The Sidesword for Historical European Martial Arts

MALLEUS MARTIALIS SWORDS FIRENZE

Italian Martial Elegance since 2014

10 YEARS OF MALLEUS SWORDS

THE SECRET OF STEEL IS IDEAS

WE ARE A TEAM OF SIX

passionate, creative individuals—hard workers, really—who believe ideas can change the world. Malleus Martialis has been a wild, ambitious ride since ten years, and it still is!

Our working process

was learned the hard way, with courage and grit. Blending research and our signature craftsmanship, every sword begins by listening to our customers, who are fencers and collectors.

About Our Online Sword Shop

THE STORY BEHIND BRINGING ITALIAN SWORDS TO THE WORLD

We proudly ship our swords to over 80 countries, serving a diverse community of historical fencers, collectors, HEMA instructors, athletes, actors, and performers who share our passion for history and craftsmanship.

Malleus Martialis, swordsmiths based in Florence, Italy, revive the ancient “Art of Spadai” through the fusion of craftsmanship and design.

Studying and drawing inspiration from historical artifacts, sculptures, illuminated manuscripts, and ancient European swordsmanship treatises, we aim to reimagine the sword as a functional and aesthetic object, giving it a renewed purpose and significance in the modern era.

When we started in 2014, we knew nothing about business—just courage, grit, and a passion for what we do. Every setback taught us to learn, adapt, and keep going. We never settled.

Malleus Martialis was born in Florence, sparked by the determination of Rodolfo Tanara, who set up our first workshop in just 23 square meters in the historic district of Santo Spirito. At the time, he made a two-hour trip to the countryside of Umbria every weekend—the only way to carry out the forging process.

By 2015, we had moved to a new workshop in the Chiantishire, just outside Florence. There, we gained an unexpected team member—Commander Sampo, a fluffy and talkative alley cat. That same year, we attended the exhibition “The Sword: Thought and Form” held by the Klingenmuseum in Solingen, Germany.

Among the inspiring people we met was Peter Johnsson, whose words, “feed the spark,” written as a dedication in the exhibition catalog ignited a whole new chapter for us. There, we realized the sport sword could be reinterpreted in ways never explored by other makers.

In 2018Eleonora Rebecchi officially joined Malleus Martialis as a designer. With her background in art, graphics, and photography, she brought a fresh perspective to sword-making, further shaping the identity and vision of Malleus Martialis.

THE NERDS BEHIND THE SWORDS

MEET THE MALLEUS TEAM

Get to know our stories.
Rodolfo with a sword

Rodolfo Tanara

CEO / Founder / King of Swords
Rodolfo bravely pursued his dream of making swords for a living. A former medical student, he chose a life thrusting people over healing them. Long-time role-player, reenactor, archer, and fencer, he lives by the sword, including teaching HEMA at the club he founded, Scherma Storica Firenze ASD.
Eleonora holding a smallsword

Eleonora Rebecchi

Creative Director / Designer
Eleonora leads the creative vision and marketing while working closely with the team. She designs the swords, driven by her academic attitude. A Visual Arts graduate cum laude and former multi-genre singer, she’s a Disney fan, a role-player and founder of Living History nonprofit Gonfalone del Drago.
Simone holding his sword

Simone Turco

Senior Apprentice / Production Technician
Simone earned a degree in Oriental languages before pursuing hands-on work. He specialized heterogeneously in the working process, also studying at prestigious Tuscan institutions. A generous soul with a touch of dark humor, in his free time he’s a role-player, reenactor and satirical writer.
Fabio holding a sword

Fabio Pistolesi

Senior Apprentice / Swordmaker
Fabio lived in Japan before joining us to master sword-making. Gifted character designer, role-player, and historical fencer, he blends creativity with dedication and a lovely sharp humor. With his calm, zen attitude and adventurer’s heart, Fabio is perfecting his craft, shining in blade and guard making.
Sergio holding a medieval sword

Sergio Grillo

Customer Hero / E-commerce Specialist
Sergio joined the team bringing a breath of fresh air—both to the smithy and to Eleonora, who now has a mighty sidekick! A sword enthusiast with a Master’s in Creative Industries Management from Berlin, he loves HEMA and proudly embraces his nerd side as both a player and DM.
Emanuele with a messer

Emanuele Parisi

Apprentice / Swordmaker
Emanuele, the youngest at Malleus Martialis, trained in jewelry at a prestigious Florentine institution. Reenactor, stage fighter and LARPer, he’s now an apprentice swordsmith. With boundless enthusiasm, he brings love—and a bit of madness—to every task, like singing while packing swords!

WHY CHOOSE US?

Because, beyond crafting exceptional swords, we are guided by four core virtues—an inspiration drawn from the teachings of Fiore dei Liberi.
PRUDENCE
PRUDENTIA

Prudence reflects our meticulous research and planning—designing swords studying historical sources, carefully engaging with feedbacks and planning our future to grow while staying true to ourselves.

COURAGE
AUDATIA

Our boldness lies in the very nature of our core business: reviving swordmaking, innovating historical swords, and expanding globally, while embracing creative risks to push our craft further.

SWIFTNESS
CELERITAS

Swiftness stays in our adaptability—responding quickly to customers needs, ensuring timely communication and production and keeping up with the market by shining through our style.

RESILIENCE
FORTITUDO

Fortitude is a constant of our journey—overcoming setbacks, growing from failures, and daily striving to refine our craftsmanship. It’s the grit and dedication that keep Malleus Martialis thriving.