Hi Bruce, Thank you. On the guard more of the antler has the middle exposed, the upper guard still maintains some areas that has the hard outer shell. I think that the hard outer shell looks a little better, but with antler there isn't avoiding getting to the middle, this is something that I will be addressing in future projects by playing with some other materials. On the fittings of this blade I sanded the surfaces down and then took them to the buffer and then gave them several good coats of wax to make sure I sealed up the surface. When you run your finger on the guard you can tell that there is an organic feel, but between the buffing and the wax I believe that the pours are sealed.

Thanks again for your thoughts and comments :)

Michael - Thank you very much for sharing. This goes way (way) beyond well done! - Carl

Since I can't go back and edit the original post I would like to add that I am asking $3000 for this piece.

Also don't forget to keep an eye out on the blog for any additional item that might come up in the next month! (cough cough rapier cough cough)

Absolutely gorgeous, god how I would like to go to work for a swordsmith or high end sword company and my wife has agreed to relocate to Minneapolis and from what Ryan at Kult of Athena and others have said, I have the raw talent. I couldn't care less about starting as a grunt, while many envy me for having a sword loving wife, I envy many who found they're niche in the sword world. Hardest part of employing me would to get me to go home when the day was done! LOL
In all seriousness, that is one gorgeous migration sword!
Speaking of those I envy, and this is in humor, is Mark from Ollin blades whom I've met in person, young, Brilliant, Gifted and I think he was Born to be a Swordsmith! By the way he's a humble perfectionist!


Bob

Michael, the Web site is a new thing, I think, and really useful to keep up to date about any available swords or other things. :D :cool:

Now, it just means seeing something one can't resist coinciding with available discretionary funds. ;)

But it does also mean that before spending on something else I will probably go have a regular look at what you have first ! ;) :lol:

Always frustrating seeing a $2000 sword one could have afforded if one hadn't just spent $750 X 2 on things less worth while. :( ( Not the case for me at present but just something that has happened in the past, just means that one should save up and wait until something one really wants rather than spend lesser amounts on things bought impulsively just because one hasn't bought anything for a while ! Not that less expensive things are not at times exactly what one wants at the time ).

Looking at Michael's site and " available now page" I think that it's still available and someone should really buy this one before Michael becomes better known and demand and reputation makes his work more expensive.

Having had the pleasure of having Michael make me a Cinquedea and a Partisan winged spear I know first hand the quality of his work that is as flawless as human hands can make, and if you have some other sword or weapon, you want to have made, with complex fullers or shapes like flat bottom fullers of complex geometry Michael can do it because his work is forged rather than ground where fuller or bevels are defined by the diameter of the grinding wheels.

And looking at the quality of his pattern welding his price is a bargain for this kind of work.

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=16789&start=60

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...p;start=30

And an early Glaive made for Scott Kowalski:
http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...=cinquedea

Anyway, I was looking at older Topics showing Michael's work and the good ordering/design/making/ delivery experiences and thought it worthwhile to give then a little Bump. ;) :D :cool:

Mr. Pikula,

The pattern on the blade is really gorgeous. Also, though the design of the hilt is fairly simple, your choice of the antler for the spacers, with it's texture, combined with the beautiful woodgrain of the oak, make the whole hilt work to very nicely compliment the intricate patterning of the blade. A true work of art, without a doubt!

I was wondering, after viewing the photos, how is the pommel-cap attached to the upper guard? I am used to seeing pommel-caps attached with rivets on either side that pass through the upper guard, hiding where the blade has been peened to the topmost plate of the upper guard. In the case of this sword, I am assuming that the brass pommel-cap is essentially a big rivet-head in and of itself, being riveted to the tang by means of the expansion of the metal of the tang (that protrudes through the upper guard) as the pommel-cap is hammered down onto it.

Am I correct in this assumption? I see by the photos of the original that inspired your hilt design that it is quite historical, so I was just wondering how the peening/pommel-cap attachment was done, as this is the first time I have seen this.

Thank you Jean :)

W. Knight wrote:

I was wondering, after viewing the photos, how is the pommel-cap attached to the upper guard? I am used to seeing pommel-caps attached with rivets on either side that pass through the upper guard, hiding where the blade has been peened to the topmost plate of the upper guard. In the case of this sword, I am assuming that the brass pommel-cap is essentially a big rivet-head in and of itself, being riveted to the tang by means of the expansion of the metal of the tang (that protrudes through the upper guard) as the pommel-cap is hammered down onto it. Am I correct in this assumption? I see by the photos of the original that inspired your hilt design that it is quite historical, so I was just wondering how the peening/pommel-cap attachment was done, as this is the first time I have seen this.

The pommel cap is attached much like a big rivet. There are two brass pins attached to the pommel cap, much like the prongs on a later viking pommel that get riveted to the upper guard. I drilled under-sized guide holes, tapered the tip of the pins and hammered it in place, covering the peen on top of the upper guard. The peen doesn't extend onto the pommel at all, I'm not 100% sure how the original was done, it could have been done either way I suppose. I have been thinking about into getting into making earlier swords that are peened to the upper and capped with a hollow pommel so I think part of my drive was to give that process a test run. I would have liked to of peened the pommel cap to the upper guard but the grip didn't leave any room for that to be possible so I stuck with the idea and ran with it.

Ah-hah...now I understand. Thanks for the explanation. I had never thought of rivets actually integrated into the pommel cap. I'll bet that is exactly how the original was done, especially in light of the fact that it is found on those later, viking age swords you mentioned.

Good to know that this beautiful sword has good solid construction with regards to peening and all.

Michael,

If I had the money I'd happily take this sword off your hands immediately. Migration era swords are of particular interest to me and you've done an outstanding job on this one. If I ever do get the opportunity to add a sword of this type to my collection you'll be on a very short list of potential makers. Very well done.

Mike,
i have seen your swords in this site before. This blade is another one of those that makes all us steel lovers just stare all day. Your other swords have done it too.

I sit at a desk all day. You create these.........................

Wade

excuse me for a moment while i pick my jaw off the floor and reattach it to my skull
im almost in disbelief that HUMANS make this stuff. its stunning.

when i think of the swords of this era (admittedly i think of vikings but this is close enough to not matter) i always imagine rare, exquisitely crafted swords worth the price of several heads of cattle. afforable by only the rishest.
a sword like THIS.

by the way, the price you are offering for this sword was what i paid for my CAR. (a 1998 toyota camry with 230,000 kilometers clocked.)

when i quote the prices of some of these weapons the rest of my family look at me like im completely crazy.

but if i was to offer the cost of my entire kit up to the present moment i couldnt pay for even a third of that price. so ill have to wait awhile for when you make a sword in another year or two

Mate this sword is absolutely stunning. My uncle who collects swords says "they're all crap and you should send them to him so they can be properly disposed of ;-p " . If only I could afford one

Michael, nice work, love that pattern welded blade. I'm a little ashamed to say this, but I have to admit that to start with, I wasn't very keen on the hilt of this one. The combo of hourglass shaped grip and riveted guards first struck me as odd, but after coming back to look at it again, I quite like it. Could you (or anyone else here) tell me when the original, which this is based one, dates from?

I looked up another thread that photo was posted in and it said the sword was a "late 5th/early 6th c. River Scheldt find". The Scheldt is a river that starts in France, and flows through part of Belgium and the Netherlands.

This sword is once again available for sale, I will be taking a short video clip of the sword in action in the next week or two which I'll post once I get it put together.

I got to handle this piece at the Ashoken Seminar, and it is very impressive in person - it's quite a bit lighter than I expected. I'm sure it will make someone very happy at Christmas (me for starters, if anyone is feeling charitable :lol: )