[Bob Burns]

I just recieved this video yesterday and watched it once, it's 40 minutes long on DVD

Titled The Birth of a Sword from the "Steel-edged Weapons" Series featuring Richard Kazda, listed on back of jacket cover as a Master Swordsmith. Copyright is 2004 by EZOP www.ezop.wz.cz I found the video in Amazon.com and it was delivered in 3 or 4 days from order date.

The video is about one sword being made from the raw elements to the final finish sword and the making of the scabbard for this same sword.

I am "No" authority on how to make a sword, nor am I a movie critic. LOL

While the video is quite interesting in some respects, there are a lot of details missing from the narration, such as what is the substance that Richard Kazda hand srinkles on the metal as it is being forged. What is the degree of pitch when being ground on the grinding wheel.
Some things are explained well but a lot of the finer details are not revealed by the narrator. They do explain the various general angles of the hammering process and why these are done and other various interesting details but still the process should be more detailed by the narrator.
They do show things like the metal inlays on the pommel and the basics of how this is done. The final sword is a very beautiful Viking sword with a central fuller down the length of the blade. Why it's better to pound the fuller in rather than to mill the fuller and what happens with the steel in the body and edge of the blade.

So, some things are very interesting and somewhat detailed and it seemed to me that a lot of the fhings should have been explained in finer detail.

The video is $39.95, I am glad I bought it, but would have liked things in finer detail.

Will be fun to show other people, such as friends and family how a sword is made.

Hope this Helps!

Bob