Castillon Falchion wip

[Lenaghan]

Hey guys, seeing as I rarely see swords actually get posted here I thought I'd add one!

 

This is a rare sword type(I *think* there's only one) with hilt parts the same as swords from the Castillon hoard but with a single edge falchion  blade. I had some really intresting geometry to it and loved the hilt so it was both fun and a challege to make. It's as close as I'll come to making it without getting to see or handle the real thing... 

 

I know weight comes up here, well the real ones said to be 869 grams with alot now corroded of the tip and a few large chunks missing... so  making the blade the way I thought ended up being 1001 grams

(2 lbs 3 oz.) with a grip on. It handle really fast and feels light but still has a strong slashing power to it, also the tips fine enough to put it where you want...  

 

here's what it's based on   there's better photo's in some books....

 

here's the blade forged to shape, next to the concept drawing 

there's double fullers and a ricasso, for me it's harder to get a good photo after its polished

 

Hope you guys like!

[gunfire111]

awesome!good job

[Frosty]

It looks like a very nice piece of work. If you use an oblique angle on the light the pictures will come out better. OR use a diffusion reflector like a piece of white typing paper, or shoot with a single ply of tissue over the flash. OR pick a cloudy day to shoot or make a diffusion box, basically a box with a cloudy plastic cover so the light is diffused.

 

Picking a good background color is important, I try to avoid grey or light blue as steel, especially polished steel blends in too well. Dark blue works, as will most primary colors though I don't like yellow as a background.

 

Just experiment around till you get a combination you like, just be  happy for digital cameras, I learned when all there was available was wet film and hand developing Sure I could've shot to glass (not slides, I can't recall what they're called. Stupid tree!) but that's just crazy expensive to develop.

 

anyway, with digital and even a freeware photo editor you can turn out some really nice shots of your work. Taking good pics is a LOT harder than most folk think but like most everything it's a little knowledge and lots of practice.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

And such a lovely *WEIGHT*!    How does it feel swinging it

[Lenaghan]

Thanks guys,

 

Frosty, Yeah I know I suck at taking photo's... the only reason I even bought a camera was to take photo's of my knives and I do need to work on it, a light box would be a good start... and making a web site, but everytime I get some free time I'd rather just forge something ^_^

 

Thomas it feels great swinging it, haven't had a chance to do much cutting with it yet. I would love to get some real western martial arts training so I actually knew how to use swords better. It would most likely make me a better smith too

[EtownAndrew]

That is really really good! One of these days I think I may try a sword but I am not there yet! How did you attach the guard and pommel? (I think I got those names right.)

[Frosty]

It's not that YOU suck at taking pictures, you just don't know how. Take pics on a cloudy day or stretch a sheet between the blade and the sun. Lay the blade on a piece of dark green or dark red coarse cloth like a blanket or pool table. OR put the camera on a tripod, turn the flash off take a long exposure in mid to low level light. A couple white LEDs off to one side is plenty of light.

 

Like I say, it's not hard if you know the basics, like so many other things.

 

Yeah, some time studying the martial arts will help a lot. My hammering technique is founded on principles I learned in the Dojo. Our style was based on Shotokan and Kenpo, the round movements and deflection of Kenpo and the straight down the center smash and crush of Shotokan. At some level, everything's the same and a strike is a strike, doing so efficiently matters whether it's an opponent or a piece of stock on the anvil.

 

Frosty The Lucky.