How does one become a bladesmith?
I am very interested in learning how to make blades, rather specifically blades for medieval swords. Can anyone point me to a place where I could learn about this?

Thanks in advance, Matt.
Re: How does one become a bladesmith?
Matthew Miller wrote:
I am very interested in learning how to make blades, rather specifically blades for medieval swords. Can anyone point me to a place where I could learn about this?

Thanks in advance, Matt.

In your shed/garden/nearby living history center :p First question you have to ask yourself: Do you just want to make blades, or do you want to master the medieval craft of bladesmithing? As this will determine what sort of information you need to look for. The first means you can use a lot of modern means, such as powertools, to speed things up and make it easier. The second is much more fun, much more difficult, and takes much more time as well as tons of research in the old craft. But for both, you first need to learn everything there is to learn about swords (balance, cutting edge geometries etc.), so you actually know what you're going to be making. In the mean time, you can get an anvil, bunch of hammers, tongs etc. and some good steel and just start practicing forging knives. There's lots of places on the internet with tips and tricks (such as http://www.anvilfire.com/iForge/), as well as books. But most recommended is to seek out places where they demonstrate forging, and just look at what he's doing, the tools he uses etc. and ask questions (without harrashing the smith of course! :) ). But most important things you need are: lots determination, lots of patience and practice, practice, practice, practice and then practice some more. And pretty much forget about any other activities you've got planned for the next few years ;)
Jeoren, you are so right! This is pretty the same, as I have written about learning armoring some time ago.

And BTW : you have really great site! I would love to learn how to cast bronze, but still don't have time for that. :\

Best wishes,
Thorkil.
Learn by bleeding ... I just ran to the first aid post on sunday after a nice micro steel splinter from grinding a falchion started scratching my cornea.

yes, I had goggles but they were foggy out of honest sweet.

get a movable visor .... first move when I was out of the hospital.

Seriously speaking, the crest of the old smithing town of Bienno, in Lombardy, which was hosting more forges than houses, carries a good half of blood.
Thanks a lot, I really appreciate your help. To be specific, I want to learn how to make medieval blades with accurate techniques.
Matthew Miller wrote:
Thanks a lot, I really appreciate your help. To be specific, I want to learn how to make medieval blades with accurate techniques.


This website and the www.armourarchive.org website, as well as the old www.arador.com website have all the infos you are looking for, including a good bibliography.

The rest is just work, since all techniques illustrated here and elsewhere ar modern rconstruction, no ancient how to or manual exists.

They have been inferred from still surviving goldsmith, silversmith and tinsmith forming techniques.

Also www.anvilfire.com will teach a lot in smithing, including security, starting from not burning anything zinc coated in a forge (fumes would kill you).
Also don't forget the ABANA web site to look for a forging group near you, where ever that is. Abana is for areas in North America. the web site is http://www.abana.org/ look up your area.

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