Forging a Barbarian Sword

I've started forging a Barbarian Sword, it's going to be completely Conan Inspired, just not movie accurate. Here are some work in progress shots.
The Steel I'm using is British EN9 Sword Steel.

That looks pretty cool mate. As a true sword lover i can really appreciate the hard work. So far looks great and i can't wait to see the progress. Do you do this for a living? I am in the UK so always good to know there are those out doing this.

Yes it's a small one man business based in Derbyshire, I'm self taught.

Just had a look at your site mate,very cool nice work love the knives. I am strapped for cash for the rest of this year now due to certain things but we may chat sometime in the new year. I've bookmarked your page. Aside from what you already do would you be up for some minor restoration and possibly some fixing up?

Depends on what you are needing restored really, PM me with details or email me from my website.

Will do!

Do post some updates on the sword as it comes along.

Really hats off to your hard work you are doing because today people avoid manually hand forging. The steel which you are using, "blade British EN9 Sword Steel" is also very good. The british military swords like household cavalry sword and the british infantry Officer's swords are also made from the same steel and its blade quality is too good.

Thanks guys. Here's some more WIP shots.
Almost all the shaping is done, just needs a little more done to the tang, spent 2 days hand sanding it so far, but it still needs more.

That's damn impressive already mate. Beautiful profile. What style and material furniture you going to give this beauty?

I'm planning to do the crossguard and pommel in real, true Bronze (88% copper, 12% tin)
melted on my forge in a crucible (i don't believe in stock removing pommels or crossguards from modern sculptural bronze- where's the magic in that?).
But first I need to sculpt and forge iron versions and make clay moulds for them.
For the handle I have a good seasoned piece of yew wood, which will be leather bound and tacked.

I'm still theorizing designs, I want it to be powerful, Earthy, and the absolute antithesis of any snake cult.

Also I'm planning to acid etch runes down the blade. It has a name :)

Ah bronze you said the magic word. I love bronze i really do. All my swords furniture were made using the lost wax technique. I find the whole thing from casting to patina's fascinating. I can't wait to see what you make of this. And etching to. I always prefer an etched or engraved blade to a plain one. So glad you joined the forum mate.

Thank you. Unfortunately I don't have the training to lost wax cast, so will have to use clay moulds.
Will post more updates soon.

I have made some more progress with the Sword. The blade length has been shortened and the handle lengthened, in order to make it less of a wrist breaker. The point has been reshaped to be more like the point on the Father's Sword. The bevels have been hand filed to be much more flat, and then hand sanded. Realising that true Bronze is almost impossible to drill, I have started a crossguard and pommel in Iron, when these have been ground down to a better weight, they will have copper casts mounted on them. Here are some photos-

Cromm Cruach wrote:

I have made some more progress with the Sword. The blade length has been shortened and the handle lengthened, in order to make it less of a wrist breaker. The point has been reshaped to be more like the point on the Father's Sword. The bevels have been hand filed to be much more flat, and then hand sanded. Realising that true Bronze is almost impossible to drill, I have started a crossguard and pommel in Iron, when these have been ground down to a better weight, they will have copper casts mounted on them. Here are some photos-

As a true sword lover I would like to appreciate the hard work done by you.Very impressive.

more progress... hilt sculpting has begun....

Nice to see you've made some progress on this beauty.