Elven-ish sword WIP

[Vili K 0]

Hello!

I've been making my third knife (first sword length blade) for about 35 hours now and I've taken vague inspiration from Orcrist from the movie Hobbit http://images.wikia.com/lotr/images/archive/2/2f/20130101143745!Orcrist.jpg

I'm in the process of filing grooves to the handle so I can inlay twisted steel wire into the grooves.

 

The blade is 46 cm / 18 inches long and the point of balance turned out to be a bit too far away from the guard, approximately 14 cm / 5 inches. The pommel will be very slim so it will have very little effect on the point of balance. The pommel will be added last so I can insert the wire without it being in the way. The finish of the blade and guard could be better, but since I'm on a bladesmithing course 2 times a week with very little possibility to work on the sword at home I sometimes work in a slight hurry... Also removing all the scratches from the blade would've thinned it too much.


I feel like my photographs could be much better, but since Finland is quite dark in the winter and I only have my phone I can't provide much sharper photos.

Edit: I forgot to mention, The blade is 1060 steel, the handle is walnut which was surprisingly hard compared to birch and the guard and pommel will be brass

Edited October 23, 2014 by Vili K

[Collin Miller 136]

Looks cool! I have one critique, the handle seems a little bit fat for the blade, I would suggest thinning it out a bit to match the lines. But other than that it looks great!

[B. Norris 10]

Round handles will easily turn in the hand while chopping. Ask me how I know and I'll show you the scar!

 

Make the handle oval or teardrop in cross section, anything but round! What metal is the guard made from? My only other critique would be to use the same metal for the twisted wire of the grip. Last of all some good advice that somebody once gave me. Mix up some epoxy and use a toothpick to apply it to the bottom of the groove for the wire before putting the wire in place. The excess will wipe off easily and the glue will give it a little extra hold.

 

~Bruce~

[Vili K 0]

I was planning to apply some glue to the grooves. The handle isn't completely round, it has a slight oval shape, but maybe it should be made more significant. I just finished the filing and if I'll modify the handle I'd have to do it again then The handle is also well fitting now, I feel like that taking too much material off will make it uncomfortable. However I do understand the danger of the round handle.


I do like the contrast between the steel and brass, however the wire is galvanized so it might be a good idea to switch either into brass wire or stainless steel wire if I can find either.

[Caleb Harris 51]

I would suggest a lengthened pommel that has a smooth transaction with the hilt, it'll slend it out

[Vili K 0]

I switched to stainless steel wire and it's significantly stiffer. This is a large problem since the wire does not want to stay in the grooves but rather pops out the second I don't hold it down with my fingers or other means. Gluing is also very hard because the wire wants to leave the grooves... Is gluing even a good idea, since the wire would still be under a great tension after being glued? I believe I could glue the wire into the grooves, but It'd be very messy as the epoxy would stain the wood a lot and might affect the finish

[jake cleland 437]

you need to anneal the wire - heat with a torch to mid red and let it cool.

[Vili K 0]

Ah yes, I totally forgot that's a possibility. However wouldn't the wire turn black and need some sanding afterwards? I'll try annealing if my newest approach won't work.

[Alan Longmire 2,751]

Stainless tie wire is usually alloy 304, which anneals by heating to orange then quenching in water. It will turn black, but you should be able to soak it in vinegar overnight and wipe it right off. If you're lucky...

[Vili K 0]

After trying to glue the not annealed wire for numerous times I managed to squeeze it under the pommel and peen the pommel. I'm rather dissapointed as the wire inlay did not go as planned. It's protrudes a bit too much from the grooves, especially in the back. Also the handle sadly looks like a mess at least for now. I'll have to wait for the epoxy to set completely and see if the excess can be removed...