, but then stop short.
Rick L. –
Beast !!! Great feel in the hand. Handel’s great. Heavier than listed in the discription mine was about 2lbs 13oz but i’m sure the weight varies from sword to sword. Be careful, the edges are thick and squared and i put it through the face of an absolute force fencing helmet, but once they were rounded out it became a lot safer to spare with. Great sword for the price
Ian S. –
Best Hanwei I’ve Handled TL;DR Buy it.
Disclaimer: I am quite a vocal critic of Hanwei products, having owned several and tested even more, but I thoroughly enjoy this one.
Great functional blade for sparring and drilling. Only qualm with the steel is that it quite rigid – refrain from thrusting in sparring. It is balanced and weighted similarly to similar swords that go for 10x the price.
Beware – In typical Hanwei fashion, the handle leather is only held on by glue and will come off with use. Paint the cord underneath your favorite color and continue sparring. Also, I am not personally fond of the guard and pommel shape (seem too bulky), but at this price point that is nitpicking.
I would recommend this sword.
Glock G. –
Got mine in 2010 and it’s still going strong in our tough sessions! This is a workhorse for our viking combat training. It’s been bashed on other steels and viking shields for 8 years and it’s still going great. We grabbed two at the time and both have been solid. They are plain and business like, but that is realistic. Not everyone needs a mantelpiece display, this one is a training sword that’s reliable, I think I will have this in 20 more years time. For guys with big hands, the grip might be small leading to a handshake grip rather than hammer grip. Cutting down on thick gloves and having just buckskin gloves will help, BUT you need to know how to protect your hands in demo’s etc. where there’s a chance of collision. It’s an easy to wield sword, it’s fast and not as tip heavy as many I’ve come across. Functional. Very pleased with these.
Gabe Glick (verified owner) –
I am going to give you an honest review. I got this for my birthday, my first sword ever, and I am happy with it. So, pros and cons. Pros, it is comfortable to hold and it has a nice balance to it, not perfect but nice. and I have hit a couple tree’s with it and it did not break so its good. Cons, the blade is not straight, it is slightly bent near the top and is all wiggly along the edge, so it was something with the heat treating or they just did not care. So, its a good starter blade, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to start getting into medieval reenactment or just to use swords, so I think its a good weapon, not the best, but good.
VikingWynn –
This was one of my first swords. Probably bought it back in 2010 or earlier from a knife shop in a mall. This thing can take a serious beating. I was not gentle with it. It broke a few other sparring swords but never sustained any serious damage itself outside of dents in the edge or developing a slight warp. The assembly stayed tight and true through everything.
The only downsides are the grip and weight. The grip was a bit small for my hand. But then again most Norse swords seem to be about the same in that regard. The weight is very front heavy. While this is again common in Norse swords, the fact that this has very little taper to the blade and is thick and rounded all the way to the tip makes it poorly balanced. Its the trade off for having something that can take a beating in sparring.
Overall, its good for the price. Just keep in mind your hand size when buying.
Steward Nichols –
TLDR Has all the typical issues of hanwei practice swords, but isnt a terrible option for hema/reenactment fighting. However id recommend looking elsewhere for that unless you can get this on sale or cheap, especially if you want to use it for hema.
its a decent budget viking sword for reenactment combat, I bought this to use in a HEMA context, altho its rather stiff and a bit on the heavy side for that so it might be worth asking your club what they would allow before buying. Its not a crowbar by any means, but its not really safe to be thrusting with (not that you would, its mainly a cutting sword afterall) and is a bit on the heavy side so does wallop your opponents, so people with lighter padding or so will certainly not like being hit by this. Also as is common with hanwei practice swords, the edge is ground flat, which leaves corners that take damage, and can be dangerous, so id take a file and round off the corners before use (when borrowing someone else’s which had not had this done, I managed to cleave into their shield 4 inches deep or so, so those edges certainly need a dressing before use) . I ended up customizing mine by grinding some material off the flat of the blade to lighten it and make it flex a bit more, however id recommend spending a bit more money elsewhere if you really want a HEMA viking sword. Its held up for the most part to some pretty heavy use, against other swords, even heavier weapons like longswords ect, shields, including plenty of hard hits against shield bosses and even a steel rotella, and so far its only got a few nicks in the edge as most hema swords will develop, altho a bit deeper then some of my other swords certainly. And it has bent a bit here and there, nothing major but I have had to take out a few sets the blade took after some heavy hits. This is typical of hanwei swords in my experience as they tend to be on the soft side. Not unusably so, and some may prefer it to an extent as the blades are far less likely to snap catastrophically. but something to keep in mind. One nice thing is the steel they use for the blade, but especially the hilt appears to be extremely corrosive resistant, ive never had to clean the hilt of this sword no matter how hard the use, or even after it got wet. And for the blade even after a wet weekend at ren fair with some hard fighting in between I barely had to rub down the blade with some fine scotchbright pads to remove a subtle residue off the sword. Which is absolutely awesome for a hema sword as it means I dont have to worry so much about cleaning it after every single club day. Unlike some of my far more expensive and arguably nicer hema viking swords which seem to rust if you look at them funny. One last thing of note about the hilt, is this sword has a historically accurate grip length, which will be small compared to most other swords in this class, altho more accurate, which was the biggest reason I bought this sword. I did find I could use this sword perfectly fine with SPES heavy clamshell gloves, but practically every other glove ive used has issue with it to some extent. You could probably get away with red dragon gloves, if your willing to risk the potential injury to your hands. My HF armory gloves, aswell as other gloves ive tried like sparring glove infinity gloves ect all have issues fitting with this hilt to some extent or another. So bear that in mind again if you plan on using this for hema. And anything where you may need to wear thick/heavy gloves to use this.
The scabbard is a nice bonus, but isnt anything to write home about, its cheap plastic with cheap metal fittings. its nice to have for reenactment however outside of 10ft it looks fine, anything closer it looks cheap and tacky. An easy upgrade would be to buy some leather and wrap the fake wood section of the scabbard in that, it would enhance this scabbard 10 fold.
Overall I do like the sword, and I wouldnt tell someone they “shouldnt” buy it if they really liked it, but id honestly say there are better options for not much more money so its a hard to recommend sword. If you want it for reenactment or just to take to renfairs or to display then sure go ahead, altho id upgrade the scabbard as mentioned above and maybe redo the leather on the grip (it will likely fall off anyway.) for a reenactment fighter this would likely be fine as is, so long as its not too heavy for what your doing. For Hema id check with my club first and see if a stiff and slightly heavy type sword would be okay, otherwise id recommend looking elsewhere. For buhurt armored fighting ect id pass, it wont handle the heavy abuse of armored combat I dont think. the blade will be bending in each fight and the small hilt altho awesome in my hands, wont fit heavy guantlets so may not even go into your hand for buhurt.