This is insanely impressive! Bravo! <3

Do you pattern your own steel?

Sure, i forgeweld my steel and rule the pattern, this sword is totaly made by me, from the point to the handle, in the discription is a youtube link, with a video how the sword is made.

Dear god that is gorgeous! I do love migration period style spathas, and this is absolute!

Yea i love thes long, broad spathas too. They are very efffective as cuttin waepon and light, this spatha weighs not more than 892 gramms, by a blade leght of 810mm

oh dear lawd the sheer beauty... 0v0

Beautiful job, my brother.

Nice video as well- Mostly familiar techniques. Theres a few I have not seen before, or know of, done differently.

I'm working on a Spatha myself, but a different type.

Since my blade must be 25 inches long, (Existing piece of steel) I am going with some of the German and I think Czech? Shorter blades from the continent for the inspiration.

I have not ventured into migration/Vendel/post Roman/dark ages period pieces before, so I am having fun with the research phase right now.



-Badger-

Sounds great, but 25 inches os not very long^^ This blade here is 31,88 inches long and two inches broad
But the late roman spathas were shorter than germanic ones, sure. Wish you luck with your work!

And of course the techniques are familiar, there are not so many ways for the constructionof such a spatha with twisted rods in the core. But i have still my one way ad some tricks, not shown in the video

Theres several original grave finds in that range of blade length.

25 inches is a good infantry length, and my SCA fighting baton/sword is that size due to experience.

I could only wish I had the room to add a true forge and power hammer.

Soooo envious!

I did see that you form the huge, shallow fullers on these type of sword the way I do- Gentle grinding.

Theres makers I know who insist they must be forged into place- But honestly- The method that works for you is the best method for you to use in my opinion.

You use Borax for flux?
I saw you adding flux during part of the operation, and the only white powder type I know of is borax.
Its about the best flux I know of, and its what my high school shop class teacher had us use.

We actually used Boraxo powdered cleanser....Because its mostly borax and a few other things.
Smells nice when it melts, too.

Nice use of horn as well- those slabs are pretty big.

Is it Asian water buffalo?
I know Cape buffalo from Africa can yield some huge pieces, (I grew up in a family taxidermy shop and handled horns from about every game species at one time or another.) But even though capes in Africa are so common that they are cull shot in many parks when their numbers get out of control, the horns are not usually harvested for sale.

Most of what I can get is small stuff from India or other south Asian sources, cut to the most commonly used dimensions for knifemakers.

Its getting bone in pieces large enough to be actually useful thats the pain these days.

So I seldom use bone...Antler from elk and other North American species is easier and cheaper.

Oddly, because of exotic species turned loose and breeding wild in Texas, I can occasionally get some very unusual horns and antlers.
But those are usually priced a bit too high for me to use.

-Badger-

Yes i grinded the fuller, usually for fencing swords i forge the fuller. But i grinded it to reach the nice star pattern deep into the core of the blade
You can see forging me a fuller for a Shwedisch sord in this video in the 6:55 min: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI4wpc1SSN8

Yes it's Asian Buffalo horn, i found in a german gnifeshop, the original had horn and bone as well for the hilt. Just the bronze plate in the handguard isn't accurate, i made it to make the bandle more durable.

And this spatha was found in ha mounted warrior grave, so it makes sence to have a long cuttingblade to use from horseback^^

Mmmm :3 Damascus... Gonna be making a tanto outta some soon.