Middle Earth Ranger Forum

My custom sword arrived! I wanted something that looked like a Viking sword, but for Rangering, the size of a Roman gladius.

Our own Eric C put heart and soul into the project, and I couldn't be happier.

You'll note his mark, I F, for Ichthean Forge, on the blade.

A close up of the grip shows a dark wood spacer between two lighter pieces of wood. The lighter wood is apple. But not just any apple. My mom's dad passed away before I was born. She told me that he had an apple tree that he had planted, and he liked taking apples and a pen knife and peeling them in a spiral. My cousin has a house where my grandparents' house was, and a few years ago, my grandpa's apple tree came down in a storm. I asked my cousin to send me a couple of pieces of wood from it, and now, it's immortalized in the grip of the sword.

I included a photo of me with the sword, to better illustrate its size.

It's beautiful, both of you!

Straelbora, it's a perfect size for Ranging and, if I may add, for an innkeeper to keep tucked beneath the bar to ward off unruly guests and ruffians. What a great piece! I hope to get to see it in person in a few weeks!

Eric, your work is fantastic. That looks to be the biggest blade to come out of your shop, and it's perfect! I still love the mixed-media handles you've taken to doing, but the firework on the hilt furniture is really an eye-catcher! Might I inquire as to your process for the pommel?

Fantastic work. Congrats, Straelbora!

Oh very cool!

The sentimental apple wood is so sweet - what a wonderful heirloom.
Your children someday telling their children where the wood came from is just a terribly sweet thought.

And what Greg said about a perfect surprise under the bar if that ol' Bill Ferny and his crew shows their faces up the north road!

Very nice!

The Apple wood makes it an ancestoral weapon of sorts.

I always thought that a shorter sword made more sense for a Ranger on foot.

Weild it well.

Greg wrote:It's beautiful, both of you!

Straelbora, it's a perfect size for Ranging and, if I may add, for an innkeeper to keep tucked beneath the bar to ward off unruly guests and ruffians. What a great piece! I hope to get to see it in person in a few weeks!

Eric, your work is fantastic. That looks to be the biggest blade to come out of your shop, and it's perfect! I still love the mixed-media handles you've taken to doing, but the firework on the hilt furniture is really an eye-catcher! Might I inquire as to your process for the pommel?

Fantastic work. Congrats, Straelbora!

Thanks for the kind words.

At the moment, it is the biggest finished blade I have ever done. The dark wood is a piece of Iron Wood given to me years ago by Pete Remling. Admittedly, there are things that I can do better but this project will launch me into greater things. I have hours of video on this sword to edit and post but my computer died suddenly so it could be a while.

As for the pommel, it is two pieced. There is the upper guard and the pommel cap. I hollowed out the center section of the pommel cap to make it lighter and give room for the peened tang. I did that while it was still a block of steel and could be easily held in a vice. Then I cut and roughed out the shape with grinders. The dividing grooves were filed in. I drilled and tapped holes to line up with holes in the upper guard. Then modified the male ends of two Corbie Screws. They were epoxied and tightened into place and the screw heads ground off.

Overall, this was a challenging project. The PTSD keeps me from falling asleep quickly at night. So there were many nights over the past four years that this was the last thing on my mind before I went to sleep. It really was good to lay there in the quiet of the night and figure out what my next step would be and how to go about it. I have learned much from it and I look forward to using its lessons on my future projects.

Amazing work Eric C the way you made the pommel is clever and the story behind the wood makes it so special

Very nice !

Iodo wrote:Amazing work Eric C the way you made the pommel is clever and the story behind the wood makes it so special

I'm still studying the construction of Viking swords and fittings, but I think the way I did it was at least somewhat historical.

Peter Remling wrote:Very nice !

See, I am using things from that old care package you sent me long ago. Years ago, Pete sent a generous care package for my birthday. Some of the items are so special that I am waiting for the right projects to use them.