i have had this idea for a sword that i've wanted forever. the best way to show you about it is to look at the attachment. its not drawn to scale, it is a very rough sketch. its drawn so that you can see some of the detail. i mean the blade will look the same all the way down and i haven't got a pice of paper that is 40+ inches long nor a scanner that could scan it.

i want it to be able to function as a sword should in battle. (this is why i need help with steel types)
i would like to keep the design as it is but if any of you think it would hinder its use or make it unwieldy then i will change it
i might add a very small inscription on the sword, but i don't want to damage it so i was thinking of putting it on the guard.
is the length of the blade right for the length of the hilt? (probably my biggest concern)

what do you guys think???

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no. although i liked the film and the weapons featured in them, i question their useage capablities. the designs however i did appreciate but i have had this idea from before the film. the guard i was not sure about in any case. and the blade at thehilt i was going to change to be drasticly brouder than it currently is

Just a few quick suggestions. First, the blade should have at least a little profile taper if it's going to be that long, otherwise in order to keep it from being extremely ill balanced, you're going to need so much distal taper that it won't function well and will be too whippy. Secondly, the pommel and cross do not need to be high carbon steel, mild steel will work just as well because these parts do not need the same hardness and flexibility as blades, there will be no noticeable visual difference and it will just be harder for the smith....and more expensive. Finally, I think you mean 5160 steel for the blade, since 5610 would be a low carbon type unsuitable for blades.
Hope these help,
Dan

thanks for that. thats a great help. maybe the pommle but the cross gaurd i wis thinking of when the blade comes down hard towards your hand and hit the cross guard. thats all i'll change it if u think it'll be ok though

John Lundemo of Odinblades has made some very nice, very functional swords that are quite similar to your design but last I heard he was no longer taking custom orders. You might shoot him an e-mail and see if he's interested. Also, Ollin Sword Design has recently shown that they are quite good at producing very nice looking swords from 2-dimensional drawings.

Having a custom sword made is very exciting and I hope you'll post plenty of pictures when it's finished.

will do. i was looking at ollin sword design actully. i spoke to them to get some general pricung and info. they seemed very good. it would cost $1200 about £609. not too bad really