Hello

I have been researching to find out if anyone has made a replica of a West European sword blade from the time 200BC to 1600AD, or specifically a pattern-welded sword from the time 200BC to about 900AD, using iron ore and methods that would have been used at this time to make the blooms i.e. making a copy in exactly the same way and with the same materials and methods as the original. Not using modern methods or industrial iron and steel. Does anyone know who has made such an authentically made replica ? If so, could you tell me his or their names ? I would also be interested to know when any such replica was made. Documents and photos of all such replicas would be very welcome !

Thank you for your help.

Kind regards

Richard R.

You may find people who claim to use exactly correct methods.
The reality is that we do not know exactly what tools and methods were used in ancient times.
We can make educated guesses. But that is about as close as we can get.

Iron making varied in different regions and while blades tended to follow the same general pattern, we cannot be sure the exact same methods were used by smiths in different regions.

The techniques and scale of manufacture would also have varied over time.

When we search for authenticity it is important to state what aspects we are interested in. It is impossible to get *everything exactly* right. We can get close in some well chosen important aspects, but it is important to be very clear and aware of what the focus of the study is. The value of the study is directly depending on the questions asked and the corresponding research results.

Even if materials used and methods of manufacture is as close as we can hope to get, there is still a world of difference when it comes to shape. Just because realistic techniques are used, there is no guarantee that the resulting object is especially realistic when compared to originals.

We can use techniques that seem realistic and aim for a final look that is as close as our knowledge allows us, but then that is still shooting for what we *think* is correct and what looks authentic based on our knowledge of the object. It is all a very relative thing.

Basically, I would warn against putting too much trust in the word *exactly*, especially if it is applied with a broad brush.

Hello Peter,

Thank you for your prompt reply. I realise that I should have worded my question more carefully. The word "exactly" is out of place here. My search involves replicas that are made from iron blooms, not industrial steel. My main priority is that the start material is not industrially made, but bloomery iron produced in a bloomery hearth. During my research I have found replicas of early medieval,west european pattern-welded sword blades made from industrial steel but not from bloomery iron. Do you know of anyone who makes replicas of medieval, west european sword blades using bloomery iron?

Thank you for your help.

Richard R.

Have a look at Patrick Bárta, TEMPL Historic Arms, Czech Republic.

Allow me to second Nathan's recommendation. And for a Stateside contact, you could email Jeff Pringle in California. I believe he's done some smelting and forging of the bloom.
http://jeffpringle.com/

Hello Nathan,

I know the home page of Patrick Barta. Unfortunatly I was not sure if his pattern welded sword are totaly made of bloom iron. In his home page is written:"His main credo is maximal quality of his works and on manufacturing of swords he uses only traditional procedures." Traditional procedures doesn't mean necessairly traditional material (bloom iron).

I tried to contact him some time ago, but I have not got a reply yet. So perhaps you can confirm, that his swords are made of 100% bloom iron. Thank you for further information about his work.

Richard R.

Mine is only one question: is it possible today to use old steel?
The starting point is always a Bessemer steel. There are, pre-Bessemer steel?
Can I remove the grates of some old cathedral? :cool:
Old steel would be very expensive to rebuild "exactly."
I know that near Brescia have made things very interesting ...

Hello,
The other consideration (in my opinion) is price. There are smiths who have the talent and the knowledge to create pieces using more accurate materials and methods... but haven't had the opportunity to work with a customer willing to pay for such work. Paul Binns is a very talented blade maker (I am not a big fan of his hilts though) and has done a few pieces utilizing more traditional materials. I have a sword and sax set, that I still need to finish, made by Paul Binns with 16th century bloomery iron.
Cheers,
Hadrian

I think that Hadrian has "hit the nail on the head" so to speak - for a modern smith to do a sword using compleatelly correct techniques (well, correct to the point we know of course), the price will be prohibitive - consider that work of most smiths able to do it with sufficient skill level already costs up from several thousands euros even with them using modern instruments to do it, imagine how much it would cost if they woudl have to spend several times as much time on it and the working costs would increase as well because of the need to create/purchase specific tools. From a certain point of view that would be "historically accurate" to - after all, most very finely finished blades where in poserssion of important chieftains/nobles while wast majority of modern day collectors are neither princes nor famed generals...

Hello Nathan

Nathan Robinson wrote:

Have a look at his Web site and read some of the pages he created discussing some techniques he uses. Not all of his swords are created the same way. It's all about the budget and the project. There are occasions where he smelts his own and other occasions where he uses modern-materials and still other instances where he'll forge antique iron scrap. It all depends.

I just got the answer of Patrick Barta to my question, if his swords are made of 100% bloom iron. He answered, that his blades are made from welded irons and steels. He uses over 100 year old welded iron. The steel is made not from iron ore, but by carbonising soft welded iron and cleaning by welding. He made the first sword blade from full welded materials in 2000. Since then he hasn't used modern steels.

Richard

Hi all
I take part at the forum for the first time and would like to join the discussion.A friend of mine Robert Moc , manufactures swords by traditional technology and from bloom iron.He lives in Slovakia and you can find his products at
www.robert-moc.sk The site is this time only in slovak,but he speak english.
Lubomir Slauka

I can't find any pricelist, do you know what price range is his pattern welded stuff?

Wow! His germanic spathas look awesome! That might be exactly what I'm looking for!