Here's the blade for one I hope to have finished next week. It's ~10" blade with 1084 steel edge and 1095/1022 almost-interrupted twist down the core. Originally it was going to be about 20" long and have a pattern similar to the Sutton-Hoo sword...but I couldn't count twists at the time of twisting. No matter how hard you try, you just cant "undo" a twist. I had one set of twists off by 1/2 inch as well. I had already re-squared the bars for welding before I noticed. I tried to re-twist part of it and quickly realized it was a lost cause. I took the lower section that had lined up, lopped it off and used that. Long story short (pun intended), it became a smaller blade :). To make the thickness more proportional to the overall size/shape I ground into the design to much and ended up with the star patterns as well. I think that was one of those nights I should have stopped before I started. No need to let good steel go to waste...I have some neat butterknives from the remainder of the twist bar also :D.

http://home.armourarchive.org/members/krag/seax22at.JPG (http://home.armourarchive.org/members/krag/seax22a.JPG)

It still made for a neat little blade even though it wasn't what I had originally wanted. I haven't completely decided on the handle, but it will definitely incorporate mammoth ivory and wrought iron in some fashion.

I wish my good stuff turned out as nice as you bad.

Hi Don
honestly... I think your being to hard on yourself.... If you look a norse artifacts they aren't perfect (although some are :D )
- they are organic in a way that gives'em personality and originality
- I like this knife lot's... it would be a great looker if you did a little bit of carving on it like Jake does with his seaxes

good post
Greg

Don you know that this is the way that some of our, at least mine, projects have produced some of our best work. Maybe you should build a blade with several different patterns in it,
not just two. I think it looks great. Gib

Oh, I still like the blade and it should make for a neat knife...I was just dissappointed that it wasn't what I had originally wanted. I was psyched up to put together a 24" langseax. I've had the same issue with some Japanese stuff. You finally get an outstanding shape going on a wak blade only to here the dreaded "ping". Then you have tanto..if you're lucky! I did learn quite a bit about what I need to do to get the correct pattern for the next one! I have a jig now so I can quickly line up the section to be twisted repeatably and consistently. I've already begun welding up the next couple core sections :).

Every time Jake posts one of those, I get the itch to learn how to carve!


Gib,
I have a rondel dagger that was one of the earlier pattern welded blades I made. It was three steels. I was going for a chevron and learned that you don't just fold a twist over on itself to get a chevron. LOL! It came out really neat though. I had a slow twist that I folded over and put a strip of 1022 down the center. It was supposed to end up looking like a pheasant feather. I'm not sure what it did come out looking like...but it was pretty cool. Especially being only the third pattern welded blade I had done at the time. I agree, sometimes the suprises are the best!

Don, that blade looks great! I love the pattern that you have happening.
Don't beat yourself up over it, that blade looks like it was meant to be.
:101

Yep, you should immediately send it to me for proper disposal... I think it looks pretty cool.

Dude that is sweet. How are you going to finish it? Broken back seax or are you sharpening both sides? I cant see it too well on my peice of junk monitor at work. . But the pattern is awsome IMHO.

Joe

p.s. goes back to my post in the outpost a while back. Sometimes the steel knows what it wants to be. All you are is a source of heat and hammer.



And sometimes the steel wants to be a bunch of little bitty pieces all over the shop floor. And sometimes it turns into something the labor (aka the smith) never knew was going on.

Yes, it's the broken back style with the longer edge sharpened. If you click on the picture it will bring up a larger version. Right now I'm leaning towards a mammoth ivory front spacer followed by some antler with a wrought iron final cap. I soaked some old weathered antler in some dark mahogany oil dye and it came out really nice looking. A light sanding yields the "cracked ice" look.


"Sometimes the steel knows what it wants to be. All you are is a source of heat and hammer."

Some days I just feel like hammering with no particular idea. Grab some steel, add some heat...and hammer-on. Sometimes those turn out the best!

I think it looks real nice Don. Can you tell me what your "twister" looks like? Did you build a special wrench to try and keep each section the same length? I've tried this once, but is REALLY failed big time. You've inspired me to give it another go.

Don:
Great looking Blade!!! I too would like to see your jig if you are willing to share your idea.

Thanks and God Bless
Mike

If you want a specific pattern you must always grind and etch the elements before assembly. It helps greatly if all the different patterned parts are assemble at nearly the finished form. Any elongation of a twist tends to open it like a streached spring. I have made several of these sutton ho patterns they are really cool. Look at some of the old work none were perfect. Great job on this seaxe.
Schwarzer

Hi Don
Great blade! Thanks for sharing your experience. Ain't it great when some of these patterns don't turn out the way you thought, but look so great anyway!

I'll be out welding up some stuff tonight and will take soem pics of the set-up I started using. Keep in mind....I am a Texas Aggie :D!