How to Make a Sword -The Six

Step Process

The process of making a sword is more than what you see in the movies. For many
people being a blacksmith is a fantasy where you pound steel against an anvil, dip it
in water and voila! You have a completed sword ready to mow down the evil hordes
of creatures that lurk in the forest. But swordmaking is much more than this.
Swordmaking is both an art and a craft and it takes hard work, a lot of practice and
a significant amount of specialized tools to create a sword. It also takes many years
of practice to become proficient at this skill.

Before the blacksmith or swordsmith actually starts hammering or heating the

metal for a sword there is a lot of work to be done. The sword size, shape,
properties, and metal composition all have to be decided upon. These factors
determine the amount of metal, the temperatures of heating and the specific steps
in the process that have to be completed. This article doesn't cover the complete
art of swordmaking. It will only discuss and outline the process of smithing the blade
of a sword

There are many different methods for making a sword and the art has changed over
the centuries as technologies, tools and the science of metallurgy has changed. But
for the past five hundred years there has been one method that still stands as the
most common. This is the six step method. of taking a bar of the desired metal to a
completed sword.

The First step is Forging

A bar of the desired metal or combination of metals is heated in a forge and then it
is hammered into shape.(The shape of a sword) This hammering process can take a
long time and it is called drawing out the sword. The sword is worked on in sections
(usually around 6 inches in length) and repeatedly hammered and heated until it
comes into the desired shape .This process is repeated many times and the sword is
often heated then allowed to cool without hammering. This is required by the metal
to keep the desired properties of strength and flexibility. Once this step is completed
the sword is in the proper shape but the properties of the metal make it very brittle
and something has to be done to give flexibility to it.

Step Two: Annealing

Annealing softens the sword and makes it easy to grind into shape. The sword is
now heated and then allowed to cool very slowly. Often it is wrapped in an insulating
material to slow down this cooling. It can take as long as 24 hours and this
annealing process makes the sword soft and easy to grind.
Step Three: Grinding

Now the blacksmith uses a grinder to work out the edge and point of the sword. This
would also be when any engraving is added. This is not a completed sword yet. It is
still much too soft so it must be hardened.

Step Four: Hardening

Now the sword is heated to a very high temperature and then placed into a
quenching tank. (This is what we always see in the movies). This quenching allows it
to cool quickly and evenly which will harden the metal. After this hardening the
sword is brittle and something must be done to make it strong yet flexible.

Step Five: Tempering

Again the blade is heated and quenched. But now the heating is at a much lower
temperature than was used at the hardening. This heating/quenching cycle may be
repeated several times. This tempering allows the blade to be strong but not brittle.
This is one stage where the skill and experience of the swordsmith is invaluable. It
takes a trained hand and eye to understand the properties of the meta. It will have
a certain amount of flexibility yet still retain its sharp edge. Now the sword is ready
for completion.

Step Six: Completion

The sword blade itself is now complete. Now the additional parts will be added such
as the pommel the guard and the hilt.

For the past five hundred years the only way to learn the art of swordmaking was to
find a skilled blacksmith or swordsmith that was willing to take you on as an
apprenctice. Because of the specialized skills and tools, and the skill that is required
this tradition remains the best way to do it today.

Before you invest lots of time in money in equipment and materials you should find
a master that is willing to teach you the basics of the art. You won't have to devote
your life to endless hours of hammering against an anvil and with a little
perseverance, a little patience and some practice you will be able to make some
decent swords that you can be proud of.

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