Home driving force The development of metalworking and metallurgy included the manufacture of weapons. Any metal discovered by man, were immediately adapted for the production of these tools, discovering and developing new technologies. These research led to the discovery of iron, and later steel, and the quality of the latter was constantly being improved.
Forging a sword is still quite difficult today. technological process. How can you make it in your workshop and from what materials? Also, what do you need to know about sword making?
They tried to forge the first swords from bronze, but their quality was, to put it mildly, not very good, too soft material used. The first iron and steel samples were also of poor quality; they had to be leveled after several blows. That is why at first the main weapon was a spear with an ax.
Everything changed with the invention of several new technologies, for example, layer-by-layer welding and forging, which gave a strong and, most importantly, ductile strip of steel (harluzhnaya steel), from which swords were forged. Later, phosphorite grades of metal appeared, the production of this type of weapon began to become cheaper, and the methods of their manufacture became simpler.
What can you use to forge a sword today? Many experts recommend using steel grade 65G. This is a spring-type metal used in the production of springs, shock absorber springs, and bearing housings. The brand contains a low percentage of carbon and is supplemented with alloying elements such as nickel, chromium, and phosphorus. This steel has excellent strength indicators, and, most importantly, it is springy, which will prevent the sword from bending under load.
When choosing a material for making a sword, you first need to decide how it will be used. If it's just like decorative decoration interior, then the quality of the metal is not so important. For reenactment battles you will need good steel, which will need to be further hardened.
You can also look for spring elements from cars or tractors, which are produced from steel grades 55KhGR, 55S2GF and other similar analogues.
For decorative swords, you can simply purchase rolled products in the form of a rod or strip at the nearest metal warehouse. However, when selecting material, it is worth considering that during forging some of the volume will be lost, which means that the dimensions of the workpiece must be larger.
After purchasing steel, you need to take care of the availability of equipment for processing it.
What is needed to forge a sword
The main problem of processing the workpiece when forging a sword is the availability of equipment that matches the size. Samples of such weapons have a length of 1000-1200 millimeters. Therefore, you need to have a forge that will allow you to heat the metal completely over its entire length.
Forge with the necessary parameters You can fold it yourself using fireproof bricks. To do this, lay out a stove, for example, with an open top and a hearth length of 1.2-1.4 meters.
You will also need a standard blacksmith set: an anvil, pliers, and a hammer. You will definitely need a handbrake hammer, which is used for all blacksmith work. Metal cutting and grinding can be done using a grinder.
The presence of a mechanical forging hammer greatly simplifies and speeds up forging.
Another important point is the tempering of the sword. Especially if you need to get a durable product. To do this, you will have to look for some kind of container along the length of the blade, pour it into machine oil or water.
When everything is collected necessary equipment, you will need to make at least simple drawing, according to which further forging and assembly of the sword will be carried out.
When everything is ready, proceed directly to forging.
How to forge a sword
Regardless of what will serve as the initial blank for the future sword (a rod or a strip from a spring), it needs to be heated. The main thing is to observe the temperature limits for heating the steel.
The lower limit of ductility of low-carbon steels is 800-850 degrees. Without instruments, you can determine the heating of the material in two ways.
- The first is that at a certain heating temperature, the steel acquires the appropriate color. At 800-830 degrees - light red and light cherry tones.
- The second is the magnetic properties of the material. They are checked with a regular magnet. When steel is heated to 768 degrees or more, it loses its magnetic properties. After cooling they are restored.
So, the workpiece is heated, how to shape it by forging?
- If it is a rod, then it needs to be forged along its length, making a strip of the required section from it.
During forging, a layer of scale will form on the surface of the metal. Part of it will fall off on its own, but the entire surface must be periodically cleaned using a metal brush.
- The slopes of the future sword can be formed after forging, using an emery wheel, or they can be forged, forming the approximate shape of the blade.
- At the end of the strip where the handle will be assembled, you need to make a shank. To do this, part of the strip is forged from the ends and planes, forming a cone.
- In the place where the tang connects to the blade, the shoulders of the sword are formed by forging.
- Along the planes of the blade you need to forge fullers. They are formed using punches or templates.
- The guard is usually made separately and is not forged along with the sword blade.
- After completion of work, the product is cleaned of scale and stabilized (tempered). To do this, the blade is heated in a forge until red and left to cool along with the hearth.
- Hardening is done after cooling to stabilize the metal. The sword must be heated evenly along its entire length, making sure that the supplied air does not fall on the blade. When the metal becomes barely red, it is quickly immersed completely in water. After which you need to release the material again. To do this, it is first cleaned and heated until golden brown. Cooling is carried out in the open air.
This is the most simple technology how to forge a sword at home. With practice, you can make an excellent blade.
It is important to observe heating temperatures, as well as to properly harden the blade. Overheating the metal will result in a very fragile product, and poorly hardened material will be too soft.
Having completed the forging processes, they make the hilt, handle and pommel.
Of course, it is possible to make swords without blacksmithing technology, using metalworking techniques. However, it is the forged product that will be durable and natural.
In primitive conditions it is very difficult to comply the right technology making a forged sword good quality. Especially without blacksmithing experience. It is best to initially practice by forging, for example, short knives or other similar products.
A huge advantage comes from having mechanized equipment. As an example of making a sword by the blacksmith method using a mechanical hammer, you can see in the video provided:
Do you have experience in making long objects and, in particular, swords? Share methods and techniques of metal processing, take part in the discussion in the comments block.
A wooden sword can be made at home (Fig. 1). Birch boards, edge boards from fences, or disassembled door frames size 50x50 cm. Material - hazel, birch, dead oak - can be found in a forest or forest plantation, select a straight fragment and plan it.
Rice. 1.
Wooden sword.
First, try making a regular straight wooden sword. You can do it in several ways. The first one is more labor-intensive, but the product will be more durable. The sword is made from a tree trunk or block. Find a hazel tree, or better oak, small diameter - 3-6 cm (which one exactly depends on the type of sword). The thinner it is, the easier it will be to process (Fig. 2). Decide on the type of sword. It depends on the length of the trunk or bar.
Rice. 2.
Sword stick.
Typical Slavic straight sword
If you hold a straight sword with your hand down by the hilt, the tip of the blade should touch the ground. Such swords usually have a handle the size of one free grip of the hand. These proportions must be strictly observed.
Bastard sword
I'll grab this bastard sword approximately equal to the distance for a free grip of one and a half hands. The length of the bar is average between Slavic and two-handed.
Two-handed sword
It has a bar slightly shorter than your height. These two-handed swords have a large hilt with a spacious two-handed grip. Use a plane to remove the bark, trying to make the tree trunk as straight as possible and removing unnecessary knots. Then start “forging” the sword itself. Plane the trunk on both sides so that the blade becomes flatter and more even.
You will get something in the form of a bar or board with a thickness of at least 0.5 cm and no more than 3 cm. Grind off the sharp edges, if any, and make the sword slightly oval. Next you need to decide what the hilt of the sword will be, as well as one of the most important elements- guard. The handle can be round or oval. It should fit the sword, but keep in mind that the handle needs to be wrapped with something else. After you have sharpened the blade and handle, be sure to file or cut out a place for attaching the guard on both sides with a knife between the handle and blade (Fig. 3).
Rice. 3.
Making a sword (dimensions in mm):
1- handle; 2- a recess between the blade and the handle for securing the guard; 3-blade.
Once you've finished working with the blade, treat it very carefully. sandpaper. This moment must be taken very seriously - this will protect you from unwanted splinters on your hands. The first part is ready. Now grab the guard. You also need to choose a material for it. The guard can be made from wood or iron, but it is not so easy. Best material, from which you can cut a guard of any shape - nylon (antifreeze cans, for example).
It looks like soft plastic and can be cut well with scissors, which allows you to cut out the most intricate shapes. Double-edged swords usually have flat guards. Therefore, we cut out two identical shapes from nylon - be it a straight guard, in the shape of a month or wings (Fig. 4). Next, we place two identical guards in both spaces, which are located between the blade and the handle, and rewind them with something, for example, insulating tape, until they are securely fastened (Fig. 5).
Rice. 4.
Guards to the sword.
Rice. 5.
Fastening the guard.
The handle can be wrapped in different ways: use electrical tape, or any other material that will also have to be wrapped with electrical tape to secure it. The winding made of leather, riveted and secured, turns out beautiful. The handle can be covered with foil, painted to look like metal, and the sword can be decorated using various rivets, chains, feathers or ballpoint pens, apply paintings, signs, drawings on the blade with ink. The sword itself can be wrapped in gauze. It's done like this. We apply it to the sword and cut a strip of gauze of the required width along the length of the blade.
We coat one side of the blade with PVA glue; after drying, it does not lose elasticity and has almost no color. Let it dry and apply a second layer. Carefully apply gauze and smooth out all wrinkles on the surface that we are gluing. Let dry and turn over. The glue must dry completely to a solid state. At favorable conditions this takes from 4 to 8 hours in the winter and 3 hours in the summer in the sun. We repeat the operation on the other side (Fig. 6). To make a sword, following the second method, you will need following materials : round stick, aluminum or plastic tube with an internal diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the stick, several meters of rubber watering hose, lead fishing sinkers
, wide transparent electrical tape, black electrical tape, aluminum or other shiny tape, foam rubber, azikonym or installer tightening rings.
Rice. 6. Finished product.
Let's try to make a blade. We cut two pieces of hose shorter than the desired length of the blade, and attach the hose to the stick on both sides. We first secure it with several small wallpaper nails, and wrap it on top with wide electrical tape. At the end of the blade we attach a triangular piece of foam rubber. Then cover the blade with glitter tape. We apply the tape in long strips lengthwise - first on the ribs, and then on the plane. In this case, the blade will look uniform, without twists.
The second stage is making the handle and guard
We make the handle and guard. For the handle we take a tube. It must be wrapped with some material. To do this, you can use rope, cord, wire, electrical tape or strips of leather. In the latter case, you will get a very original and stylish sword. To prevent the skin from slipping, we wrap a guitar string.
A very good winding would be a winding for a tennis racket handle. Then you need to attach a guard to the end of the handle. To do this, you can use azikonym or installer rings and a thick, thick layer of electrical tape. After securing the guard, wrap it with electrical tape. Now you can insert the blade into the handle. If it goes in too easily, wrap several layers of electrical tape so that the blade fits tightly. Final stage- secure the blade with the handle with several turns of electrical tape.
There are two ways to balance a sword
The first and easiest way to balance a sword is to attach some lead weights to the end of the sword. The second way to balance a sword is more difficult. First, find the center of gravity of the sword and mark it. Measure the distance from the center of gravity to the tip and to the location of the desired center of gravity. Then weigh the sword on a precision scale.
Proceed with the resulting figure as follows: divide it in half, and then divide the resulting half by the distance from the center of gravity to the tip - you will get the approximate weight of one centimeter of the blade. Multiply the resulting figure by the distance between the current center of gravity and the desired point. This will give you the weight that needs to be added to the end of the handle to move the center of gravity to exactly the right spot. To do this, attach lead weights totaling this weight to the end of the handle.
It is difficult to name an invention that would have such a significant impact on the development of our civilization as the sword can boast. It cannot be considered as a banal murder weapon; the sword has always been something more. In different historical periods, this weapon was a symbol of status, belonging to a military caste or noble class. The evolution of the sword as a weapon is inextricably linked with the development of metallurgy, materials science, chemistry and mining.
In almost all historical periods, the sword was the weapon of the elite. And the point here is not so much the status of this weapon, but its high cost and the difficulty of producing high-quality blades. Making a sword that you could trust with your life in battle was not just a labor-intensive process, but a real art. And the blacksmiths who did this work can easily be compared to virtuoso musicians. It is not without reason that since ancient times different nations There are legends about outstanding swords with special properties, made by real master blacksmiths.
The price of even an average blade could reach the cost of a small one peasant farm. Products from famous masters were even more expensive. It is for this reason that the most common type of bladed weapon of Antiquity and the Middle Ages is a spear, but not a sword.
Over the centuries, developed metallurgical centers were formed in different regions of the world, the products of which were known far beyond their borders. They existed in Europe, the Middle East, India, China and Japan. The work of a blacksmith was revered and paid very well.
In Japan, the kaji (this is a blacksmith-armourer, “master of swords”) was on the same level as the samurai in the social hierarchy. Unheard of in this country. Craftsmen, which, in theory, blacksmiths should include, were even lower than peasants in the Japanese table of ranks. Moreover, samurai sometimes themselves did not hesitate to take up a blacksmith’s hammer. To show how respected Japan was for the work of a gunsmith, one fact can be cited. Emperor Gotoba (reigned in the 12th century) declared that making a Japanese sword was a job that even princes could do without diminishing their dignity in any way. Gotoba himself was not averse to working around the forge; several blades that he made with his own hands have been preserved.
Today, the media writes a lot about the skill of Japanese blacksmiths and the quality of the steel that was used to create the traditional katana. Yes, indeed, making a samurai sword required enormous skill and deep knowledge, but we can responsibly say that European blacksmiths were practically in no way inferior to their Japanese colleagues. Although there are legends about the hardness and strength of the katana, the making of a Japanese sword is not fundamentally different from the forging process of European blades.
Man began to use metals to make bladed weapons back in the 5th millennium BC. At first it was copper, which was quickly replaced by bronze - a durable alloy of copper with tin or arsenic.
By the way, the last component of bronze is very poisonous and often turned ancient blacksmiths and metallurgists into cripples, which is reflected in legends. For example, Hephaestus, the Greek god of fire and patron of blacksmithing, was lame; in Slavic myths, blacksmiths are also often depicted as crippled.
The Iron Age began at the end of the 2nd - beginning of the 1st millennium BC. Although, bronze weapons were used for many hundreds of years. In the 12th century BC. e. wrought iron was already used to make weapons and tools in the Caucasus, India and Anatolia. Around the 8th century BC. e. welded iron appeared in Europe quite quickly new technology spread across the continent. The fact is that the number of deposits of copper and tin in Europe is relatively small, but the reserves of iron are significant. In Japan, the Iron Age began only in the 7th century AD.
Making a sword. From ore to critsa
For a very long time, the technologies for producing and processing iron remained practically in one place; they could not properly satisfy the ever-growing demand for this metal, so there were few iron products and they were expensive. And the quality of tools and weapons made from this metal was extremely low. Surprisingly, for almost three thousand years metallurgy has not undergone any fundamental changes.
Before moving on to a description of the process of making edged weapons in ancient times, several definitions related to metallurgy should be given.
Steel is an alloy of iron with other chemical elements, primarily with carbon. It determines the basic properties of steel: a large amount of carbon in steel ensures its high hardness and strength, while reducing the ductility of the metal.
The main method of producing iron in Antiquity and the Middle Ages (until the 13th century) was the cheese-blowing process, so named because unheated (“raw”) air was blown into the furnace. The main method of processing the resulting iron and steel was forging. The cheese-blowing process was very inefficient; most of the iron from the ore was lost along with the slag. In addition, the resulting raw materials were not of high quality and were very heterogeneous.
The production of iron from ore took place in a cheese furnace (a cheese furnace or domnitsa), which had a shape resembling a truncated cone, 1 to 2 meters high and a base diameter of 60-80 cm. Such a furnace was made of refractory brick or stone, coated with clay on top, which was then burned. A pipe led into the furnace to supply air; it was pumped in using bellows, and in the lower part of the house there was a hole for removing slag. A large amount of ore, coal and fluxes were loaded into the furnace.
Later, water mills were used to supply air to the furnace. In the 13th century, more advanced stoves appeared - stukofen, and then blauofen (15th century). Their productivity was much higher. A real breakthrough in metallurgy took place only at the beginning of the 16th century, when the conversion process was discovered, during which high-quality steel was obtained from ore.
The fuel for the cheese-making process was charcoal. Coal was not used due to the large amount of impurities it contains that are harmful to iron. They learned to coke coal only in the 18th century.
In a cheese furnace, several processes occur at once: waste rock is separated from the ore and leaves in the form of slag, and iron oxides are reduced, reacting with carbon monoxide and carbon. It fuses and forms the so-called kritsa. It contains cast iron. After receiving the kritsa, it is broken into small pieces and sorted by hardness, and then each fraction is worked on separately.
Today cast iron is the most important product of ferrous metallurgy; in the past it was different. It cannot be forged, therefore in ancient times cast iron was considered a useless waste product (“pig iron”), unsuitable for further use. It significantly reduced the amount of raw materials obtained during smelting. They tried to use cast iron: in Europe they made cannonballs from it, and in India, coffins, but the quality of these products left much to be desired.
From iron to steel. Forging a sword
The iron produced in the cheese furnace was extremely heterogeneous and of low quality. It took a lot more effort to turn it into a durable and deadly blade. Forging a sword involved several processes at once:
- iron and steel cleaning;
- welding different layers of steel;
- blade making;
- heat treatment of the product.
After this, the blacksmith needed to make the crosspiece, head, hilt of the sword, and also make a sheath for it.
Naturally, the cheese-blowing process is currently not used in industry to produce iron and steel. However, thanks to the efforts of enthusiasts and lovers of ancient edged weapons, it was recreated to the smallest detail. Today, this sword technology is used to create "authentic" historical weapons.
The kritsa obtained in the furnace consists of low-carbon iron (0-0.3% carbon content), metal with a carbon content of 0.3-0.6% and a high-carbon fraction (from 0.6 to 1.6% and above). Iron, which contains little carbon, is highly ductile, but it is very soft; the higher the carbon content in the metal, the greater its strength and hardness, but at the same time the steel becomes more brittle.
To impart the desired properties to the metal, the blacksmith can either saturate the steel with carbon or burn off its excess. The process of saturating a metal with carbon is called carburization.
The blacksmiths of the past faced a serious problem. If you make a sword from high-carbon steel, it will be durable and hold an edge well, but at the same time it will be too fragile; a weapon made from low-carbon steel will not be able to perform its functions at all. The blade must be both hard and elastic at the same time. This was the key problem that faced gunsmiths for many hundreds of years.
There is a description of the use of long swords by the Celts by the Roman historian Polybios. According to him, the swords of the barbarians were made of such soft iron that they became blunt and bent after every decisive blow. From time to time, Celtic warriors had to straighten their blades using their feet or knees. However, the very fragile sword posed a huge danger to its owner. For example, a broken sword almost cost the life of Richard the Lionheart, the English king and one of the most famous fighters of his time.
In that era, a broken sword meant about the same thing as failed car brakes today.
The first attempt to solve this problem was the creation of so-called laminated swords, in which soft and hard layers of steel alternated with each other. The blade of such a sword was a multi-layer sandwich, which allowed it to be both strong and elastic at the same time (in this case, however, the correct heat treatment of the weapon and its hardening played an important role). However, there was one problem with such swords: when sharpening, the surface hard layer of the blade quickly ground off and the sword lost its properties. Laminated blades already appeared among the Celts; according to modern experts, such a sword should have cost ten times more than a regular one.
Another way to make a strong and flexible blade was surface cementation. The essence of this process was to carburize the surface of a weapon made of a relatively soft metal. The sword was placed in a vessel filled with organic matter (usually coal), which was then placed in a furnace. Without access to oxygen, the organic matter charred and saturated the metal with carbon, making it stronger. The problem with cemented blades was the same as with laminated ones: the surface (hard) layer wore off quite quickly, and the blade lost its cutting properties.
More advanced were multilayer swords made according to the “steel-iron-steel” pattern. It made it possible to create blades of excellent quality: the soft iron “core” made the blade flexible and elastic, well absorbed vibrations during impacts, and the hard “shell” endowed the sword with excellent cutting properties. It should be noted that the above blade layout diagram is the simplest. In the Middle Ages, gunsmiths often "built" their products from five or seven "packs" of metal with different characteristics.
Already in early Middle Ages Large metallurgical centers were formed in Europe, in which a significant amount of steel was smelted and weapons of fairly high quality were produced. Typically, such centers arose near rich deposits of iron ore. In the 9th-10th centuries, good blades were made in the state of the Franks. Charlemagne even had to issue a decree according to which it was strictly forbidden to sell weapons to the Vikings. The recognized center of European metallurgy was the area where the famous Solingen later arose. Iron ore of excellent quality was mined there. Later, Italian Brescia and Spanish Toledo became recognized centers of blacksmithing.
It is curious, but already in the early Middle Ages, blades of famous gunsmiths were often counterfeited. For example, the swords of the famous master Ulfbrecht (lived in the 9th century) were distinguished by excellent balance and were made of perfectly processed steel. They celebrated personal sign gunsmith. However, the blacksmith simply physically could not make all the blades that are attributed to him. And the blades themselves vary greatly in quality. During the late Middle Ages, Solingen craftsmen counterfeited the products of blacksmiths from Passau and Toledo. There are even written complaints from the latter about such “piracy.” Later they began to counterfeit the swords of Solingen itself.
The selected strips are heated and then welded into a single block using forging. During this process, it is important to maintain the correct temperature and not burn the workpiece.
After welding, the forging of the blade begins, during which its shape is formed, the fullers are made, and the shank is made. One of the main stages of forging is the process of compacting the blades, which concentrates the layers of steel and allows the sword to retain its cutting properties longer. At this stage, the geometry of the blade is finally formed, the location of its center of gravity is determined, and the thickness of the metal at the base of the sword and at its tip is set.
Medieval blacksmiths, of course, did not have thermometers. Therefore, the required temperature was calculated based on the glow color of the metal. To better define this characteristic, in the past, forges were usually darkened, which further added mysticism to the aura of blacksmiths.
Then the heat treatment of the future sword begins. This stage is extremely important; it allows you to change the molecular structure of the steel and achieve the necessary characteristics from the blade. The fact is that forged steel, welded from various pieces, has a coarse grain structure and a large number of stresses within the metal. With the help of normalization, hardening and tempering, the blacksmith must get rid of these shortcomings as much as possible.
Initially, the blade is heated to approximately 800 degrees, and then suspended by the shank so that the metal does not “lead.” This process is called normalization, for different types steel, this procedure is carried out several times. Normalization is followed by a gentle annealing, during which the sword is heated to a brownish-red color and left to cool, wrapped in insulating material.
After normalization and annealing, you can begin the most important part of the forging process - hardening. During this procedure, the blade is heated to a brownish-red color and then quickly cooled in water or oil. Hardening freezes the steel structure obtained during normalization and annealing.
Differentiated hardening. This technique is typical for Japanese masters; it consists in the fact that different zones The blades receive different hardening. To achieve this effect, layers of clay of varying thickness were applied to the blade before hardening.
It is absolutely clear that at any stage of the process described above, the blacksmith can make a mistake that will be fatal to the quality of the future product. In Japan, any blacksmith who valued his name had to ruthlessly break failed blades.
To improve the quality of the future sword, the method of nitration or nitriding was often used, that is, the treatment of steel with compounds containing nitrogen.
The saga of Wieland the Blacksmith describes quite original way nitration, which allowed the master to create a real “super sword”. To improve the quality of the product, the blacksmith sawed the sword into sawdust, added it to the dough and fed it to hungry geese. After that, he collected bird droppings and forged sawdust. They made a sword “... so hard and strong that it was difficult to find a second one on earth.” Of course it is literary work, but a similar method could well have taken place. Modern “nitrogen” steels have the highest hardness. Many historical sources report that swords were tempered in blood, which endowed them with special qualities. It is likely that such a practice actually took place, and here we are dealing with another method of nitration.
Immediately after hardening, the blade is released again. After the end of the heat treatment process, grinding begins, and it is carried out in several stages. During this process, the sword must be constantly cooled with water. In the Middle Ages, the grinding and polishing of a sword, as well as the installation of a crosspiece, hilt and pommel, was usually done not by a blacksmith, but by a special master - a schwertfeger.
Naturally, before starting work on the sword, the blacksmith thought through its future design and construction to the smallest detail. Will it be combat or is it intended more for “representational” purposes? How will its future owner mainly fight: on foot or on horseback? What armor is it expected to be used against? And, of course, during the manufacture of the sword, the characteristics of the warrior himself were taken into account: his height, the length of his arms, his favorite fencing technique.
Damascus steel and damask steel
Anyone who has been interested in historical edged weapons at least once in their life knows the phrase “Damascus steel.” Even today it fascinates with its touch of mystery, exoticism and masculinity. In fact, Damascus steel is another attempt to solve the eternal contradiction between the brittleness of steel and the softness of iron. And I must say that this attempt turned out to be one of the most successful.
It is unknown who first came up with the idea of combining together a large number of layers of soft and hard steel, but this person can safely be called a genius of blacksmithing. Although, today historians believe that such technology was independently developed in different regions of the world. Already at the beginning of our era, weapons from Damascus steel were made in Europe and China. Previously it was believed that this type of steel was invented in the Middle East. However, today it is known for certain that it was invented by European masters. And in general, no evidence has yet been found that Damascus was ever a serious center for the production of weapons.
Wild Damascus was obtained if the original piece was cut in half, the halves were placed on top of each other and forged again. A similar operation was usually carried out several times, constantly doubling the number of layers of metal, thereby improving its properties. A simple mathematical calculation shows that a billet, forged seven times, receives 896 layers of high-carbon and low-carbon steel.
In the Middle Ages, the so-called twisted damask was popular in Europe. During its production, bars from different steels were twisted into a spiral and welded by forging. This process was repeated several times. Typically, the central part of the blade was made from such steel, onto which blades of ordinary hard steel were then forged.
Damascus steel blades in medieval Europe were valued so highly that they were often given to kings.
Bulat or wutz is steel made in a special way, thanks to which it has a unique internal structure, a characteristic pattern on the surface and highest performance in strength and elasticity. It was made in Iran, Central Asia and India. This steel had a high carbon content, close to cast iron (about 2%), but at the same time retained the ability to forge and significantly exceeded cast iron in strength.
There are many legends about this material. For a long time it was believed that the secret of making damask steel was lost, although today many craftsmen claim that they know the secrets of making real wutz. One of the methods for its production is based on the partial melting of particles of iron or low-carbon steel in cast iron. The total amount of additives should be 50-70% by weight of cast iron. The result is a melt that has a mushy consistency. After cooling and crystallization, damask steel is obtained - a material with a high-carbon matrix interspersed with low-carbon particles.
There is information about other methods of producing damask steel in our days; probably, there were several of them in ancient times. Modern methods associated with special methods of forging and heat treatment of metals.
One of the advantages of any sword made of patterned steel, be it Damascus or damask steel, is what experts call the micro-waviness of its blade. It automatically arises due to the heterogeneity of the layers or fibers of the metal that make up the blade. In fact, cutting edge Such a weapon is a “micropaw,” which significantly increases its combat properties.
There are a huge number of myths about Damascus steel. The first of them is related to the name of the metal itself. Today it is known that the city of Damascus had no special connection with the invention and production of this steel, although some historians consider it an important trading center where Damascus weapons were sold. There is also still an opinion that Damascus steel was worth its weight in gold and cut armor like paper. This is not true. Damascus blades really perfectly combine hardness and elasticity, but they do not possess any extraordinary properties.
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them
How to make a sword with your own hands at home. How to make a sword from iron with your own hands. This weapon is made without the use of blacksmiths, the blade is simply cut from sheet metal. In this regard, such a sword cannot be seriously called a weapon; it is simply an exhibit that can be used at competitions, exhibitions, and so on. However, if you wish, you can make the same sword from good steel and temper it.
The most difficult thing when making a sword will be the formation of bevels, since they are very long when compared with a knife, and there are already 4 of them. To form the bevels, the author used a milling machine. In principle, this task can be handled with a belt sander or even with a grinder using sanding discs. But all this will take a lot of time and effort.
Materials and tools that the author used to make the sword:
List of materials:
- sheet steel for making a blade;
- wood for the handle;
- aluminum “beam” for making guards.
List of tools:
- milling machine;
- large and small grinder;
- drilling machine and drill;
- vices and clamps;
- files;
- sandpaper;
- orbital sander;
- chisel;
- epoxy adhesive;
- polishing wheel and paste (optional).
Sword making process:
Step one. Blade making
Making a blade is the most the hard part homemade products. First of all, you need to cut out the rough profile of the blade; in principle, this task is not difficult to cope with. We draw a profile on the blank, and then slowly, slowly cut it out using a grinder. Here you will need a large grinder, or at least a medium one. You will also need a considerable arsenal cutting wheels and a lot of patience.
Another profile can be cut using band saw for metal, if available in the arsenal.
Next comes more difficult task, this is the formation of bevels, as well as a central groove called the “dale”. The central gutter can be made first, then you can use it to guide you when forming the bevels. Of course, it will be difficult to do it manually; a milling machine can easily cope with this task.
However, you can draw a line for the gutter and try to cut it with a grinder, using thick discs for cleaning, sanding, etc. But this process will take a lot of your time and effort.
The most realistic way to create bevels is not with a belt sanding machine. However, if you mark everything well, you can try to do this work manually grinding machine. As a last resort, we use a grinder with grinding discs. Of course, it will take months to sharpen the metal with files...
Finally, using a grinder, cut out the tail part where the handle will be located. There shouldn't be any special difficulties here.
Step two. Surface grinding
Let's start sanding the surface. Our task will be to make the metal smooth, shiny, and remove all those defects that remain after rough processing. The author does the sanding by hand, using sandpaper with grits of 320, 500, 800 and 1000. To get an even sanding surface, secure the sandpaper to a block.
Finally, sand the metal to a mirror finish. For these purposes, the author uses very fine 1000-grit sandpaper. For the sandpaper to work well, wet it from time to time in water, this will clean it.
Step three. Making a guard
The author makes the guard from aluminum, since this metal is soft and easy to process. A rectangular rod is used as a workpiece.
First of all, drill a row of holes in the center. Then these holes are bored into one large rectangular hole using files. The size of the hole should be such that the shank of the blade fits into it.
Now all you have to do is form desired profile guards. This is not difficult to do, first we draw, then we cut and sand. Aluminum is easy to work with; it can be processed well with files and other materials. hand tools, and you can cut it with a hacksaw. Finally, sand the workpiece with fine sandpaper.
In addition to the guard, you need to make one more piece that fits onto the very edge of the handle. It is also made from aluminum. We drill holes, sharpen, grind. The author has attached drawings of both products.
Step four. Making a pen
Now you can start making the handle; it is made of wood. For these purposes, you will need two blocks; choose the type of wood at your discretion. Cut the blanks to the required length, and then draw lines through the center along the blanks. Here you have to form grooves square shape, on each workpiece the depth of the groove should be half the thickness of the sword's tang. Such grooves can easily be made with a chisel.
Now glue the two halves together with wood glue and firmly clamp them with clamps until completely dry. When the glue dries, take files, sandpaper and form the profile of the handle. At this step it should have a finished shape. The author sands the handle with 120-grit sandpaper and finishes with a finer 240-grit sandpaper. As a result, you will get a hollow handle into which you can then insert the tang of the sword.
Step five. Let's start assembling the sword
Now the sword can be assembled, usually epoxy glue is used to glue the parts. Before using the glue, thoroughly sand the surfaces to be glued and wipe the metal of the shank with acetone. Apply glue to each part and assemble the sword. First, the guard is installed, followed by a carefully pressed wooden handle. If there are any cavities between the handle and the shank, fill them with epoxy glue. Finally, all you have to do is install the aluminum part made earlier on the tail section. Fix the whole thing and let the glue dry. Epoxy glue usually takes a day to dry.
The glue has dried and it's time for the final finishing touches. If desired, you can polish the blade to a mirror shine. As for the handle, it will require additional sanding after gluing. There may be glue residues appearing here, some unevenness may appear, and so on. The whole thing can be smoothed out perfectly with sandpaper. Make your hand even and bring it to perfect smoothness.
Finally, you need to protect the sword from moisture. We lubricate the steel itself with oil, as it will quickly darken or even rust. Do not touch it with your fingers after this. As for wood, when it absorbs moisture it can change volume and crack, which will lead to the handle becoming deformed. To prevent this, the wood must be soaked linseed oil or other special impregnations. Finally, you can apply wax to the handle and polish it.
If desired, sharpen the sword, however, the metal here is not intended for the sword to be used for its intended purpose. One of the disadvantages of such a weapon is that the sword turned out to be too heavy.
The homemade product is ready, good luck in the competition!
Perhaps the medieval sword has long been part of history and cannot compete with modern types weapons, but this does not mean that we should forget about them forever. By practicing fencing, a person learns to control his body, his hands become stronger, and his movements gain precision. Having learned how to make a sword yourself, you will be able to appreciate all its advantages in practice.
Determining optimal sizes and parts
Trying to make a weapon, even a wooden one, without knowing anything about it is the height of frivolity. The simplest straight Slavic sword consists of two parts - the hilt and the blade. Components The hilt has a pommel, hilt and guard, and the blade has a blade and a point.
When making a wooden copy of a sword, you may not take into account all the nuances that were known to the true masters of damask steel of yesteryear, but you need to know something to make the weapon as convenient as possible.
Before making a wooden sword, you should figure out which hand is the dominant one and this is not necessarily the one with which a person writes or cuts.
You can do a small test:
- Take in right hand a stick, the length of which matches the length of the forearm.
- Transfer it to your left hand.
- Whichever one is more convenient to hold is the leading one.
After determining the leading hand, you should take the stick approximately in the same way as the sword will be held and freely lower it along the body. Then grab the stick so that its tip touches the ground: the distance from the end of the stick to the hand is the optimal length of the blade plus the thickness of the guard.
Based on these values, all other dimensions are calculated. For example, if the measurements result in a value of 102.5 cm, and you are going to make the guard 2.5 cm thick, then the length of the blade is 1 m, the length of the handle is taken as 1/10 of the length of the blade (that is, 10 cm). A slight inaccuracy in size does not matter.
Important points
The length of the blade and handle are important, but not the only parameters. Before you start making the sword, It remains to be seen what the following parameters will be for the future weapon:
Preparation and independent production
Any durable wood is used for manufacturing ( best option- hazel, birch, oak) without knots and rot. It is recommended to soak a piece of suitable size for several days and then dry it slowly so that the wood does not crack. With this method of wood processing, the product will be durable and light.
It is advisable to choose medium-density wood that is easy to process. Sawing the sword must be done strictly along the grain, otherwise it will instantly break.
When starting to make a wooden sword with your own hands, you need to stock up on a suitable block of wood with a cross-section of 5x10 cm.
The following tools and items will be required:
- a hand saw or other tool designed for working with wood;
- pencil;
- sharp knife;
- ruler and measuring tape;
- sandpaper.
Work on making a simple wooden sword with my own hands is divided into several stages:
If you have more complex tools and experience working with wood, you can try to make a sword using a different technology. It will consist of a separately machined blade with a handle and a guard, and will look more like the real thing. To make the blade and handle, a block of the required length is used, having a cross-section of 2.5 x 4.5.
The stages of work on how to make a sword from wood are as follows:
To prevent slipping, the handle is sometimes wrapped with electrical tape, tape, cloth, or notches are made on it.
A few words about balancing
Sometimes a weapon that has an ideal shape turns out to be uncomfortable, and when you try to work with it, your hand instantly gets tired. Too much weight may be to blame, but the most common cause is imbalance, that is, a shift in the center of gravity.
It is believed that ideally it should be on the blade, 7-15 cm below the guard. The exact location depends on the anatomical features of the owner of the sword, in particular, on the size of his palms. If the center of gravity is shifted towards the tip, then the blow of the blade gains greater force, but it becomes difficult to control the weapon. When shifted towards the handle, the strength and accuracy of the blow decreases.
If necessary, you should make adjustments by following these steps:
- Mark the approximate location where the center of gravity should be.
- Find the real center of gravity (balance point) by placing the sword on your outstretched finger at a right angle.
Depending on the relative position of these two points, make adjustments, for which:
- Reduce the weight of the blade by removing a layer of wood. The center of gravity will move towards the handle. But it is important to consider that a blade that is too thin can quickly break.
- Reduce the weight of the handle in a similar way to move the center of gravity closer to the tip. But do not forget that a handle that is too thin will be uncomfortable.
- Increase the weight of the handle using weights (lead pads) and shift the center of gravity closer to the guard. The last correction method is used most often due to its simplicity and the ability to make changes.
The plates will need to be placed on the handle and secured with electrical tape or tape.
Having adjusted the weight, you need to try the sword again, checking its comfort for the hand, the strength and accuracy of the blow. If necessary, repeat all steps.
Perhaps, when a simple version of the sword is mastered, there will be a desire to make a weapon of a more complex shape with your own hands.
