sword blade started/FINISHED

[Franklin]

Keep up the good work, guys. I definitely think there's a market for your blades. There are FAR too few sources for late spathas out there.

[Titus Publius Saturninus]

Dave I sent him a PM earlier this evening regarding your swords. I have directed him to this thread so he can veiw first hand. He is an older long standing member.

Thanks Dave,

Rick

[Dan Z]

hock: Awesome swords gentlemen! Both impressive and inspiring.

[Titus Publius Saturninus]

Sir Dave took a gaze at that Link you gave me and rather looks a kind of custom ,locking one way router/ rebate plane set up in reverse and tooled up to cut metal. Don't think it would take heaps to make one. Bit sketchy though as only partial pic of entire tool. I thank you for that mate.

>>Here in my neck of the woods I can buy natural lump charcoal at the grochery store. Making a forge large enough to fit most blades using charcoal for fuel is fairly simple and, mine was built from material I salvaged total cost $0 . If one will work for you I'd be happy to send you the plans.

*** So what type of charcoal is it? I always thought that special , pure charcoal had to be purchased or preped in advance of work (willow for instance) since the regular order Bar'b item had too many impurities which would ill effect the steel.

>>>I'd never heard of mixing brass powder and lacquer. Sounds like it may be just the thing and, powdered brass I have buckets of.

*** It really came about when I just I happen to have a cuppa clear auto lacquer sitting very close to some ground brass lying at the foot of the grinder. I experimented with it to varying degrees obtaining very diverse results by adding a touch of this or that and got interesting golden hues from brilliant gold etc, a little powdered copper made a very striking Venitian gold etc . a little dust from the shop floor made a neat very bronzey finish and it was all just the question of planned pigmentation.

Nice item is it its actually metal and so that is what the end product is on object applied and so looks and plays the part. adheres to metal, wood, bone, ceramics etc. I don't believe it's any profound discovery however I believe it's how many gold leaf paints are probably made save this is brass which actually looks better than the gold and way cheaper.

Clear lacquer is the basic catalyst for any kind pf pigment. If you grind up a bit of your charcoal and powder it in you have deep black. a piece of ground red chaulk will make deep red. Mix a tad of red in with the black you get brown. a little more red you get cinnabar and so on and so forth.

Again thank you for the pic.

Best Always,

Rick

[brennivs - tony drake]

Firmvs I did use horn for the hilt ,its beautiful stuff to work with" The plastic of the ancient world"along side bone.I even have a scale lorica made of it great stuff.The device you have showen to cut fullers with is curious, my late friend john mentioned haveing a device to cut fullers from his patern welded swords, I will pull out the article to see.
Titvs I agree it is a real soul cleansing sword makeing.I always look to the Gods for guidence,I still dont know what drives me on my sword quest lol: ect. Back to swords once I have a good hold on the blade, I will start the ring pommel itself of photos ect to follow.Since they is intrest in late swords I will post this one I made for Atiors group if you have missed it D Regards Brennivs

[Titus Publius Saturninus]

Brother Brennivs

WHOAA well ok well first off you aren't getting outta here alive unless you fork over that baby you have just displayed up there so LET's ahhh COUGH up the goods AYE!!!
:lol:

AWWWW C'mon Brennivs
Uncle Titvs needs a new pair a caligae! :lol:

Just GOB smackingly gorgeous that sword!

The Gods truely courseth forth in thine arm!

Now THAT is a MASTERPIECE!

Rick

[Firmus4474]

In truth Rick with the charcoal it's the other way round. As a youth I worked in the manufacture of charcoal . I'll sum up what's done.
They start with hardwoods (we used mostly oak) the wood is placed in a kiln and charred through. At this point it is pure charcoal that I buy. It has nothing added and, nothing to cause problems in forging (burns hotter as well ).
The briqutes that most people use to cook with are made by the raw charcoal being pulverized and, mixed with clay.
The clay is the problem as it can stick to your steel in the forge and, cause pitting.

Speaking of horn, I've kicked the idea of making a helm out of it around. I wonder if anyone on here has ever done it and, could offer some insights?

I'd heard of a device something like the one in the picture for cutting fullers but, had never seen one. I wonder how well it works.

On to forges, I've found something better than my drawings a linkhttp://64.176.180.203/washtubforge.htm
that describes how to build the same type of forge. Only real differance from mine is I bought NOTHING and, used only scrap :twisted: .

Has anyone mentioned the scabbards Brennivs has made? Splendid and, the last sword posted you must have polished your arms off man to get that fine a finnish hock: .

[Robert Vermaat]

Hi Tony,

I did use horn for the hilt ,its beautiful stuff to work with" The plastic of the ancient world"along side bone.

That is SO beautiful!! Third c. late-ish, I suppose?

I even have a scale lorica made of it great stuff.

Is that strong enough? I'd really like to see pictures of how that looks!

Hi Dave,

Speaking of horn, I've kicked the idea of making a helm out of it around. I wonder if anyone on here has ever done it and, could offer some insights?

Dan Shadrakes book has a picture of a replica of an early Anglo-Saxon helmet which I recall is made of horn, the benty Grange I think it was.

Otherwise, I recall a bronze Age helmet made of horn scales????

[Titus Publius Saturninus]

Black buffalo horn is VERY strong but does have at least one weak point. IF a project if VERY important you must remember that horn is not manufactured it's grown and due to that has many inconsistencies/grades etc. Check thoroughly for fine fissure lines in the surface. THIS is a breaking point and a piece that you put hours of work into can crumble in your hands. The stuff from about mid horn up usually has more integrity than the root horn as it is newer and lacks as many separation points.

A good belt sander is best or linisher and then either a dremel or other such tool (anything that works) mounted with a cotton buff pad and a stick of tripoli for the final polish. If you don't have those then you can use rottenstone.

Thanks,

Titvs

[Titus Publius Saturninus]

Okie dokie Gents now HERE is the real proof in the pudding as to how much we REALLY like each others work. Anyone up for trades? :oops: Yeah thought so

[sulla felix]

Nice work Brennivs. Just as a matter of interest, the highly polished blade (which looks fantastic BTW) - must have taken a huge amount of effort. What evidence is there that blades were polished like this in antiquity, and would such a finish have actually been possible given the materials and technology available (at least that we know of)? From the surviving blades I have seen (badly corroded) is it possible to determine the finish?

[Firmus4474]

Dan Shadrakes book has a picture of a replica of an early Anglo-Saxon helmet which I recall is made of horn, the benty Grange I think it was.

It's a nice one. The Benty Grange even had horn plates covering the metal frame for the plates. I always thought that was interesting.

Otherwise, I recall a bronze Age helmet made of horn scales????

Haven't seen that one but, there is a 6th. century one from a youths grave in Cologne. Looks something like the horn helm Deepeeka makes.
Haven't found pictures of it that are clear enough to make out exactly how it was done but, it is several plates on a narrow metal frame.


I'm always keen on trading Rick, I like to see other peoples work even when it's an item I can make myself.
The funny part about being my own worst critic is I find flaws in my own work that I would never even notice in someone elses.
Kinda not seeing the forest for the trees. Perfect example is the slight curve on my Feltwells grip. No one who has handled it has noticed but, it yells at me :oops: .

[Titus Publius Saturninus]

Dave and it makes you go screamimg yellow zonkers doesn't it? Just like that oooone little speck of lint remaining on the carpet after cleaning. Problem is that is when there is a high risk of ruining the whole project we just cannot help but go too far. :?

I wonder if your average legionare really gave a toss whether or not his business blade would stand up under a 2% tolerance test to make sure his pride and joy sticker was perfect? Somehow I think not but it's just US we are NVTS Dave! Yeah we are. I guess that's what being an artist is all about. the day we become too satisfied with our own work is the day we die.

I have never heard of a horn helmet but why not I guess everything else was tried. Do you have any pics of it?

2:40 am here and I am starting to hear birds 20k away. Goodnight Dave

Best ALways,

Rick

[Firmus4474]

Makes you go screamimg yellow zonkers doesn't it? Yes indeed :evil: .
And, I never know when I'm done. If I had a longer attention span I would probably still be working on the first sword I started in 1986 .

I've often thought about the modern standard of perfection and, what the people of the period would have considered a priority.
Number one would have been the weapons serviceability in my opinion.
I find my self spending lots of time trying to make things symetrical and, keeping very tight tolerances on things like guards. Then I look at original items and they don't seem to have worried so much about it.

Then there is polishing. Spent many hours to make a blade look like a mirror and, then used it to cut up plastic bottles filled with water.
Needless to say, it didn't keep the finnish for long. I doubt hacking armored meat would have been kinder to it.

My best guess our legionare would have kept his blade clean and, sharp but, would not have lost to much sleep about a scratch or two on the blade of a working sword as this wold be inevitable.

Not that I'm knocking it, I'll just never do it on a sword that I plan on cutting with.

Off to the doctor, cheers, Dave.

[Titus Publius Saturninus]

1:55 am Thursday here Dave So a very early wee wee hours morning to you. FIRST off

>>>Off to the doctor, cheers, Dave
so now that you are back reading this what's the prognosis? Will the digit heal up ok??

To be honest if you look back upon the Japanese art sword that it what it was and was intended to be . It was MUCH more than a weapon to say the least. I have this vision though of a very bored infantryman of the early Republic sitting around the camp fire at night Hooch'n it up and with a big yawn playing mummbly peg with his gladius or pugio.

I have now got the mainz at 220 grit and will end at either 600 or 800 and may just leave it that way hit it with some choji in the end. Can't do a gull dern thing now until I can replace the facockta angle grinder and my bubble gum grinder. The local butcher was trying to help me find a few good bones for the rest of the project (grips n things) now he wants to keep keep the sword to carve out 80 lb beef steamships. He said it was the best meat tool he ever had in his hands :lol:

The one further benefit a higher polish imparts ( I think) is a tighter closure of the steel surface offering perhaps just a little more elemental protection. I think I'll go the Hispanensis route next just fer fun and something different. NOW I am blown away by all these amazing spathas they are way too much to resist.

Please apprise us about your outcome at the docs.

Be Well Dave,

Me!

Titvs