MovieChat Forums > Big Giant Swords (2015) Discussion > Doesn't really create swords

Doesn't really create swords

posted 9 years ago by AlexWard
8 replies | jump to latest

I like the show, the cast, particularly Irish Mike are a hoot, he's very charismatic. And while he makes some really amazing and beautiful creations, I don't really think he builds swords. He takes plate steel and cuts it into shapes and welds pieces together and paints and sharpens it. What he builds fits the definition of sword, but to me a sword is a piece of metal that is heated, hammered, shaped, tempered and sharpened by a swordsmith. If you hit anything harder than, say fiberglass with one of Mike's swords it would probably shatter. They are really more sculptures with a sharp edge.

I wonder if he was a consultant on the new Mad Max? The things he creates would fit perfectly into that kind of genre.

Oderint Dum Metuant

[–] pallettbrendan 9 years ago

Not necessarily you can buy steel in any type you want pre heated cold rolled hot rolled so all the metal treatment that would have traditionally been done by a sword smith has already been done, im a laser operator i cut parets out of sheets of steel and ive made a few swords and axes and trust me they work well lol.

[–] AlexWard 9 years ago

Hmmm....I did not know that. Would a weld stand up to the repeated banging around he shows on the show? Granted, a lot of his pieces are ordered for display.

Oderint Dum Metuant

[–] saftamike 9 years ago

I'm a bladesmith that makes a living doing it, and I take my craft very seriously. What he makes are not real swords. They are sword shaped objects. You cannot grind or weld to already heat treated steel without ruining the heat treatment. Temperature is absolutely critical to making edged weapons. His "blacksmith" is a metal artist, not a blacksmith. You cannot buy steel and make a sword without the work from a very skilled bladesmith. No real knife or sword maker would put their name on anything he has made. A sharpened piece of certain grades of aluminum will "work well", but that doesn't make them swords either. If you had any real knowledge of what it takes to make a sword, you would cringe at the things they do in this show.

[–] pallettbrendan 9 years ago

im glad your take job seriously as do i all the metal we order has to have certain tolerances for the parts that we are creating industrial equipment scissor lifts structural steel designed to take massive tonnage, so im confident the sheet metal you can order today is as strong as any steel used to create a real sword, aluminum for a sword i dont think it would work at all the thickest we use is 4mm and i can bend that with my hands.

Im not a professional welder but i talk to loads that have been doing it all there life and have been told that a gd welder can create a weld thats stronger than the two pieces of steel they are welding together, and tbh i think the guy is skilled to cut out a perfect circle with a plasma cutter when everyone else uses cad to lasers punch or watercutters to do it the guy makes do.

[–] saftamike 9 years ago

Structural steel and blademaking steel are not the same, not even close. There are thousands of steel alloys, only a couple dozen can be used for cutlery. They are not all the same as that one type of steel you use. There are hundreds of aluminum alloys, again, they are not all the same as that one type of aluminum you use. All steel is strong, but not all steel has edge retention, abrasion resistance, toughness, or enough carbon required to be an edged weapon. Being a welder that welds structural steel doesn't mean they have even the slightest clue about smithing or blademaking. Every bladesmith knows how to weld, but very few welders know how to smith or make blades. The carbon steel used for swords has a tempering temperature of 400-500F. Any grinding or welding well exceeds that temperature, thereby ruining the heat treatment. Cutting out a shape in structural steel doesn't equate to him having the metallurgical knowledge to create a blade. You can be as confident as you want about the sheet steel your company uses, but I can tell you with absolute certainty that you are wrong. Go to the American Bladesmith Society website. Find one of the just over 100 master bladesmiths that lives near you. Call him or her and ask if you can visit. They will be happy to show you the difference in smithing edged weapons and building structures. After all, you really wouldn't ask a welder or a sheet cutter in some factory about making edged weapons. You should ask someone that makes edged weapons.

[–] pallettbrendan 9 years ago

we use stainless for cutlery as its not an infectious metal and any grinding overheating would show as blueing its easy to avoid this just dont keep the grinder in one place for too long, i say good on him for doing this i think your just a hater the guys trying to make a living doing something cool and hes got swordmaker haters calling him left right and center, i only make swords for fun having a 4kw fiber laser and cad/cam software at my disposal gives me the ability to make and create designs that no sword maker could do also im confident that my 8mm high quality swiss stainless 316 2b 6ft got replica sword would slice straight through and is as strong as any traditional made sword.

[–] saftamike 9 years ago

Oh yes because I'm stating scientific facts I'm a hater lol. Is that really the retort you've been relegated too? 300 series stainless is not cutlery steel, again that's structural steel. It's austenitic, not martensitic. 400 series and various powdered steels are stainless allows for cutlery. A common hand file will file away steel from 300 series, it will just skate across heat treated cutlery steel like 400 series. Again, I can guarantee your replica sword won't slice through a real sword, otherwise why would you call it a replica. Take a sawzall and cut through your 316ss blade since you're so confident. It won't cut through a real sword, but will cut through your replica like a hot knife through butter. Anything over straw color ruins the heat treat for most blades, blue is well beyond tempering temps. Do you have any more myths about blade steel you would like debunked? Or would you prefer to stay in your fantasy world where confidence overrides facts?

[–] Son_Of_A_Bitch_Must_Pay 9 years ago

watched a NOVA special where a blacksmith made the legendary Ulfberht sword using metal he found in the bogs I think, that was pretty interesting

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