[Jarno-T. Pälikkö]

Hello everyone,

Do not take the following too seriously (I definitely do not), but I just wanted to bring the thing out in the open… For some reason Finnish culture has always included in itself an unhealthy dose of jealousy. One way it manifests itself is the way people spread ugly rumors. This manner of rumor-mongering penetrates all levels of our society and culture and naturally in small specialist areas of expertise such as knifemaking and bladesmithing there are loads of rumors to go around… I have heard a number of different stories about myself, in one I was somekind of knifemaking-robot cranking into existence someone else’s designs, in another all my damascus blades were made in Pakistan… In the latest one I heard via a friend and fellow swordsmith, I order my sword blades from Czech Republic! –That one set us both giggling for a long time!

And now this latest sword project is sure to make the tongues waggling again, as it is somewhat “different” from all of my previous pieces. –Maybe after a while we’ll be hearing from some reliable source that all of my stuff actually comes from Vlakispan via Shangai’d Mandarin Import/Export Co!

So without further ado, here is the first REAL fantasy sword I’ve made up to date!

The sword is a custom order that I made according to the design I had drawn earlier. The blade is a three bar random pattern damascus piece and the pommel and the “guard” were cast in bronze in my neighbours foundry. The O/a length is 117,5cm and the blade is 83cm.

This sword is heavy a one, weight is 2,960 kg but the point of balance which is 9,5cm from the grip is so good that the blade is actually surprisingly agile. Also, the “eyeholes” double as fingerguards so when held in a pistolgrip the light feel of the sword is further enchanced.

I have already been asked would I be making more of fantasy pieces in a similar vein and I have to say I am tempted…
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the pics of this latest creation of mine.

…As an editorial note, I apologize that clearly I am unable to get the picture of the whole sword appear as anything else as an "attachment"...

[Daniel W. Holayter]

A leaf blade my favorite-absolutely magnificent work!

[Ken Speed]

Obviously the next rumor pertaining to you will be that you sold your soul to the devil!

Seriously, that is an incredible and beautiful ( in a very scary way) piece of work!

[Blaz Berlec]

I usually don't like non historic swords, but this is wicked!

[Harry Lindfors]

[Marko Susimetsa]

Very nice for a fantasy piece! The leaf-blade does it for me, actually.

(and unfortunately true words about Finnish jealousy/envy in small professional circles)

[Mike Capanelli]

That's a beautiful blade!! Wherever in the Czech Republic did you order that one?

[Christian G. Cameron]

It is superb in person, too! I was lucky enough to get to hold it in my hand a couple of weeks ago...

And despite the weight--it feels like a sword. I'd flatter JT more, but it would just go to his head...

Okay, it's--strangely beautiful and surprisingly balanced...

[Joel Minturn]

Wow that is an impressive sword. And it hides the weight so well, I never would have guessed that it weighted just under 3 thousand Kg. You must be some kind of super strong monster to wield that J/k

( yeah I know that 2,950 kg is 2.95 kg to us Americans I just couldn't resist making a bad joke about cultural differences. ) but I really do want that sword were ever it has been made

[Jean Thibodeau]

[Tim Lison]

Gorgeous! I love the hilt components!

[David Spencer]

What a great blade JT , with a serious gaurd and pommel, Very well done.

[Etienne Hamel]

so nice... how much for a plane ticket for finland just to see it with my own eyes (just kidding but this sword just kick A$$

[Artis Aboltins]

That sword is certainly impressive - and yet again proves that there is really no limits to what a skilled maker can create.

[Jarno-T. Pälikkö]

Gentlemen, thank you very much for your comments!

First, I would like to emphasize that the blade is not of Czech origin, it is made by me …And I have a receipt to prove it!

The obvious devilry in the swordmaking business aside, that skull/eye-hole guard design is something I drew up already several years ago. Why I did not draw those horns on it then is a mystery to me, perhaps the design needed to evolve in the dark of the back of my skull. However, with those horns in place the whole concept just suddenly looked right and ready.
I like to think that this sword is my humble homage to the greatest fantasy artist of all time, Frank Frazetta, who passed away some months ago. (One of his greatest creations was the Death Dealer character with a horned helmet… I do not have to spell it out to you…)

The rough and ready appearance of the scabbard was an idea the customer put forward and I think it turned our quite cool!
I’ll include a close-up picture of the guard and another of the wax piece from which I started to carve that guard design out, so you get a better idea of the shape of the guard and the amount of labor involved…

And yes, it is possible to see the sword “in the flesh” as the customer graciously has agreed to loan it to me so that I can put it on display in the Helsinki Knife Show on 8th of January. I’m going to have some other swords on my table there too (I hope), so if you’re in the neighborhood, do pop in.

[Jarno-T. Pälikkö]

Hello all,

My web pages have now been updated and the sword is now displayed there under a rather pompous name of "The Death Wielder". Please check it out there at:

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

...and there are some other new items there too...

[Jean Thibodeau]

Had a look at the web pages and the work there seems very impressive and high end, so I would encourage others to go have a look. Also click on each to see the close-ups ( Jaw dropping gorgeous stuff ).


Oh, the more 3d pic of the sword give a better idea of the shape of the hilt as it wasn't obvious in the side pics how the guard curves at the ends and the thickness of the bronze.

it does show off the blade's damascus better also.

Again very attractive work and people should seriously add you to their short list of talented makers doing very good original work.

Interesting spears on your web pages also .

Also a very appealling Swiss Sabre.

[Jeremiah Swanger]

This is one of the coolest fantasy pieces I've seen in a while!

It makes me want to just go out and take on a horde of marauders to defend the honor of Crom...

I like how the horns of the cross are bent in an "s"-curve, giving it a Scandinavian flare, reminiscent of the Svante Nilsson Sture sword!

[Brian K.]

Soooooooooooooooo cool!

That is a nice fantasy sword.

[Jarno-T. Pälikkö]

Thank you very much for your comments!

About the guard: It was somehow very satisfying to be able to include all these details you can find in a medieval sword guard designs into one rather wild fantasy guard; the “skulls” are basically just large langets, eye-holes are finger guards and then there is the S-curve of the horns mentioned above…
With the curving horns the sword turned to be a very “space demanding” piece – which can be seen either as a good or a bad thing. I think this way the sword has more presence.

As for the spears; well, it is true, I haven’t updated the prices for some years now, it is a very easy thing to forget somehow. On the other hand, the spearheads I usually do are rather rough and ready pieces with the decorations filed deliberately slightly lopsided, etc., with the forge welded versions I naturally pay more attention to the fit and finish. Besides, forging spearheads is usually a fun thing to do, maybe that’s why I haven’t checked the prices lately.