How long before making swords

[IRon_FOrgerI22]

I was just wondering how long should i do Nails and other simple decrotive peices before i get into big pieces like swords?

[Finnr]

Depends on you. How long will it take you to become expert enough at blade smithing to attempt one?
Finnr

[RainsFire]

I would remove this thread if I was you.. just fyi..
one of the resident newbie sword basher's will uh.. bash you.

[ApprenticeMan]

Originally Posted by RainsFire

I would remove this thread if I was you.. just fyi..
one of the resident newbie sword basher's will uh.. bash you.

Only if he chooses to blunder into it without listening, and not heeding the advice given.


Ironforger, work at the smaller stuff until you are 100% comfortable with your hammer control, can hammer a 8 straight lines on an octagon taper, go square to round and have both shapes be squares and rounds not ovals and parallelograms hehe, can straighten bent steel and forge long elegant tapers. Are comfortable with proper forging heats, heat treating and grinding, as well as polishing among many other skills. It has been said a MILLION TIMES before,

START
WITH
KNIVES

Only when you can forge, grind, heat treat, and polish a knife easily can you even think about attempting a sword. This is SOUND advice, and it will not be given again atleast by me if you choose not to listen. I have made quite a few swords so far, and have had the luck and oppurtunity to study under a master artist blacksmith, and study under a master knifemaker, and study under a master swordmaker. While i am entirely self taught when it comes to FORGING the sword blades, i can tell you i certainly did NOT start with swords, nor with knives. I started forging artistic things liek little hooks and stuff. YOU NEED A PROPER BASE to build off of. My apprenticeship to the master artist blacksmith who DID NOT make any swords or bladed implement whatsoever was the very best thing in my study and evolution as a swordsmith. I only learned to grind and mount blades from both the master knifemaker and master swordmaker. I am entirely self taught when it comes to forging blades but i constantly apply alot of what i learned from the artist blacksmith everyday. A little example of just what you can do when you have taken the time to learn things in proper sequence. All these blades were forged by myself, some were ground entirely by me, some with help from my teacher. First some shots of the blades just as forged, then some shots of the ground and polished/etched blades, Then some shots of some finish ground and polished blades waiting to be mounted. That Big katana is 1075 steel which was traditionally clay coated and quenched in salt water brine, as was the scimitar below it which was 1055. both have GORGEOUS hamons. Gladius from 1084 along with two knives also from 1084 one was clay coat with a hamon. A little 5160 hunting knife, a big bowie from A2 tool steel and another 1075 wakizashi/otanto also traditionally clay coated and salt brine quenched. KEEP AT IT and "pay your dues", the hooks and stuff may get boring sometimes but it will pay off in the end. Also, you will probably find there is MUCH more of a market for the artistic stuff than blades ANY DAY OF THE WEEK, and you'll never have to buy another christmas/hannukah/birthday/holiday gift ever again. Also selling the little hooks for 5$ a pop will help finance your growing tool supply.

[julian]

I'd recommend waiting a minimum of 5 years before trying a sword.

By then you should have a decent amount of skill, money, tools, and assurance that you're really dedicated to the craft. If you want to try a sword, do some knives. Then some more knives. And once you're sick and tired of knives, make about fifteen more. Swords take a lot of skill to even complete properly; making them work and look good is a whole new ballgame.

[J. Bennett]

Well,
I guess I'll play the heretic once more
15 years ago, there was no internet as we know it. I had always wanted to forge a sword one day. I had nothing but the library and an old hand cranker that belonged to father in law.
I read and read and read some more. Well, believe it or not, the very first object I had ever forged was a bastard sword. I just cut to the chase. I didn't know any better at the time, because there wasn't anyone to tell me I couldn't.. I must say though that I could not have done it without the tutleage of one of one JPH, via his great book. I hope I made him proud

Anyway, the point is, just do it!
Oh, I still have that old bastard. I chop, cut, experiment with and it still performs, even though it's tip heavy.

[Rich Hale]

FAct is there is no laws on this If you want to do a sord as your first project then go for it. It is after all you tools and you make your own shop rules unless you are working for someone else. Keep in mind that sords are really not a starting point for most folks that begin smithing. If you were to work on basics And that does not mean forgeing nails or decorative pieces until you can make nails almost in your sleep. The most improtant think is to works safely and develop muscle motor memory to the ppoint that you can pull a hot piiece of metal from the fire and your body works with out you telling it what to do. Think about driveing if you do that. How much effort do you put into placeing the key in the ignition and turning it? That is an almost automatic movement. Forgeing can get like that. How long will that take you? I cannot guess. But it will come and then when you take on a iece as complicated as a sord you will be way ahead and the forgeing part will work with you ..not lack of skills getting in your way. The metalurgy involved starts not with a sord but with less complicated pieces like chisels punches and like mentioned knives. When you can leave almost zero hammer marks on a blade you will have less hand work to remove them. It would be a huge loss for you to spend hours taking out hammer marks and then haveing porblems in the heat treat part of the process. But as I said, it is your shop and you are the one calling the shots. Enjoy

[rthibeau]

you can make a sord when you know enough not to have to ask when....

[TarAlderion]

Richard, I would say that your answer is the best, dead on, exact answer there could be.

[Mende]

Everyone is right in a way ..

I say you should work until you have good hammer control ..and then ..while following some guidelines in books . .start making whatever you wish ...

You can screw up blades as well as nails or hooks...at first but then. . .you will be churning them out by the dozens ..

Heat treating is also important and can be practiced o stock removal blades and such . .so you don't crack a good forging.