| The process of making a sword is more than | | | | and makes it easy to grind into shape. The sword |
| what you see in the movies. For many people | | | | is now heated and then allowed to cool very |
| being a blacksmith is a fantasy where you pound | | | | slowly. Often it is wrapped in an insulating material |
| steel against an anvil, dip it in water and voila! You | | | | to slow down this cooling. It can take as long as |
| have a completed sword ready to mow down | | | | 24 hours and this annealing process makes the |
| the evil hordes of creatures that lurk in the | | | | sword soft and easy to grind. |
| forest. But swordmaking is much more than this. | | | | Step Three: Grinding Now the blacksmith uses a |
| Swordmaking is both an art and a craft and it | | | | grinder to work out the edge and point of the |
| takes hard work, a lot of practice and a significant | | | | sword. This would also be when any engraving is |
| amount of specialized tools to create a sword. It | | | | added. This is not a completed sword yet. It is still |
| also takes many years of practice to become | | | | much too soft so it must be hardened. |
| proficient at this skill. | | | | Step Four: Hardening Now the sword is heated to |
| Before the blacksmith or swordsmith actually | | | | a very high temperature and then placed into a |
| starts hammering or heating the metal for a | | | | quenching tank. (This is what we always see in |
| sword there is a lot of work to be done. The | | | | the movies). This quenching allows it to cool |
| sword size, shape, properties, and metal | | | | quickly and evenly which will harden the metal. |
| composition all have to be decided upon. These | | | | After this hardening the sword is brittle and |
| factors determine the amount of metal, the | | | | something must be done to make it strong yet |
| temperatures of heating and the specific steps in | | | | flexible. |
| the process that have to be completed. This | | | | Step Five: Tempering Again the blade is heated |
| article doesn't cover the complete art of | | | | and quenched. But now the heating is at a much |
| swordmaking. It will only discuss and outline the | | | | lower temperature than was used at the |
| process of smithing the blade of a sword . There | | | | hardening. This heating/quenching cycle may be |
| are many different methods for making a sword | | | | repeated several times. This tempering allows the |
| and the art has changed over the centuries as | | | | blade to be strong but not brittle. This is one |
| technologies, tools and the science of metallurgy | | | | stage where the skill and experience of the |
| has changed. But for the past five hundred years | | | | swordsmith is invaluable. It takes a trained hand |
| there has been one method that still stands as | | | | and eye to understand the properties of the |
| the most common. This is the six step method. | | | | meta. It will have a certain amount of flexibility |
| of taking a bar of the desired metal to a | | | | yet still retain its sharp edge. Now the sword is |
| completed sword. | | | | ready for completion. |
| The First step is Forging A bar of the desired | | | | Step Six: Completion The sword blade itself is |
| metal or combination of metals is heated in a | | | | now complete. Now the additional parts will be |
| forge and then it is hammered into shape.(The | | | | added such as the pommel the guard and the hilt. |
| shape of a sword) This hammering process can | | | | For the past five hundred years the only way to |
| take a long time and it is called drawing out the | | | | learn the art of swordmaking was to find a skilled |
| sword. The sword is worked on in sections | | | | blacksmith or swordsmith that was willing to take |
| (usually around 6 inches in length) and repeatedly | | | | you on as an apprentice. Because of the |
| hammered and heated until it comes into the | | | | specialized skills and tools, and the skill that is |
| desired shape .This process is repeated many | | | | required this tradition remains the best way to do |
| times and the sword is often heated then allowed | | | | it today. Before you invest lots of time in money |
| to cool without hammering. This is required by the | | | | in equipment and materials you should find a |
| metal to keep the desired properties of strength | | | | master that is willing to teach you the basics of |
| and flexibility. Once this step is completed the | | | | the art. You won't have to devote your life to |
| sword is in the proper shape but the properties | | | | endless hours of hammering against an anvil and |
| of the metal make it very brittle and something | | | | with a little perseverance, a little patience and |
| has to be done to give flexibility to it. | | | | some practice you will be able to make some |
| Step Two: Annealing Annealing softens the sword | | | | decent swords that you can be proud of. |