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Björn Hellqvist
myArmoury Alumni
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 Posted: Mon 29 Dec, 2003 4:31 pm Post subject: Trying my hand at the cutler's craft - work in progress |
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I've had this good quality 19th Swedish military sword blade lying around the place for some years, and thought that it would make a nice late 14th century sword (a Type XVII or something like that). Someone had taken a grinder to the tang, so I got it relatively cheap ($55 or so). I ground off most of the ricasso (thus making sure that the 19th C maker's marks wouldn't be visible), and tried to shape a decent tang from what I had. The rest of the blade was polished, removing some grind marks near the point. Next step was making the guard. Thankfully, my father has a small workshop with some useful machines. There were some pieces of steel in a bin, one of which was of the right proportions. I marked the outline, and used a milling machine (thus saving a lot of time, as well as getting the shape within a 1/10th of a millimeter). Then I drilled three holes for the tang hole and filed it to shape, making sure that it would be tight enough. The final shape of the guard was ground on a grinding wheel, then using a 300 grit emery cloth wheel to remove the grind marks. Next step is determining the preferred weight of the pommel, calculating the volume, and turning it on a lathe. Then it will be mounted before adding the grip. I expect the sword to be finished by March. Watch out, Peter J! 
My sword site
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Angus Trim
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| Posted: Mon 29 Dec, 2003 5:42 pm Post subject: |
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Nice start Bjorn........
swords are fun
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Björn Hellqvist
myArmoury Alumni
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| Posted: Mon 29 Dec, 2003 5:50 pm Post subject: |
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| Angus Trim wrote: | | Nice start Bjorn........ |
Thanks! My father looked at the guard (he has been an engineer), and commented it with: "It doesn't look that bad" (sounding almost surprised), which is high praise indeed coming from him.
My sword site
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Robert Zamoida
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| Posted: Mon 29 Dec, 2003 6:10 pm Post subject: |
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Nice job Bjorn!  Definitely keep us posted on this; I'd really like to see what you do with the pommel.
Rob Zamoida
"When your life is on the line, you want to make use of all your tools. No warrior should be willing to die with his swords at his sides, without having made use of his tools."
-Miyamoto Mushashi, Gorin no Sho
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Angus Trim
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| Posted: Mon 29 Dec, 2003 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Björn Hellqvist wrote: | | Angus Trim wrote: | | Nice start Bjorn........ |
Thanks! My father looked at the guard (he has been an engineer), and commented it with: "It doesn't look that bad" (sounding almost surprised), which is high praise indeed coming from him. |
Hi Bjorn
Your father's right, that's a great first guard. Remember my first guards? *g* Your first is much nicer than my first 35 or so.....
And you wouldn't believe what I've seen as far as some of the local guys first attempts...
I think we've found a new cutler.....
Auld Dawg.
swords are fun
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Peter Johnsson
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Mon 29 Dec, 2003 11:02 pm Post subject: |
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Björn!
I like that guard 
Perhaps we could start a joint business?
A very nice and well shaped cross. It will be interesting to see how the sword turns out complete with pommel and grip
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Kirk Lee Spencer
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| Posted: Tue 30 Dec, 2003 10:35 am Post subject: |
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Wow.... Makes me want to go grind some steel... Where's my dremel?
ks
Two swords
Lit in Eden’s flame
One of iron and one of ink
To place within a bloody hand
One of God or one of man
Our souls to one of
Two eternities
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Thomas McDonald
myArmoury Alumni
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| Posted: Tue 30 Dec, 2003 2:39 pm Post subject: |
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Nice job, Björn !
I've dabbled in fitting some hilts, and played with customizing some of their parts, and I can attest it's not an easy deal !
Gives you a real appreciation of the folks who can do it so well, especially from scratch !
Now here you are making your own hilt..... Good show !
Give yourself a big pat on the back ! Mac
'Gott Bewahr Die Oprechte Schotten'
XX ANDRIA XX FARARA XX
Mac's PictureTrail
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Björn Hellqvist
myArmoury Alumni
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| Posted: Tue 30 Dec, 2003 4:00 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks, guys! I've appreciated the work of others before, but when one has struggled with a piece of steel for a few hours, it becomes even more evident how skilled some people are out there.
Gus, your first guards were serviceable - it wouldn't have been rational to spend something like 5-6 hrs on a single guard (like I've done). As for a first attempt, I'm quite happy with it, but with the right tools, some help, some artistic talent, and some experience from edging lenses (!), it was possible to pull it off.
Peter, I tried to get the same crispness in the lines as you do, but gave it up after realizing that there are pros and then there are amateurs like me... It will be fun to show you the final result - I think I can hear you already: "This is very nice, but..."
My sword site
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Bill Duncan
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| Posted: Thu 01 Jan, 2004 12:50 pm Post subject: |
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Hey Björn
Alright dadgum it you fella's are make me more home sick than I already was.  I Want my tools!! 
Angus is right about the makeing a guard, it can be a pain in the rear, I made one for my Atrim XI and I think I made about seven before I got it right.
Yours looks mighty fine.
Dunc
May you live as long as you want but never want for as long as you live
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Angus Trim
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| Posted: Thu 01 Jan, 2004 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Björn Hellqvist wrote: | Thanks, guys! I've appreciated the work of others before, but when one has struggled with a piece of steel for a few hours, it becomes even more evident how skilled some people are out there.
Gus, your first guards were serviceable - it wouldn't have been rational to spend something like 5-6 hrs on a single guard (like I've done). As for a first attempt, I'm quite happy with it, but with the right tools, some help, some artistic talent, and some experience from edging lenses (!), it was possible to pull it off.) |
Hi Bjorn
Well, on the off chance this is going to become a serious hobby, I have a thought, though I'm going to go off on a tangent first.......
After moving three times in three years, I've managed to misplace a lot of the documentary stuff folks have donated to me. Looking desperately for a packet {heavy with info about medieval and renaissance sabers} that Russ Mitchell sent me three years ago I ran into a packet from Bjorn, one with a note and signature from Ewart, another from Bjorn, another from Bjorn....etc.....
Without getting into all of the sentimental stuff, your contributions were first. I pretty much started out on the right foot, distal taper and "balance" wise, and I'm not sure that would have been possible without those first packets of stuff....
Well, I don't know that they're still there, but I suspect there's a good chance that four swords I sent to Upsala are still there. One of them is over three years old, and may have one of those early "rough guards". The others' well over two. My thought is, "if they're still in Upsala" {and I don't know for sure that they are}, then if Peter can part with them, I'd like to donate them to your "cutler" experiment.
They would make excellent customizing bases. The blades finish' are likely a bit rough, but they will polish up fine. The blades also can easily be modified somewhat in shape, see what Erik Stevenson has done with a few of my blades. One of the blades has a ricasso, so it can be "shouldered" like your military blade... the others can't but by planning on a handle 6mm shorter than the stock, you should be able to have enough tang end, that the tang end can be heated up and peened, if that's what you wish.......
As a hobby, four pieces might make a couple of years worth of experimenting.......
Auld Dawg
swords are fun
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Björn Hellqvist
myArmoury Alumni
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| Posted: Fri 02 Jan, 2004 10:42 am Post subject: |
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That's generous, Gus. I'll talk to Peter, but I don't think he will have any problems with that. It will be fun tinkering with the stuff!
My sword site
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Angus Trim
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| Posted: Fri 02 Jan, 2004 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Björn Hellqvist wrote: | | That's generous, Gus. I'll talk to Peter, but I don't think he will have any problems with that. It will be fun tinkering with the stuff! |
Well, I think your aware of the history and legacy of that stuff.....
One fit of bad Keltic temper and we have a legacy.....*g*
I think if they'd now serve as bases for your experiments in cutler work, then that would be a good fate for them. At the time I made them, they were the best I could do. The blades are good solid base stuff. A little rough maybe, but they're good enough, that I still use two of them as models today, one of the others has been tweaked, and the fourth will be reintroduced soon.......
Its apparent looking at that guard that you have "the eye" for this. So all I ask is you post photos when you finally get around to doing something with them. Who knows, you might just get the "bug", and wind up making swords down the road too.....
*g*
Auld Dawg
swords are fun
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