Wes C.

Take a look at my photos in the swordsmithing forum "smallswords" topic.

See my post in the smallsword thread. Pictures of my rolling mill and a knife made with it.

Interesting topic. Several years ago, when I was still active in my forge/knifeshop, I built a hydraulic/air powered rolling machine with different dies, to roll out blade blanks. Here are a few photos and one photo is one flattened diamond profile dagger made using this machine. I had made flat dies for reducing thickness and fullering as well as a set to roll the hollow triangle shape mentioned in this thread. Had some fun with those but never actually finished a smallsword blade. I was past 60 when I got the machine working and the hammering and squeezing tongs became too much for my hands. The machine weighed around 900 lbs and had a 1hp electric motor turning a 60:1 geabox, for a rolling speed of 29fps. The hyd cylinder was a 25 ton double action, converted to single action - used the large spring for a quick return and air over hydraulic foot control. I found it worked pretty well but if I had to do again, Id' use a 2 or 3hp motor for the rollers, as the hydraulic cylinder would stop the roller if I got in a hurry. The traingular smallsword blade was, in my opinion, the apex of the swordsmiths art - form, function and very strong for the weight. I have one example in my modest collection and it is such a fine blade( made around 1750 to 1770).