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Falchion class in Phoenix AZ.


Matthew Parkinson

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I am teaching A 6 day long falchion Class at Grizzly Ironworks in Phoenix this week.  First day in in the books and the students all have blades forged to shape from 1084. I managed to demo or have examples of several styles of falchion.. tomorrow we grind in preparation for heat treating!. MP Q

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Today's progress, the blades were rough ground at 36 grit to thickness then polished on the grinder to 120 before heat treating. The blades were normalized in a Don Fogg style drum furnace at 1575 then hardened from 1480 after a quick trip being clamped in-between two boards the blades were tempered at 500 a good days progress. 

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This class has been huge fun, as always when Matt is in town.

14 hours ago, Brian Dougherty said:

Someone is getting creative with that finger pointy one.

Yeah, every once in a while I'm slightly clever. Matt called the sword The "Witch's Finger" so it seemed obvious.

6 hours ago, Russ Evans said:

I need to check out that place, I really want to find some classes!

http://grizzlyiron.com/classes-and-workshops/

Seriously, these guys are great smiths.

Here are a couple of videos from today.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=19ZvW4KqDXGNUEv_UwnHNUN7PPXBd4atF

Right click>preview. Matt quenches the Finger. Soo smooth.....

 

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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Awesome day today. Although, I think some of the students thought Matthew would kill me...….

Anyway, I didn't get to take any photos (too busy) but I did learn how to do this:

Handle drawing V2.jpg

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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46 minutes ago, Joshua States said:

Awesome day today. Although, I think some of the students thought Matthew would kill me...….

Anyway, I didn't get to take any photos (too busy) but I did learn how to do this:

Handle drawing V2.jpg

They just don't get northerners! BIG CIRCLE! Simple ratio is a powerful tool.

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Today we finished the machine polish on the blades to 400 grit along with some straightening of a small amount if warping that could not be corrected in the final grind. 

We spent some time with the most excellent book "the sword forum and thought" and explored the use of whole number ratio in our designs. Designs in hand we finished the day by finalizing the tangs making tang shaped drift and beginning forging out the hilts. 

Tomorrow we will work on finalizing guards forging pommels and making the handle cores.

MP

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24 minutes ago, Matthew Parkinson said:

Simple ratio is a powerful tool.

I feel like I've been admitted to the anteroom of some mystic cult...…:ph34r:

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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18 minutes ago, Matthew Parkinson said:

They just don't get northerners! BIG CIRCLE! Simple ratio is a powerful tool.

For the record, Peter is from SOUTHERN Sweden. :P Well, central...and Sweden is way north...nevermind.  You know I get it.  The three of us shared a little 'shine in Ashokan last time. B)

I am so glad you're using his ideas!  That realization of ratios is so simple, yet powerful, in design from hand tools to architecture, and yet until Peter thought about it, nobody had ever applied it to the other main product of the medieval world. 

Josh:  I know the illustration you got that falchion idea from, I just can't spell it at the moment.  Excellent choice.  Next Sword Ashokan we should all show up.  I might even have another sword to show by then, but don't hold your breath.

2 minutes ago, Joshua States said:

I feel like I've been admitted to the anteroom of some mystic cult...…:ph34r:

Oh, you have, my unmet friend, you have...

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day four student got he guards forged and fit as well as several managing to get handle cores finished and pommels started! And we still have two more days!!!!! These guys are KILLING IT! 

 

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I had a small hiccup twice today brazing the threaded rod on the end of the tang, but here is Matt doing it easy-peazy.

Matt Brazing 1 V2.jpg

Here is my guard (400 grit hand finish) and the raw wood for the handle, slotted and fit to the tang

Handle & Guard V2.jpg

 

Edited by Joshua States

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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On ‎1‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 8:20 PM, Alan Longmire said:

Josh:  I know the illustration you got that falchion idea from, I just can't spell it at the moment.  Excellent choice.  Next Sword Ashokan we should all show up.  I might even have another sword to show by then, but don't hold your breath.

Every one of these blades looks like something out of either a Frazetta painting or a Conan movie to me. The handle drawing is what I came up with while Matt was showing us Peter's ratio principle. Tomorrow I will make the pommel.

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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Today Matt demonstrated leather wrapped handles, and we followed the process on our blades.

Risers 2.jpg

Skiving 2.jpg

Gluing 2.jpg

Starting overwrap 2.jpg

Here's my handle progress today.

Handle wrap 1 opt.jpg

Handle wrap 2 opt.jpg

For those of you who are interested in the nodes of a sword. Matt plotted the forward pivot, anterior pivot, and harmonic nodes for my blade.

Nodes (2) opt.jpg

 

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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How many oz is the leather you guys are using? Also what sort is it- a tooling leather? I have been using a garment leather for wrapped handles, and it feels a bit lightweight. Definitely too lightweight for the kind of heavy wear you would get with a sword. 

Also, great looking class, and swords! Super jealous I'm not there with you guys. 

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Looks like Josh beat me to posting today but here you go. The student go a lot done today and tomorrow will see some awesome swords finished! 

34 minutes ago, Noel Manis said:

How many oz is the leather you guys are using? Also what sort is it- a tooling leather? I have been using a garment leather for wrapped handles, and it feels a bit lightweight. Definitely too lightweight for the kind of heavy wear you would get with a sword. 

Also, great looking class, and swords! Super jealous I'm not there with you guys. 

The leather is 2oz sheep skin vegetable tan. Goat works better and calf skin takes tooling better, but sheap is easily available and works very well other than being a little bit of a pain to skive. 

MP 

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Six very tired students a happy teacher And our hosts Jason and Rodger labrash at the end of a very successful falchion class. 

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Just for the record: 6 days, start to finish. Take a bar of 1084, 2 inches wide and 24 inches long. Make a sword.

Start & Finish V2.jpg

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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  • 2 weeks later...

Got my demo sword all finished up put it on a bit of a diet, got it down to 2lb 11oz before polishing and handle wrapping 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Nice one Matt. How about a WIP on the scabbard making? :ph34r:

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well I still need to figure that out a bit .. came up with something for the damascus one that was not to bulky but it is a lot thinner that the mono steel one at the tip. 

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