Dave Stephens 414 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 All: I feel extremely honored that my friend Jake Powning has asked me to collaborate with him on the making of a sword. Behold Jake's design: Chilblain. This is a HUGE sword. 48" from tip to pommel. I'll let Jake speak to the design elements, if he'd like, when he has a moment to comment. Like all things Powning, the design elements are very deliberate and thoughtful. My job is making the blade. This will require a lot of PW steel. This is especially true because it's a FULL TANG sword. Makes me wish I was in Ric Furrer's shop for a week. I plan to construct the blade in a type of san mai construction similar to what I did on my collaboration with Petr: A high density middle bar (800-1000 layers) sandwiched between two lower layer bars. I'll also be adding a highlight layer between the bars to highlight the simulated hamon that the pattern gives. I hope it gives the blade the look as if it's crackling with mystical dark energies. To a achieve a slightly darker blend, I might go with a 1095/1080/15n20 mix rather than my standard 1095/15n20. I don't know. I shall have to experiment. When I decided to get back into bladesmithing after a many year hiatus, I found Don's forum (this one, for new people). The thread that inspired me the most to take up the quest again was Jake and Uli's epic collaboration, The Black UlJake. So this collaboration is especially meaningful to me. This will take a while. It's a big project, and I won't hand it off to Jake until it's done right (which may take some re-do's). I imagine this will take 6 months or more. Photos along the way, some video too. Psyched about this one. Dave 2 Link to post Share on other sites
grpaavola 30 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 I am definitely following this one! Grats man... and I will be waiting with great anticipation! -Gabriel 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Dan P. 39 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 I'll be watching with interest, but what is going on with the name? Chillblains are itchy feet you get from going to the outhouse without your slippers on when it is very cold (yes, I grew up in the "Old Days"). Not as martial as it could be! Link to post Share on other sites
John Page 68 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 I'm totally in love with Jake's sketch. The dark vibe to the recent stuff he's been putting out lately is incredible, and based on your collab with Petr, the blade will be nothing short of brilliant! I'll be raising a glass to you both, this will be a pleasure to watch unfold. Videos are most welcome John Link to post Share on other sites
John F. Ellis 0 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 This is going to be great! Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Colwell 143 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Well hell yeah! that sounds like a great undertaking. Looking forward to this one, for sure. Heat treating that monster is going to be a challenge. You certainly have the skills, but this one will be a workout. It is going to be great. I am intrigued by the name, too. keep us posted. looking forward, kc Link to post Share on other sites
Wes Detrick 487 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 THE thread to watch. (That along with Tom and Geoffs.) I am very much looking forward to seeing this, especially since it has a passing resemblance to the Father's sword from Conan the Barbarian. Link to post Share on other sites
Emiliano Carrillo 233 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 I'm excited for this! Can't wait to see the process of creation from you two! Link to post Share on other sites
Collin Miller 136 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Can't wait! I'm super excited to see this. Taking your time? Don't eat! Don't sleep! Breath between heats! On a more serious note, I really like the skulls, and it will surely have a great story to go with it. Link to post Share on other sites
SBranson 2 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 I'll be pulling up a chair for this one.. Looking forward to it. Link to post Share on other sites
Petr Florianek 25 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 This is a very exciting project and I think it will be a marvellous sword. I will closely follow Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 2,638 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 This is a very exciting project and I think it will be a marvellous sword. I will closely follow Same here. Link to post Share on other sites
peter johnsson 147 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Oh, you guys will have fun with this!And I will greatly enjoy watching :-)Epic craft adventure about to unfold.Just the thing to spread sparks of inspiration. Link to post Share on other sites
owen bush 283 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 I like it , and hope to be suitably scared by the result. Dark fantasy .....dark Magic...............Dark Beer? Link to post Share on other sites
Jake Powning 29 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 (edited) I'm really excited about this project! The idea behind the design is that this sword is an artifact of the old ones, from H.P.Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, stolen from its maddening temple by a hardy barbarian from the steps of Eurasia (so the reference to Conan is intentional). The Skull on the guard is based on dwarf elephant skulls found in Cyprus which may have originated the cyclops myth (cyclops were the weaponsmiths to the Greek gods in some versions of the myths) but in this case it represents Chthulhu the tentacle faced demon. The cavity in the center of the skull is a nasal cavity so that it can breath through some of its tentacles. I drew some pictures of the nomadic tribesman before and after stealing the sword - Here he is climbing in the window of the temple, braving the blistering discord the city he found in the Ural Mountains wakes in his mind. Here he wields the sword. Chilblain he called it— the only word he could think of to describe the sense of swollen wrongness his entire being experienced as an after effect of having endured the city, and the temple, to steal the demon sword. I've been reading about Genghis Khan recently, maybe it was he who stole the sword and used it to establish the largest contiguous empire in the history of the world, before it was reclaimed by its masters...we may never know. I've been wanting to make a purely fantastical sword for a while and I'm really grateful that Dave is willing to take on the blade. This is going to be fun! Oh, I have prints of these drawing on my society6 page if you're interested in having a copy http://society6.com/jakepowning/prints Edited February 27, 2015 by Jake Powning Link to post Share on other sites
J.Arthur Loose 85 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Cool! The quillions make me think... Antler Fight! Link to post Share on other sites
Dave Stephens 414 Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 ANTLER FIGHT! Thanks for the happy memory, Jul! Link to post Share on other sites
Dave Stephens 414 Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 I love the storyline behind this sword! Cursed swords are awesome archetypes. Link to post Share on other sites
MLenaghan 57 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 So awesome! Careful forging Dave we don't want a real blood soaked blade... Link to post Share on other sites
Pieter-Paul Derks 207 Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 this will be an awesome blade, good luck to the both of you with pulling off something this large and epic Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Colwell 143 Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Ha- pinned in anticipation... no pressure. Dave, the ball is in your court! You are going to love this. Hope the efficiency karma is with you, and you don't have to remake the blade a few times to get it where you want it. Of course, we will all watch with delight (and wish the best)! kc Link to post Share on other sites
Dave Stephens 414 Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 Nothing too exciting, but I wanted to report on progress. The start. 30 layers of 15n20/1095 Drawing Drawn out to about 30" Marked for chopping. Drawn out again to 28 inches and ready to chop in half. These two bars @ 210 layers will the the outer layers of the san mai type construction. Bars chopped and marked. The core billet of 20 layers ready to begin the process of bringing it up to around 800 layers. More when I have it. Dave 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 2,638 Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 It does me good to see scale on your shop floor, I've never seen your shop in any state but immaculate! Link to post Share on other sites
Collin Miller 136 Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 It does me good to see scale on your shop floor, I've never seen your shop in any state but immaculate! Me too. Every time I build something I think to myself, "It will never be this clean, ever again." I don't know how you keep your shop so clean! Link to post Share on other sites
John Page 68 Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Any progress is exciting! Especially with that press and fancy rolling mill of yours Would have taken me the better part of a week to do that much drawing! Link to post Share on other sites
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