General / Off-Topic Swordsmiths a forgotten occupation

lysan

lysan
I've always been fascinated by swords and armour from the old ages. I'm right now searching for a good swordsmith who can make me a good sword and maybe daggers.

Anyone know a good one please post it here, I found one that I might consider to use as i really like what he is doing.
78ff9648e3a5e209a5180bb2c6bac192.JPG


http://www.castlekeep.co.uk/featured-swords/lattice-sword.html
 

FuzzySpider

FuzzySpider
Where do you live? It might be tricky to ship. These guys have swords and armour though.

https://southernswords.co.uk/

Depending on your resources and craftsmanship it might be a good exercise to make your own. There are loads of books and vids about it, and it'd be something truly awesome and artistic to accomplish.

I myself don't want a sword. I want this:

http://www.mortarinvestments.eu/products/tanks-2/t-34-35#currency=EUR

Shipped in bits and I'd put it together myself. Then sit in it all day, pay the neighbours kids to thow stones at the outside to mimic bullets bouncing off it, and make boom boom boom noises to myself while sitting in the commanders cupola.
 

Boomer Kay

B
Lysander lysan said:
I've always been fascinated by swords and armour from the old ages. I'm right now searching for a good swordsmith who can make me a good sword and maybe daggers.

Anyone know a good one please post it here, I found one that I might consider to use as i really like what he is doing.
Click to expand...

Depends what you want to do with that stuff. I'm more into Japanese Sword Arts (because they do have "unbroken lineage" for the stuff they teach, even with the post WW2 ban on JSA and don't shy the cost of a new car to get some dude in japan forge them a blade per traditional methods for their hobby https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2BLg756_4M ^^) and at work, weapons is blocked, so I can't use any of those links. :/

Most western sword smiths don't use traditional methods or materials (and the ones that do are usually pretty expensive).
If you want a weapon forged "for you", you'll have to make calls and arange visits on site. All 'good' smiths are usually quite happy to show you around, explain their work (also how much of it is 'traditional' and what isn't) and get you involved. And there's those that even offer you courses (no idea about the quality of this, just googled: http://owenbush.co.uk/events/7-day-sword-course/ - friend of mine had a "knife/dagger" forging weekend as bday gift. was quite nice he said)

If you're looking for collectible "real" items, collectors and auctions might be your best bet. There's not really a shortage of that stuff.

If you're looking for replica (modern steel, modern-ish ways of casting/forging the steel), the eastern parts of Europe have a quite active scene of swordsmiths that provide the usual suspects at medieval faires etc. with all kinds of weapons - from pretty wallhangers to practice swords. Pretty much all the stuff in the <1000 EUR/GBP range is from those sources.
 
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lysan

lysan
FuzzySpider said:
Where do you live? It might be tricky to ship. These guys have swords and armour though.

https://southernswords.co.uk/

Depending on your resources and craftsmanship it might be a good exercise to make your own. There are loads of books and vids about it, and it'd be something truly awesome and artistic to accomplish.

I myself don't want a sword. I want this:

http://www.mortarinvestments.eu/products/tanks-2/t-34-35#currency=EUR

Shipped in bits and I'd put it together myself. Then sit in it all day, pay the neighbours kids to thow stones at the outside to mimic bullets bouncing off it, and make boom boom boom noises to myself while sitting in the commanders cupola.
Click to expand...

LMAO, a tank! not really, I've seen some Russian BTR80 driving around, good when it's snowing but otherwise nope :D
I like swords because of the handcraft, if I want something more modern I got plenty of "hardware" that can pew pew.


Boomer Kay said:
Depends what you want to do with that stuff. I'm more into Japanese Sword Arts (because they do have "unbroken lineage" for the stuff they teach, even with the post WW2 ban on JSA and don't shy the cost of a new car to get some dude in japan forge them a blade per traditional methods for their hobby https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2BLg756_4M ^^) and at work, weapons is blocked, so I can't use any of those links. :/

Most western sword smiths don't use traditional methods or materials (and the ones that do are usually pretty expensive).
If you want a weapon forged "for you", you'll have to make calls and arange visits on site. All 'good' smiths are usually quite happy to show you around, explain their work (also how much of it is 'traditional' and what isn't) and get you involved. And there's those that even offer you courses (no idea about the quality of this, just googled: http://owenbush.co.uk/events/7-day-sword-course/ - friend of mine had a "knife/dagger" forging weekend as bday gift. was quite nice he said)
Click to expand...


Do with it? just hold it, hang it on the wall, but I want a real one, not a decorative one, regarding shipping I can get most stuff shipped to my home.

A good sword can be from 1000 - 10.000 pounds, but considering it's craftsmanship and it will last for generations.
 
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Boomer Kay

B
Lysander lysan said:
Do with it? just hold it, hang it on the wall, but I want a real one, not a decorative one, regarding shipping I can get most stuff shipped to my home.
A good sword can be from 1000 - 10.000 pounds, but considering it's craftsmanship and it will last for generations.
Click to expand...

Good looks and useability are pricey, yes. And a "real" sword requires maintenance to some degree (no stainless steel there).
If you want the real deal and don't shy the price, I would actually go with a real historic one, not one of the current ones (It's also a decent investment, if you don't get carried away - friend of mine got a 'real historic' japanese shortsword from japan (with papers and such) for about 7500eur .. they're just a bit more obsessed with their art than the westerners).

That castle keep site doesn't quote any prices and just from the looks it's kinda hard to tell how that sword is made. There's several modern techniques that do make the sword "useable and pretty" (like using carbon/spring steel), machine polishing, acid etching etc. but that's not the real deal.
 
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lysan

lysan
Boomer Kay said:
Good looks and useability are pricey, yes. And a "real" sword requires maintenance to some degree (no stainless steel there).
If you want the real deal and don't shy the price, I would actually go with a real historic one, not one of the current ones (It's also a decent investment, if you don't get carried away - friend of mine got a 'real historic' japanese shortsword from japan (with papers and such) for about 7500eur .. they're just a bit more obsessed with their art than the westerners).
Click to expand...

Agree 7500 Euro sounds cheap for a "real" historical one.

Adept said:
Here's the page of JT Pälikkö, a Finnish master smith. My historical swordplay master Guy Windsor (who has not emigrated back into England) figures he's quite possibly the best living sword smith.

http://www.kp-art.fi/jt/index_eng.html

He doesn't come cheap though.
Click to expand...

WOW thanks, that is great info Adept...
 
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Boomer Kay

B
Adept said:
Here's the page of JT Pälikkö, a Finnish master smith. My historical swordplay master Guy Windsor (who has not emigrated back into England) figures he's quite possibly the best living sword smith.

http://www.kp-art.fi/jt/index_eng.html

He doesn't come cheap though.
Click to expand...

Well, that does look like the real deal. Also price-wise. :)

Agree 7500 Euro sounds cheap for a "real" historical one.
Click to expand...
Well, just a short sword from a not-too-famous 17th century smith. Basically the Ford of japanese swords. :D As soon as you go for the well-known smiths, prices skyrocket.
 

Minonian

Banned
Minonian
Just something you lots can find intresting.

titanium knife forging. Yup... I said titanium.

[video=youtube;RgJTDmvs6jY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgJTDmvs6jY[/video]

And also? Something more traditional. a million layer damascus steel knife.
There are better more detailed videos, but this some piece of work, in the good sense of the word.

[video=youtube;CtBus_iU-PQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtBus_iU-PQ[/video]

[video=youtube;ddu6D0pyx04]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddu6D0pyx04[/video]
 
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Boomer Kay

B
Robin of Spiritwood said:
I guess you're looking for something better than the Cold Steel stuff? Probably looked through Hanwei too?

( I make crossbows myself)
Click to expand...

I'm not too convinced by the Chinese hand made stuff, especially if it's overly cheap, since they just use cheap day labourers without proper training for the low cost product.
I've ordered much of my MA equipment from there, and they do manage decent quality (that's produced by senior workers with a few years of experience, though), too but that comes at a price, too.
For the somewhat practical stuff that's not overly expensive (still talking about the 1000EUR Range), I'd probably go with the eastern European suppliers. They don't hand-forge everything, but cut the sword body out of spring steel plates and then just hammer the edges in, but the results are useable and of some consistent quality. Good enough for cutting practice and sparring use.

Some more to look at http://www.paul-binns-swords.co.uk/Collectors_Swords.html

https://www.templ.net/english/
 
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lysan

lysan
Robin of Spiritwood said:
I guess you're looking for something better than the Cold Steel stuff? Probably looked through Hanwei too?

( I make crossbows myself)
Click to expand...

Cold steel is good for EDC, not so much for collection. I got knives from many places, as I like the handcraft, mostly they just hang on the wall collecting dust.

I also like handcrafting sheats myself, it's a good therapy and you get the enjoyment of making something with your hands.

I own a couple of Randall knives, one I got from my father, he bought it in the 1950's

Got knives from Norway, Germany, Iceland, Pakistan, Nepal (my father got it when he was travelling there)South America, Cuba (it was hand made to me, so it's a fun memory from that time) and Australia.

They are more like postcards, and I got a special relationship to most of them.


Boomer Kay said:
I'm not too convinced by the Chinese hand made stuff, especially if it's overly cheap, since they just use cheap day labourers without proper training for the low cost product.
I've ordered much of my MA equipment from there, and they do manage decent quality (that's produced by senior workers with a few years of experience, though), too but that comes at a price, too.
For the somewhat practical stuff that's not overly expensive (still talking about the 1000EUR Range), I'd probably go with the eastern European suppliers. They don't hand-forge everything, but cut the sword body out of spring steel plates and then just hammer the edges in, but the results are useable and of some consistent quality. Good enough for cutting practice and sparring use.

Some more to look at http://www.paul-binns-swords.co.uk/Collectors_Swords.html

https://www.templ.net/english/
Click to expand...

WOW that templ guys work looks awesome!!!
 
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Adept

Adept
My practise blade (used to study Fiore) is from Windlass Steelcrafts, India. They manage pretty nice quality for a reasonable price.

Eastern Europe has a lot of smiths who do good work as well.
 

lysan

lysan
Adept said:
My practise blade (used to study Fiore) is from Windlass Steelcrafts, India. They manage pretty nice quality for a reasonable price.

Eastern Europe has a lot of smiths who do good work as well.
Click to expand...

Hmm I'm often in India, will take a look at it, thanks for the info.
 
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