Conan Props: Tried my hand at weapon making (again) -- myArmoury.com

Alex Oster

Every now and then I get the urge to tinker a bit, and normally its when I either get tired of the parts moving from drawer to drawer, or when I have spare time to kill.

I decided to recreate some stuff from Conan the Barbarian. I choose Thorgrim's hammer and Rexor's triple bladed axe since there are no good recreations out there as of yet.

The Hammer on the top is the newest, and the tri-axe is still in progress...

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More pic's of hammer: http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y201/Osterberg/conan/hammer/

Here is one screen shot to give reference for the overal project:
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Let's start with Thorgrim's hammer ;since it's 99% done (baring any last minute changes).

It started in a very basic stage, and I used all available data (screen shots, on set photos, even data from the original prop sold at auction!) And I transferred all the data into what you see here. The only thing I haven't done is to recreate the brass-Devo hat-endcap that I simply don't have the tools for, and the groove around the spike end of the hammer head (should be done this weekend).
There was apparently three(+) different hammers used in the film. One had a ball pommel that I just didn't like the looks of (used in the orgy fight), a more fur covered version (used at the beginning raid, and seen in an auction photo shoot), and the final screen version (which I aimed for). The handle is 36", and the head is 21" (as per auction specs and 1:1 still photo transference). I used a variety of different methods to get the size as close as possible. The hammer's head ahs a diameter of 5" (though, I would have aimed for 7" if I could find it.)

As for Rexor's axe, I am still manipulating the handle to be right, but here are some basic production shots.

http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y201/Osterberg/conan/axe/

I took 3 axe heads of the same shape and just started grinding Big Grin

. The original blocky hammer heads the axes had have been sanded down to spikes, and the front blades have been welded as per the original prop. Its a lot of stock removal, but I think it worked out nice.
I took some size references from comparisons to Thorgrims hammer in screenshots, and then I ran a ratio of difference to get my measurements.

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Thimo Savbotta · Posted: Sat 05 Aug, 2006 8:27 am Post subject:

Very cool stuff. Still one of my favorite movies of all time.

Chuck Russell · Posted: Sat 05 Aug, 2006 10:11 am Post subject:

wow thats great!

you meantion o cant make the cap on teh end of the hammer. ever thought about using a large copper pipe fitting cap? you maybe able to oval it a tad to fit. sure its not brass but it could work out.

agian, very cool stuff

John Gage · Industry Professional

Wow, Alex those are very cool!! Very nice work on them, Keep it up!!

John

Alex Oster · Posted: Sat 05 Aug, 2006 10:16 am Post subject:

Man, it sucks to wake up at 4:30 when you have a guest over that sleeps until 11..... I've been surfing all morning waiting for signs of life! Big Grin

Thanks guys, yea I was thinking of the cap still as the last 1% of the project. I was even thinking of doing a plaster mold and pouring some metal myself. I have seen a few things I could use, but I just need the proper tools, you know? I've got a small tool box with the essentials, but not much more. And the local Home Depot just doesn't have anything I can manipulate to my ends.

David Martin · Posted: Sat 05 Aug, 2006 12:53 pm Post subject:

Very nicely done! I love the maul - have you tried bashing anything with it?

I'm hoping to find the time and money to create a life-size version of Mjollnir. It would just be for display purposes, (obviously), but I think it would make a great conversation piece.

Thanks for sharing your projects. Congrats on a job well done!

Jean Thibodeau · Posted: Sat 05 Aug, 2006 3:53 pm Post subject:

Ken Rankin · Posted: Sat 05 Aug, 2006 7:18 pm Post subject:

Very very cool work! Conan the Barbarian is one of my all time favorite films (I keep the soundtrack in the car) and REH is like a god to me Big Grin

I love the hammer! It just screams... Laughing Out Loud

and the axe is just too much! Love it! I grok about Home Depot, I am in my local one all the time and it gets frustrating having to take something and rework it to meet a need rather than just finding it...sleepwise after twenty years of working rotating shifts I can sleep anywhere anytime, in fact I may be asleep right now...

Laughing Out Loud

Ken

Joshua Reptsik · Posted: Sat 05 Aug, 2006 10:22 pm Post subject:

Love the hammer. If it can take out marble pillars you got a fine repro on your hands! Bah!

Alex Oster · Posted: Sun 06 Aug, 2006 11:13 am Post subject:

Lol, well I have yet to squash anything. It's a wrist breaker though Big Grin

Here is a shot to give sense of scale:
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Alex Oster · Posted: Sun 20 Aug, 2006 1:04 pm Post subject:

Original prop data:

Patrick Kelly · Posted: Sun 20 Aug, 2006 7:25 pm Post subject:

Alex,

That's a very nice collection from one of the favorite movies of my youth.

Cool!

Alex Oster · Posted: Sun 20 Aug, 2006 8:39 pm Post subject:

Thanks, I'm wraping the axe's handle as I watch some bad tv tonight. Fingers...getting....cramped!
I really need to do a good photo shoot for the dog days, but still not done Wink

John H. · Posted: Mon 09 Apr, 2007 8:59 pm Post subject:

Hope this isn't against the rules, resurrecting such an old thread, but I figured why create a new thread when there's a perfectly good, related thread already here?

My latest project, & my finest work imo (at least the one I'm most proud of).

35 pounds of wood, blood (yes, I cut/gouged myself several times during construction), leather, brass, & steel, from one of my all-time favorite films. THORGRIM'S HAMMER.

From start to finish, this effort has taken approximately 2.5 years. This includes design research, parts/materials acquisition, & build-time. It turned out just how I had hoped. Everything was basically done by hand (since I lack many of the "proper" tools), although I did make limited use of a circular saw, a dremel tool, a belt sander, & a cordless drill. Ultimately, I wanted it to be as authentic as possible, so MOST of the wood-work was done with just a mallet & chisel.

The broken Master sword (an older project) is in the photo just to give it scale.

I scoured every conceivable, available resource to help me create a replica that is as screen-accurate & as functional (i.e., "sturdy") as possible. Now, as Alex stated, there were multiple hammers used during production. In fact, I count five:

#1.

#2.

#3.

#4.

#5.

I made mine a hybrid of #3 & #5. The handle is a branch from the cedar tree in front of my building at work, & the head is a length of discarded telephone pole. (Incidently, I tried to get a piece of piling from the local dock-builders, but was unable to find a suitable specimen that was NOT pressure-treated with arsenic. So the old telephone pole was a Godsend) The bands & rivets are all chemically-aged, solid brass (I tried aging the brass "naturally" (read: ammonia fuming) & suffered pretty abysmal results). The leather wrapping is goat-hide.

I threw a video of this project up on youtube if anyone's interested in taking a peek (I'm pretty proud of the vid too): Clickee.

Anyway, thanks for looking.

P.S. BTW Alex, color me envious of many of the pieces in your Conan collection. I hope to have several of those. Eventually... *sigh* Wink

Alex Oster · Posted: Tue 29 May, 2007 10:27 pm Post subject:

Well, I guess an update is in order. Wink

Thanks for the kind words all.
I've already expressed my wonder in Johns amazing work elsewhere, but still, dang man... you captured it wonderfuly!
I've since finished the Axe and hammer to a point of "good enough", but I'm ever the tinker-er, so I expect to keep tweeking them until perfect. My hammer has turned out a definate #2 copy john, but I am not quite happy with it yet.

As always you can peruse my photos and sub folders here: Conan stuff (w/ sub folders)

Alex Oster · Posted: Tue 29 Jan, 2008 2:14 pm Post subject:

Did a little more work on them:
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The blades of the axe are actually blued now. Mostly black. I changed the wire wrap to wire too.

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Jared Smith · Posted: Tue 29 Jan, 2008 2:36 pm Post subject:

I personally like your set of replicas, particularly the home made ones! You probably said so before, what are the two swords (sort of hard to see in the corners of the first photo)?

Alex Oster · Posted: Tue 29 Jan, 2008 6:30 pm Post subject:

Thanks, I don't know if I mentioned it, but by clicking in my signeture, you can see my conan collection. There are two sub folders that show all the work involved with each.

In that first pic.... there is a factory x argos sword and a $20 "ninja sword" (now replaced with a hanwei black same one) I allways had intended to remove the blade on the argos sword and use the fittings on one of albions bronze blades. However, I ran out of funds and they stopped making the one I wanted. Confused

oh, I forgot, i will also be taking some of the handle wraping off the axe, as I got a little involved when i did that... i just kept wrapping and wrapping and wrappping... these projects are a great way to clear your mind.