Middle Earth Ranger Forum

Morning all, I wanted to take a few minutes and share some pics of the arming sword I built for myself a few years back. I don't often range with it but it is a fine blade to use in my I.33 work. This is built on a Hanwei Tinker viking blank that my wife got me for Christmas a few years back. It came with quite a fine point but I chose to refine it a bit more. The hilt components are bronze and were my first attempt at hilt fabrication back in '012. After I finished polishing them I took a small ball peened hammer and gave them a hammered finish and then aged them. The grip is hand dyed dark green leather over cord and is also my work. The scabbard was one of my first attempts at a slat method scabbard and fits like a glove. It is wrapped in a thin dark brown goatskin and has a homemade brass chape. This is what I think of as my standard issue sword. It has no name, no special crafting. It is just a plain, workmanlike, soldier sword. This blade, while not as dear as my longsword or as fine as some of my other arming swords, remains a favorite of mine. It is kind of like having that one old hammer that fits your hand just right despite having newer better made ones.

The stats are:
Overall length 36 1/2 inches
POB 3 1/2 from the guard
COP 9 inches

The next few.

Scabbard and the sword in hand.

Very cool!

I love the used / lived-with look of the thing. It looks like its got a history.

Simple, and effective. Nice.

And the results of todays modification. As I said, these hilt parts were some of my early attempts at hand grinding components and as a result the raised center of the pommel in particular was somewhat misshapen. Two things here. One this sends my craftsman ocd into overdrive every time I notice it. The second part is due largely in thanks to the shape and style of the Albion Bayeux which is one of my biggest sword crushes. So this afternoon after posting the first round of pics I decided it was time. I broke out my angle grinder and a 120 grit flap wheel and got to work. About an hour later the pommel was smoothed and in the process of being re hammer finished. Now here we are all done and I must say I'm very pleased with the result.

Absolutely a thing of beauty! Very nice work!

That re-grind turned out very clean...specially for something done with an angle grinder.

Greg wrote:That re-grind turned out very clean...specially for something done with an angle grinder.

Thanks everyone. Greg, it took some time and patience for sure. It proved the best tool for the job as I wasn't willing to remove the peen and dismount the pommel. I wrapped a few layers of electrical tape around the grip at that end to spare the leather any damage. I really love the Hanwei Viking blank. I'd like to secure another and do something with an all organic hilt.

Nice bit of steel