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The Secrets of the Viking Sword!

Thagarr

Thagarr

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Due to a recent discussion with @Flannery, I thought it would be a good idea to open up a new thread here to discuss all things Viking. As some of you have had to tolerate my indulgences on the subject many times over the years. I will start with something that hopefully won't bore you. This is one of my favorite Viking documentaries "The Secrets of the Viking Sword!"

 
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Thanks mate, I am glad you enjoyed it! The metallurgical science behind this sword is fascinating. and the blacksmith, Richard Furrer, that forged the replica is an artist! By the way, if your curious, you can find his website HERE!

It is amazing when you realize that the swords the earlier Pre-Viking Germanic tribes used, the Scramasax, was known to be very brittle and would shatter during battle. Certainly not the best quality in a sword. It was usually made with bog-iron, iron dug out of peat bogs, that was full of impurities full of impurities. The ULFBERHT is the exact polar opposite.

This video also gives you a great idea of just how expansive the Viking trade network extended, and just what that helped do for both their technical and cultural knowledge.
 
Ah! I remember seeing this about a year ago! Fantastic documentary - and an exceptional sword. I would have loved to have one of those hanging on my wall :)
 
I used to collect the cheap replica swords a few years back. They looked like the real ones but were crap metal. Had a wall full of them. That actually gives me an idea.... maybe we can scrounge a few up as promotions for HoO. I know the cheaper ones I got were around $25 and I happen to know someone with a laser engraver.
 
I have seriously considered ordering a replica, Mr. Furrer will forge a special order ULFBERHT for $7,500. I can't justify that kind of expense though, as much as I would love to have one hanging on my wall.

I have been looking for another documentary I saw about 20 years ago, I believe it was on the History Channel, where a group of people recreated a small longboat. It showed how they steamed the long planks of wood to bend them in to place. They also showed how they would transport the boats over land when they had to, it was really quite fascinating. I have seen several similar, but not that exact one.
 
Captain Murphy said:
I used to collect the cheap replica swords a few years back. They looked like the real ones but were crap metal. Had a wall full of them. That actually gives me an idea.... maybe we can scrounge a few up as promotions for HoO. I know the cheaper ones I got were around $25 and I happen to know someone with a laser engraver.
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That's an interesting idea, although I think once the right people see your latest video with Oculus, I don't think publicity is going to be a problem!
 
Those are pretty good prices for engraved swords, even it if they are just stamped blades.
The thing that concerns me though are the state laws concerning swords, some cities even have separate laws. I really have no clue what some other countries laws may be. :shrug
 
Captain Murphy said:
That was my other concern as well. They get relegated to one of these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/291104372952?lpid=82

Or in lieu we get them one of those fancy t-shirts someone posted a while back.
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It would be pretty cool to give out or sell some promotional material, especially appropriate replica swords. Did you have anything in particular in mind, such as a contest or something? As for the T-shirts, I am planning something special for those that I am not quite ready to revel yet. :aar

Hylie Pistof said:
Is this the sword you are talking about?
http://www.bytheswordinc.com/p-13236-viking-ulfberht-sword-26-500864.aspx

I have bought 3 blades from this outfit delivered to my front door.
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Almost all modern steel is high carbon, simply because of how it produced in modern foundries, there are often other alloys added which give the steel other properties as well. Such as chromium in stainless, which helps improve the rust resistance and makes it shine. These blades are stamped from sheets of steel, they are good as decorative pieces and will even hold a good edge, but they are not suitable for use as a fighting weapon.

In the video above, they show a sword flexing in several ways when striking a shield, and then springing back into shape when it was removed. That kind of flexion is critical to a good fighting sword, and the way I understand it, you can only get that from forging. I am certainly no expert though. It's a very labor intensive process that you really only get a glimpse of in the video above. With all the hammering to forge it, and then all the polishing after, I'd bet that sword took several days to complete.
 
Methinks he said he spent 11 days hammering on it. Actually, $7,500 is a good price for all the labor that went into that sword.

The one I linked to is made out of decent mild steel but is soft and dents and bends easily. I have a cutlass from that company and it most certainly has not been forged and quenched. It will not flex but bends. I have hammered and quenched steel in industrial situations and it makes a real difference.

Heh, I went to that site to show that shipping should not be a problem at all, at least not in America. They were shipped by UPS in regular cardboard boxes.
 
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