The sword is described in this series of articles is a simple hand and a half sword that could have seen action through the medieval and renaissance period. According to the taste and needs of the maker each of the components can be modify to a variety of forms without significantly changing the method of manufacture. It is strongly suggested that simplicity is best for beginning projects.
Part 1. Getting Started
Picking a leaf spring: No small operation can hope to make for better steel than big business so it
is to be expected that auto manufactures can make stronger steel than we can ever heat treat
ourselves. The leaf spring in most cars is hard enough and tough enough to eat every commercially
available sword that I could find in almost 30 years of destructive testing. Leaf springs
are easily available at junk yards all over. Most yards usually have a pile of hopelessly
unmatched springs that can be had at scrap prices. It is generally easier to get lots of
leaf springs than to get just one. There is a wide variety of leaf springs available to
choose from. The hardness is of major concern so if given a choice use a small file to sample
the hardness of each rack. The file will bite more in the softer springs. Get the hardest
ones for the best swords, and the softest ones for the easiest straighting. some are thicker
and thus more work to grind down but again are better swords. The narrow springs are easier
to straiten and less work to taper but nothing matches a long thick wide spring if you have
the juice to straighten it. If you have almost no tools and little investment money pick up
a narrow thin spring like those found on mini-pickup trucks. The hole in the spring is a big
deal so the longest springs allow one end to be cut off placing the hole closer to the handle.
Straitening a leaf spring:
First separate the rack and cut the springs to the desired lengths with a cutting torch, disk
grinder or hack saw. Place the spring on a railroad tie or stump with its convex side up and
hit the spring until it does what you want it to do. Use as big a sledge hammer as you can
use and hit squarely flat with the face of it. The closer you work to the edge of the of
the stump the easier it goes. Hitting closer to the edge of the spring causes warping so
be sure to hit the center of the spring. This process can take days so be patience. Some
energetic young athletes can straighten a thinner spring in under an hour however. Nevertheless
the very hardest springs will take days . When straight look along the edge and mark the
convex side of each warp. Then you flip the spring from side to side, end to end and pound
on the edge where it is marked. Some warpage will be removed in the grinding process.
When the spring is straight it becomes a blade blank. Cut a bolt into a small piece
that fits into the hole protruding slightly on both sides and pound it down like a rivet.
So now you have one or more blade blanks of the finest steel.
The tools required were: A file, a sledge hammer (Approx. 4 to 10 lbs), a stump or
rail rode tie, and at least one of the following: Disk grinder, cutting torch or hacksaw.
Add to this a vice, a bench, a grind stone, a small chisel, a needle and a drill. This
is the full list of equipment needed to make a sword.
Part2 How to Grind and prepare the blade
Shaping and contouring the blade: You have successfully completed a blade blank as per part
one of the instructions. The blank can now be shaped with a hacksaw and contoured by hand
using files or Japanese style shavers. The most effective tool for this purpose however is
a small disk grinder. Bench grinders are affected by a vibration when grinding swords that
tears up wheels and bearings. Moving the sword is more awkward than moving the grinder so
it is much more effecient to get a disk style grinder.
The first task is to measure out the the final outline of the blade and mark it. Ergonomically speaking the main limitation to the travel of the sword is the ground at the wielders feet, so I usually put the end of the blank on the ground and grab it firmly as I stand. I then subtract 2 inches for clearance and mark the position of the guard. This gives you a sword that is two inches shorter than the distance between your clenched fist and the ground. This proportion seems to move right with the person. A tapered blade works far better than a straight blade, so mark the center of the tip end and mark an inch in either direction. This gives you a 2 inch wide tip. Then using a straight edge mark a line from the edge at the guard to the tip at the mark made at one inch from center. Do this to both edges on both edges and on both sides of the blank. Use a chisel to go over the marks that you finally decide on as your chalk marks will melt before your work is completed. Either cut along this tapered line on both sides with a hacksaw or grind away the unwanted material with a disk grinder. Use the disk grinder in broad sweeps not like a plow. Frequently cool the blade with a wet rag. Harmonic vibrations will hamper the grinding at the ends of the blade when using one vice. If possible a second vice or C clamp can help stabilize a lively blade or simply have patience and wait for the harmonics to subside between grinder strokes. Leave the tip square and move to the tang. Grasp the blank on the grip side of the guard line and with the other hand below that. Move the first hand down giving a three hand grip, add one inch mark and cut. The tang itself is the weakest part of the sword. If the tang is not made very carefully the sword will break at the tang. Follow each step carefully and take NO shortcuts. The point where the tang enters the guard is critical, no heat must be applied to this area ever. Never cut tangs with a cutting torch. The following technique seems tedious but follow it carefully and you will be able to trust your life to the end product. First take a file and remove one sixteenth of an inch of metal from each side of the blank at the point where the guard is to go. No more than one sixteenth of an inch. Next take a disk grinder or file and remove the edge sixteenth of an inch from the rest of the tang to the pommel end. This wide tang must then be tapered ever so slightly. As an example, if your blank is three inches wide then your tang will be two and seven eighths inches wide at the shoulder where the guard sits and two and three quarters wide at the pommel. The remaining material will be removed at a later time. The tang is then put into a vice that is mounted on the end of a bench and the tip of the blade is allowed to touch the bench or a block is placed under the tip. The blank is is flat in relation to the top of the bench not on edge. The actual grinding of the blade is easy if you take long sweeps with the disk grinder and don't try to remove material by force, let the weight of the tool do the work and take your time. Frequent cooling of the blade with a wet rag and and turning the blade over. Don't try to a hollow ground blade as they are worthless on a sword. The best edge for a war sword is a parabolic curve. The samurai sword was stroked on a stone for one hundred strokes, one degree form flat then ninety nine stokes at two degrees and so on until a single deft stroke at forty five degrees. Leave lots of material to be removed later by hand at a later stage and move to the point. Put the blank point up in the vise and grind away. Be carful not to overdue the point. Do not allow the blade to get sharp at this stage as there is alot of handling left. You now have a blade!
Part3: Hard fitting the guard:
The blade that you made following the instructions in parts one and two has a wide tang with a
shallow shoulder to receive the guard. The guard described here is a basic cross hilt that was
the most common guard through most of history in one form or another. We start with a piece
of steel (never use brass or soft metal) and six tools; a drill a hacksaw, a large half round
file (from welding supply shop), a small cold chisel and a small machinists file. The best
size for guard stock is three quarters by one half and following the ergonomic formula used
so far the length of the guard should be two hands and one thumb, so grip the stock tightly
with both hands, add one inch and cut. The first step is to drill a row of holes in the
center of the guard. The easiest way to blow it is with the drill. What you want to achive
here is a slot that the file will fit into. This slot must be narrower in both dimensions
than the tang and and slowly fit with a file. So use a drill bit that is smaller than the
width of the tang. To keep the holes straight mark a line with a cold chisel and then a punch.
Make absolutely certain that the widths of the slot at this stage is at least a half an
inch smaller than the width of the tang as material will be removed later to center the
groove. Once the holes are drilled use a small chisel to cut the metal from between the
holes. Again have patience and only remove enough material to get the file into the hole.
If necessary file the chisel's edge to one side to do the last cuts. In a pinch the chisel
can do the work and the drill can be omitted. It is fairly easy to file the little balls
on the ends of the guard leaving a substantial block around the slot in the center. If desired
bend the arms in a slight curve. Use an angle or T square to measure the distance between
the end of the guard and the end of the slot. File until even. Next comes the process
called hard fitting. The slot is filled evenly on both sides till the guard can be slid with
moderate force to within a half an inch of the shoulder. At that time the shoulders are
filed absolutely even and heavy hammer blows used to force the guard onto the shoulder. A
stout piece of steel can be used as a drift by placing it on each side of the tang and
hitting it rather than the guard. Once the guard is firmly in place in should have no
play whatsoever. The next stage is very delicate. With a file another shoulder is cut
below the guard. Leave the tang full width for one sixteenth of an inch then file into the
tang for one sixteenth of an inch to produce a square shoulder on each side of the tang.
In a simple operation put the sword in a vice, tang up. Take a chisel and put it in the
corner on top of the shoulder against the tang. Strike down separating the shoulder from
the tang leaving a small standing block. Split the block from side to side with one more
stroke of the chisel turned parallel to the side of the blade. The resulting two small
chunks of metal are then pounded down onto the guard by laying the side of the chisel onto
them and hitting it. The effect should be a lot like the claws holding a jewel onto a
ring setting. Repeat on both sides. This simple but tedious method will produce a guard
that will stay put. When struck with hammers it should ring with a pure note entirely
without buzzing. The hammer tight fit and claw keepers help keep the guard in place when
subject to extreme force. After all extreme force is what a sword is all about. Combined
with extreme skill a more martial are has never been conceived but I digress. The tang
remains too wide for yet another step but it is not hard to call this thing a sword.
Part 4 The Pommel:
The tang on the sword created in this process has been deliberately left wide till the last
possible moment. These precautions are necessary so follow along a bit more. At this stage
the tang is narrowed to the desired width using a disk grinder (or file) with the exception
of the last inch before the guard. As always keep cooling the blade with a wet rag. This
design is for a full tang so don't remove enough material to slide a wooden grip onto it.
Keep the tang as wide as comfortably possible and plan for a flatish sort of grip. A round
grip on a sword is an uncontrollable absurdity (more on this in part 5). Using a file
remove the last inch of unwanted material from the sides of the tang leaving the claws that
hold the guard untouched. IMPORTANT do not file a sharp corner where the tang goes into
the guard, use a round file for the last bit and don't give a crack a place to start, especially
at the weakest point of the sword. My favorite grip here is a sort of diamond shape with
concave lines sweeping out to swell in the center of the grip that gives the top hand a better
grasp. The tang should at no point be narrower than one inch, a wide variety of pommels existed
and much ingenuity can be exercised in there construction. For this project we will use
simple stacked pommel made from the same stock as the guard. Using a file remove one sixteenth
of an inch from each side of the end of the tang for seven eighths inch leaving shoulders
of a sixteenth of an inch. The pommel tang that results must be slightly tapered. Cut three
two inch pieces of the guard stock. (One half by three quarters) Drill, chisel and file
each of the pieces individually as in the guard and pound them into place and tightly as
possible. The eighth of an inch the protrudes is pounded down like a long rivet. This
metal is hard so hit it many times with a hard hammer. If the hammer dents try using a hard
metal drift. If desired a thin piece of copper or brass can be put in between the steel
onesthick piece of practically anything hard substituted for the center piece. File the
sandwich of metal down into any one of several shapes. A basic oval is good and simple.
This pommel should be just as solid as the guard. Notice that the guard and pommel do not
depend on the grip material to hold them in place as in most modern designs. As alternative
a larger piece of steel can be drilled and filed in one piece but thicker the stock is
more difficult it is to start the file. Another possibility is to grind and file a more
complicated pommel from a single piece of steel with a bottleneck or bolster extending from
it this "neck" is split with a file and the end of the tang is inserted into the slot and
the sandwich is drilled and riveted. Of course more tools and more skill can produce better
and prettier things but the purpose here is to give anyone a chance at making and owning
a sword that can be used for real. The sword described here can be made by a resolute
armature with: a hammer, a stump, a chisel and two files. Any guild that cares to can set up
to build a whole collection with a couple hundred dollars.