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Early period PW viking sword wip


Mark Green

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Looks like it's going well Mark! And not to correct the wise and powerful Longmire but that looks a lot like mokume hada.Either way it IS cool. As for any slight inclusions they are in almost every old blade made from these types of materials it's only with either thousands of layers as in Japanese blades or modern mill steels that we have come to expect perfectly clean blades at the weld boundaries. My opinion anyway.

Keep up the good work. With all that bloom material you've been making there are lots of blades to come.

Denis

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Dennis is right about what a Japanese smith would call it, I just meant it looked like it was made from tamahagane. Stupid technical terms! Insert a winking smiley here, my phone won't do them.

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I don't care what it's called, it looks fantastic. I wonder if norse smiths had terminology for stuff like this. I'm not recalling anything from the sagas, and there's not much else that was written down a thousand years ago besides religious stuff, it seems. Oh, but only if that material culture hadn't died out.

The Tidewater Forge

Christopher Price, Bladesmith

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi Gang,
Just an update. I've been very busy at work, and blooming the last few weeks, but have the grind on the sword ready for heat treating this weekend.
Here is the little handle seax. Quenched in water this week, and a quick polish and etch.
Went through the water quench fine, so, if the sword doesn't want to do in the parks, Will move on to the water/oil quench.
I have a feeling it may do just fine. The hearth steel edge is fair high carbon.

 

 

The middle bar on the sword is looking pretty cool. On the seax, it is all squished.

005.JPG

 

The high/low P contrast in the twisted bars is going to give me the kinda flame look, I was hoping for.

Sword pics next week I hope.

 



Mark Green

 

I have a way? Is that better then a plan?

(cptn. Mal)

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great work so far, Mark.

kc

please visit my website http://www.professorsforge.com/

 

“Years ago I recognized my kinship with all living things, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on the earth. I said then and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” E. V. Debs

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Wait till you see the sword. That middle bar is looking very pretty. It may take a Japanese finger stone, style polish though.

Into the quench tomorrow. Just hoping I don't get a big sori, that I haven't planned for. Up or down.

 

I'm working the hilt parts. Bit of a modified C, with silver inlay, and real garnets, on the pommel, and silver inlay on the cross-guard.

A theme on my SCA heraldry. As it will become a legacy sword of my Household. Should it all survive.

 

Hopefully it won't be a saber. Wish me luck.

Mark Green

 

I have a way? Is that better then a plan?

(cptn. Mal)

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Here are the bloom iron hilt parts I will inlay.

 

 

 

001.JPG

 

002.JPG

 

Mark

Mark Green

 

I have a way? Is that better then a plan?

(cptn. Mal)

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wow. you are going all-out on this one. I am quite impressed, and hope the gods or fates are with you.

kc

please visit my website http://www.professorsforge.com/

 

“Years ago I recognized my kinship with all living things, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on the earth. I said then and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” E. V. Debs

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Heat treat was a success.!!!!!
Two times in Jesus' new parks, in his magic moaning quencher.
Took on a tiny sori. No problems that can see just now.

Thanks Jesus. Your facilities, and expertise are so appreciated.
Plus it's always fun to watch you quench a katana. :)


Now on to the finish polish, and fittings. fewwwwwwew!!!

Glad I'm past that part.


Mark

Mark Green

 

I have a way? Is that better then a plan?

(cptn. Mal)

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Alan..........I'm just a very determined, beginner.

.

 

One day maybe.

Mark Green

 

I have a way? Is that better then a plan?

(cptn. Mal)

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Alan..........I'm just a very determined, beginner.

.

 

One day maybe.

 

 

 

That's all I am too. As I frequently say when asked about the beards, it's not so much about skill (although that is a significant component) as it is about inspiration and determination to accurately recreate this sort of thing. You have that in spades. B) Using the high-P / low-P for contrast earns a lot of extra points too. ;)

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OK, thanks Alan.

 

 

Niels.... I have about 4 designs going just now. I won't be sure, until the sword polish is done, and the fittings are stuck to the pitch.

It will have something to do with my SCA heraldry though. I'm actually leaning towards Amber, rather then garnets now. I have both on hand.
We will see.

 

Mark

Mark Green

 

I have a way? Is that better then a plan?

(cptn. Mal)

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Mark, I'm seriously drooling over this project. Seriously man, I don't like to throw this word around TOO often, but EPIC!!! I was planning a similar project. Decided to teach myself how to work the bloom by starting off with a simple friction folder.

Did you use a hydraulic press or power hammer? Or did you do this all by hand?

 

-Jon

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Thanks Jon.
My press did a lot of the work. It makes the folding of the bloom so much easier. Hell it makes any forge welding easier. I'm old and have a bad shoulder, So, it doesn't like a lot of hammer work. All the blade forging was done by hand with my AS bloom hammer.

 

It would be very cool to do it all by hand, but I'm not sure my skills are at that point yet.
For me, is just cool enough to say I have made a Viking era, pw sword, all the way from dirt. Something I wasn't sure I could do, when I started this project.
I have made few seax blades with multi bars, but nothing this long, and complex.

Just like anything else, it just takes practice, and determination.

 

Mark

Mark Green

 

I have a way? Is that better then a plan?

(cptn. Mal)

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Hi Gang,

Well, I had a chance to do a bit of polishing. I had to take a look.

 

A few forging flaws along the middle/edge weld. But that middle bar is going to look pretty sweet I think.

Here is a preview. Just started the 220. this is just a bit of vinegar wiped on.

 

005.JPG

 

003.JPG

 

002.JPG

Edited by Mark Green

Mark Green

 

I have a way? Is that better then a plan?

(cptn. Mal)

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Looking GREAT Mark. Not seeing it in person is yet another reason not making the trip this weekend sucks!!! : (

 

Seth

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