Blade Stuff

A new project came up from the general din and chatter of the MER fora. Well, not entirely new but new enough as I had forgotten an earlier concept of the notion until now. :)

I have three leaf-blade swords. Two are bronze and one is a high carbon steel version by Kris Cutlery. All are replicas of the Bronze Age Celtic shortswords found in so many bogs and burials. These swords persisted for a bit into the early Iron Age but once iron and then steel were on the loose, bronze was out as a weapons material and blades began to lengthen as smithwork became more involved and knowledge grew.

Still shortswords persisted. The Romans had the earlier Gladius Hispaniensis, a graceful leaf blade weapon which then morphed into much easier to produce straight sided blades via the Gladius Mainz and finally, the Gladius Pomepeii. After that the change to the Spatha, which had been a cavalry arm, became more and more dominant as the ability to train to high standards required of seriously offensive formations in disciplined close combat fell off...usually in favor of cavalry armies.

In Middle Earth, during the Second Age, when Númenor was still strong and vibrant, the main arms of their Legions (and they were called Legions), were spear, axe, and bow...the hollow steel bow being the most dreaded of weapons and their Archer Legions the most dreaded formations. They also carried, the infantry in any case, a shortsword...about the size of our Celtic leaf-blade or Gladius. It was preferred by the infantry. Anyone who has ever had occasion to use a thrusting weapon knows that in a combat press during melee, the most efficient and deadly weapon is the shortsword. Indeed, until the invention of the machine gun the gladius was the most deadly weapon ever invented by humanity, killing more people than anything else. This is not a fantasy.

In the SCA I specialized in shortsword and small round shield. I did almost nothing else. I became so proficient with it I rarely lost a fight for a very long while. I like the shortsword. Do not get me wrong, I love my Del Tin 'Glamdring', which has a slight leaf shape to it, but really my weapon is the shortsword. Above all others.

That brings me to the project. Since some of the blades of Westernesse are recorded as being leaf shaped, daggers for the most part but swords for Hobbits, I reckoned that it would be possible to take one of my swords and modify it into a Númenorean shortsword. The Kris Cutlery blade in fact. It was a gift to me from a very cherished friend, long since gone across the Veil.

The blade has been in storage for a long while so is in less than ideal condition. Still, the quality of the steel and craftsmanship make it a matter of cleaning up and re-polishing rather than anything major.

The project is as follows. I will remove the pommel, grips, and 'guard', such as it is...and clean up the blade, resharpening it in the process. I am also considering doing some light etching as well but we'll see on that. Tengwar script naming the blade would be a nice touch, carefully done. I will mock up new guard, grip and pommel and play around with variations until I am happy at which point I will make the real pieces and assemble the sword...then make a scabbard for it, incorporating Elven and Númenorean design notions, such as I know them, in the making. No jewels or fancy metal bits...I tend to stay close to the idea of not wearing any fair thing save one..the star brooch. This does not mean I cannot work the leather and wood, use colors and whatnot..I just won't make it terribly flashy.

This, with its baldric, will become my centerpiece weapon excluding the bow. I have a gorgeous longbow from Rudderbows that would get all the attention so I cannot include it. ;)

Along with cleaning up my Elven hunting knife, reworking the grip, and making a new sheath for it, this should be my big Ranger weaponry project of the year. I at least forged the blade of my knife...even if I am using a commercial blade for the sword.

Someday, when I can set my forge up again and Rándiromar Forge gets rolling again, I'll forge my own high quality leaf-shape blades.

I should probably say here that I love leaf-shaped blades for Númenorean weapons, but I love what PJ & crew came up with Elven weapons. Leaf-shape can be construed to be Elvish influence on Men...and since the Elves taught men the art as the Númenoreans knew it, it works. :) For me anyway.

Vendui!
Eledhwen Rándiromar Anduina
(Elf-Sheen [of] Wanderer's Hall [on] Anduin) For those who are curious.