Fhtagn
Oct 1, 2010 13:35:38 GMT
Post by Wes on Oct 1, 2010 13:35:38 GMT
Introduction
This project started rather humbly. I originally just wanted a kopis-style camp knife/machete. I know Cold Steel has one, but it was no longer being made and I was having a hard time locating one online. Then this idea creeped up on me. I had no Cthulhu-themed swords, and after playing around in photoshop for a bit I came up with this composite:
Thus was born the idea. I already owned one blade by Brendan of Fable Blades, Nyere which I had bought earlier in the year from a fellow SBG forumite, I knew he could craft a blade tough enough for any hacking task! I also already admired Jeffrey Robinson for his bronze work that he had displayed on the site in the past. I knew if I was going to have something with tentacles and scales he’d be the one to turn to. Sonny’s part came later as the project was nearing the halfway mark I realized I needed a sheath, and nylon or kydex wasn’t going to cut it. I needed something custom. I had seen Sonny’s leatherwork in other posts and knew he was the one I needed to turn to. I drew some crappy sketches which I didn’t really like. Then I had ANOTHER wonderful idea. Fellow Forumite Lunaman is an amazingly talented artist and was already digging my sword design. I sent him my crappy sketches and he turned them into this:
I submitted this to Sonny, got his nod of approval, and then the waiting started. My initial design was submitted to Brendan and Jeffrey towards the end of March, and I received her completed on 08/23/10
Historical overview
Fhtagn is based on the Greek Kopis which was primarily a tool for slaughtering animals and for sacrifice, however the Greeks also used it as a weapon. The sword has often been compared to the khukri and falcate. I thought it fitting to use an ancient sword design for my Cthulhu themed weapon. I could imagine a tribe of ancient cultists fashioning their weapons of sacrifice after the great old ones they worshiped.
Initial Impressions
My hands were shaking when I first opened the box that Jeffrey sent me (he was the last artist to work on the sword before it got to me). My first thought was ‘heavy’ I knew the bronze would be weighty, but I hadn’t imagined just how much weight that’d be. It wasn’t uncomfortably heavy, it just felt like it was stone solid, almost as if I could take it outside and chop a tree down and not worry one bit about any damage to the sword. I liked it.
Statistics
Blade Length: 16”
Handle Length: 5”
Overall Length: 21.5”
Guard Width: 4”
POB (Point of Balance): .75” from guard
COP (Center of Percussion): I don’t know how to locate this measurement
Weight: I don’t have a scale that can accurately measure the weight.
Components
The Blade
Fhtagn’s blade is a swept-forward design based on the ancient greek sword known as the Kopis. It is .25” thick over most of the sword with a distal taper on the last two or three inches of the blade. The sword bevels down from the spine to the edge for the length of the blade meaning it has a very narrow profile in the widest point of the blade. It’s one mean cutter. Along the spine, written in Futhark is the maker’s mark, Fable, followed by an inscription which is from H.P. Lovecraft’s Call of Cthulhu. In the story it is a passage taken from the Necronomicon, the bible of the great old ones. It reads “That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die.” The tang is thick and beefy. I have no fear of it breaking or warping with use.
The Handle
Jeffrey made the handle from red oak and then wrapped it in green ray-skin which he then applied a black dye wash to to dirty up the same, making it look old. The description of Cthulhu in Lovecraft’s works say he is at once bulbous and covered in scales. To me, the ray skin represents those scales. The handle is epoxied to the tang and solid, it’s not going anywhere.
The Guard
The guard is crafted in bronze and depicts Cthulhu’s arm clutching the skull of one of his loyal cultists. An honor any of us should seek to attain. Jeffrey’s sculpture work is incredible, and the detail on the skull just astounds me. The guard wraps over the top of the index finger nicely and is comfortable when swinging the blade. However it wiggles just a little bit after a few chopped down bamboo trees. Not enough for me to be alarmed, it’s only a slight wiggle.
The Pommel
The pommel is the high priest of the great old ones himself, Cthulhu. Jeffrey’s rendition of him is awesome. He captured the sinister wisdom wonderfully. Cthulhu’s tentacles that drape from his face wrap around the base of the handle. The tang, rather than being hot peened as the heat would have damaged the ray skin, is tig welded and then ground to where you can’t even make out the weld.
The Scabbard
My God, the Scabbard. Lunaman’s design was brought to vivid life with this thing. It’s wood core wrapped in leather with tentacle risers that coil around the outside. It has a split about halfway down the back so that you can draw the sword in and out of the well-contoured shape. The chape and locket were then crafted by Jeffrey in the same theme and patina as the rest of the bronze work on the sword. The locket has a raised section in the back comprised of reaching tentacles where the straps for the suspension system are attached, and also where I’ll attach a leather thong that will hold the blade in place while climbing around in the wilderness. The chape has another depiction of Cthulu, his tentacles wrapping around it and one reaching down and forming a lanyard loop at the tip of the scabbard for attaching a leg-secure lanyard. Initially the suspension system straps were too long, and I modified them with Sonny’s instructions. They were better after I modified them, but were now ugly and still weren’t a perfect length so I sent them back to Sonny with a sketch of how long I would like to have the suspension system to hang from the belt and am waiting for him to get them finished. I’m hoping they’re back before I leave for Dragon-Con next week, but I’m not expecting them to be.
Handling Characteristics
Fhtagn handles beautifully. The point of balance is almost at the guard which makes her lively and quick regardless of being a little heavy for her size. The ray-skin ensures a great grip, while the design of the pommel and guard almost guarantee that the blade will not leave your hand while you’re cutting. It’s a comfortable tool and weapon that is as beautiful as it is deadly.
Test Cutting
Conclusions
I’m very proud of this sword. Proud of my design. Proud to have had the honor of having a vision in my head rendered in cold, live steel by not one, but THREE masters of the craft. This blade has had a lot of heart poured into it, a lot of soul. She is my most prized possession.
Pros
- Amazing handling
- Insane artwork
- One-of-a-kind unique piece crafted by the collaborative efforts of three masters
Cons
- Slightly loose guard
The Bottom Line
If you ever have the opportunity to have anything made by any of the men who worked on this project you are a lucky individual who will cherish your piece with the same love you might give your own children… If you ever have the opportunity to have anything made by all three of them? You’d be me ;D
This project started rather humbly. I originally just wanted a kopis-style camp knife/machete. I know Cold Steel has one, but it was no longer being made and I was having a hard time locating one online. Then this idea creeped up on me. I had no Cthulhu-themed swords, and after playing around in photoshop for a bit I came up with this composite:
Thus was born the idea. I already owned one blade by Brendan of Fable Blades, Nyere which I had bought earlier in the year from a fellow SBG forumite, I knew he could craft a blade tough enough for any hacking task! I also already admired Jeffrey Robinson for his bronze work that he had displayed on the site in the past. I knew if I was going to have something with tentacles and scales he’d be the one to turn to. Sonny’s part came later as the project was nearing the halfway mark I realized I needed a sheath, and nylon or kydex wasn’t going to cut it. I needed something custom. I had seen Sonny’s leatherwork in other posts and knew he was the one I needed to turn to. I drew some crappy sketches which I didn’t really like. Then I had ANOTHER wonderful idea. Fellow Forumite Lunaman is an amazingly talented artist and was already digging my sword design. I sent him my crappy sketches and he turned them into this:
I submitted this to Sonny, got his nod of approval, and then the waiting started. My initial design was submitted to Brendan and Jeffrey towards the end of March, and I received her completed on 08/23/10
Historical overview
Fhtagn is based on the Greek Kopis which was primarily a tool for slaughtering animals and for sacrifice, however the Greeks also used it as a weapon. The sword has often been compared to the khukri and falcate. I thought it fitting to use an ancient sword design for my Cthulhu themed weapon. I could imagine a tribe of ancient cultists fashioning their weapons of sacrifice after the great old ones they worshiped.
Initial Impressions
My hands were shaking when I first opened the box that Jeffrey sent me (he was the last artist to work on the sword before it got to me). My first thought was ‘heavy’ I knew the bronze would be weighty, but I hadn’t imagined just how much weight that’d be. It wasn’t uncomfortably heavy, it just felt like it was stone solid, almost as if I could take it outside and chop a tree down and not worry one bit about any damage to the sword. I liked it.
Statistics
Blade Length: 16”
Handle Length: 5”
Overall Length: 21.5”
Guard Width: 4”
POB (Point of Balance): .75” from guard
COP (Center of Percussion): I don’t know how to locate this measurement
Weight: I don’t have a scale that can accurately measure the weight.
Components
The Blade
Fhtagn’s blade is a swept-forward design based on the ancient greek sword known as the Kopis. It is .25” thick over most of the sword with a distal taper on the last two or three inches of the blade. The sword bevels down from the spine to the edge for the length of the blade meaning it has a very narrow profile in the widest point of the blade. It’s one mean cutter. Along the spine, written in Futhark is the maker’s mark, Fable, followed by an inscription which is from H.P. Lovecraft’s Call of Cthulhu. In the story it is a passage taken from the Necronomicon, the bible of the great old ones. It reads “That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die.” The tang is thick and beefy. I have no fear of it breaking or warping with use.
The Handle
Jeffrey made the handle from red oak and then wrapped it in green ray-skin which he then applied a black dye wash to to dirty up the same, making it look old. The description of Cthulhu in Lovecraft’s works say he is at once bulbous and covered in scales. To me, the ray skin represents those scales. The handle is epoxied to the tang and solid, it’s not going anywhere.
The Guard
The guard is crafted in bronze and depicts Cthulhu’s arm clutching the skull of one of his loyal cultists. An honor any of us should seek to attain. Jeffrey’s sculpture work is incredible, and the detail on the skull just astounds me. The guard wraps over the top of the index finger nicely and is comfortable when swinging the blade. However it wiggles just a little bit after a few chopped down bamboo trees. Not enough for me to be alarmed, it’s only a slight wiggle.
The Pommel
The pommel is the high priest of the great old ones himself, Cthulhu. Jeffrey’s rendition of him is awesome. He captured the sinister wisdom wonderfully. Cthulhu’s tentacles that drape from his face wrap around the base of the handle. The tang, rather than being hot peened as the heat would have damaged the ray skin, is tig welded and then ground to where you can’t even make out the weld.
The Scabbard
My God, the Scabbard. Lunaman’s design was brought to vivid life with this thing. It’s wood core wrapped in leather with tentacle risers that coil around the outside. It has a split about halfway down the back so that you can draw the sword in and out of the well-contoured shape. The chape and locket were then crafted by Jeffrey in the same theme and patina as the rest of the bronze work on the sword. The locket has a raised section in the back comprised of reaching tentacles where the straps for the suspension system are attached, and also where I’ll attach a leather thong that will hold the blade in place while climbing around in the wilderness. The chape has another depiction of Cthulu, his tentacles wrapping around it and one reaching down and forming a lanyard loop at the tip of the scabbard for attaching a leg-secure lanyard. Initially the suspension system straps were too long, and I modified them with Sonny’s instructions. They were better after I modified them, but were now ugly and still weren’t a perfect length so I sent them back to Sonny with a sketch of how long I would like to have the suspension system to hang from the belt and am waiting for him to get them finished. I’m hoping they’re back before I leave for Dragon-Con next week, but I’m not expecting them to be.
Handling Characteristics
Fhtagn handles beautifully. The point of balance is almost at the guard which makes her lively and quick regardless of being a little heavy for her size. The ray-skin ensures a great grip, while the design of the pommel and guard almost guarantee that the blade will not leave your hand while you’re cutting. It’s a comfortable tool and weapon that is as beautiful as it is deadly.
Test Cutting
Conclusions
I’m very proud of this sword. Proud of my design. Proud to have had the honor of having a vision in my head rendered in cold, live steel by not one, but THREE masters of the craft. This blade has had a lot of heart poured into it, a lot of soul. She is my most prized possession.
Pros
- Amazing handling
- Insane artwork
- One-of-a-kind unique piece crafted by the collaborative efforts of three masters
Cons
- Slightly loose guard
The Bottom Line
If you ever have the opportunity to have anything made by any of the men who worked on this project you are a lucky individual who will cherish your piece with the same love you might give your own children… If you ever have the opportunity to have anything made by all three of them? You’d be me ;D