Sean (Shadowhowler)
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Mar 8, 2011 18:23:20 GMT
Hola... I've always loved swords that were bejeweled. The only one I have that is done this way is my Fable Blade Shadowfang... www.fableblades.com/Wolf.html ...but I've always wanted more. Recently I bought some lose gemstones and crystals to start adding to some of my swords... and here is the first one. My Custom CF/Atrim 1557. This sword will eventually get a green leather scabbard with ivy design... and there will be more swords to follow.
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Post by frankthebunny on Mar 8, 2011 18:46:43 GMT
looks beautiful Sean! where do you get the stones? and was there a lot of prep needed to fit them? I really love that spiral wrap
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Post by Elheru Aran on Mar 8, 2011 18:48:09 GMT
Hmm, that's not too bad. It's certainly much better than some swords they made back in the dark ages/early medieval period... absolutely encrusted with gems (at least the scabbard/hilt), and kind of ugly. This is pretty tasteful to be honest, and I dig. It's not necessarily something I personally would do, but I do appreciate how it looks for sure...
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Sean (Shadowhowler)
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Mar 8, 2011 19:42:04 GMT
Aran: I do love gemstones on swords... but it can be overdone very easily. The kind you are referring to were often 'court swords'... highly decorative pieces worn by royalty. Those sorts of weapons almost certainly never saw battle... it just was not realistic. I tend not to like them overdone... but I do like a few when its tastefully done. BKS did one awhile back I really loved... can't find a link to it anymore. Frank: I get em from all over... JewleryTv or Ebay or wherever. No prep to fit them... you just have to get stone that are flat backed and calibrated... measure the space on the sword you want to cover in millimeters and then go hunting for something that is celebrated and flat back in the size you need.
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Post by Enkidu on Mar 8, 2011 19:53:57 GMT
I prefer opaques gems instead of transparent ones, but all in all, its only a preference matter. Well done Sean.
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Sean (Shadowhowler)
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Mar 8, 2011 20:00:17 GMT
I've got some really nice opaques coming for some of my other swords... I bet you'll dig those more. This one I thought about putting some Jade or Malachite in the pommel instead of the clear crystal... but decided to go a bit flashy on it because the over all theme on this sword is going to be sort of Elvish-Fantasy. I'm thinking about etching a design into the blade too. So this sword is going to be a bit over the top... others will be more subtle.
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Post by Enkidu on Mar 8, 2011 20:12:15 GMT
Etchings and fantasy scabbard, this will be nice.
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Mar 9, 2011 5:19:59 GMT
I second Jeff's opinion. I'm of the opinion that jewels and swords usually don't mix, but this is very tastefully done, even if the gem is rather large. One question, though. Is there a gem on both sides?
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Greg
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Post by Greg on Mar 9, 2011 5:30:13 GMT
Rock on, Sean!
...
Get it? Rock on... cause it's a rock.... on your sword...
Anyway, enough stupid humor. It looks really well done. Even tho I'm not a big decorations guy, someday, I will have ONE sword that is for display primarily. It'll still cut, but I won't.
Oh, question. Did you use the same method that Brendon did for inserting the gems on his swords? The whole, peen the metal around the gem method? I see a few little divots, but I'm not sure if tho's are peenings or something else.
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Sean (Shadowhowler)
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Mar 9, 2011 5:45:43 GMT
Of course... would look pretty stupid otherwise. Greg... this one had a pommel hole so all I did was measure the hole, find a stone that was flat on the backside and calibrated the right size, and glue it in. No muss, no fuss.
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Greg
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Post by Greg on Mar 9, 2011 5:48:33 GMT
Well, you COULD have peened the edges around the stone in, but your right, it made a lot more sense to glue it. Heck, it wouldn't surprise me if it was historically accurate. I'd imagine that plenty of gemstones were glued onto the court swords.
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Post by chrisperoni on Mar 9, 2011 14:29:59 GMT
What glue did you use? Any trouble with it clouding the gem or otherwise changing the colour/reflectiveness?
Looks good! A while back I asked Brenno for instructions on how he sets gems- I have some nice garnet stones (my birthstone) I want to use. I think a good piece of tiger eye would translate well on a euro as well.
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Sean (Shadowhowler)
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Mar 9, 2011 16:28:48 GMT
Tiger Eye would be epic... I have a sword I wanted to do a tiger eye on... but I had a very hard time finding a flat backed one calibrated to the right size. I used super glue... but I had a bit of trouble with the dispenser and did not do as clean a job as I wanted to. I have to get a new one. Thus, there is a bit of clouding in a couple spots. This is only an issue with translucent gems tho... it will not be a problem with more opaque stones like Jade or Turquoise.
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Post by Elheru Aran on Mar 9, 2011 16:29:50 GMT
You can get a clear superglue that's for glass, I believe. Not sure how well it'd work for adhering gem to metal though...
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Post by chrisperoni on Mar 9, 2011 17:25:04 GMT
I wonder how much better a roughly sanded metal backing would help in adhering- and how much this would affect the quality of light reflecting through the stone.
edit/correction- I should clarify- I'm not sure if what I've seen online is fake but I 'think' it is and it doesn't look very good/real to me. And as for finding good size stones (something I said before I edited this post) I must have been searching ebay wrong because I have plenty coming up now! must've been doing somehting really wrong.. :oops:
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Sean (Shadowhowler)
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Mar 16, 2011 21:37:27 GMT
A few of my new swords with Gemstones to add... Austrian GreatSword with Tiger eye... Atrim Xa.3 with Purple Paua Shell...
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Post by chrisperoni on Mar 18, 2011 0:29:58 GMT
That tiger eye is b-e-a-utiful! Thanks for the pm to check it! Where'd you pick it up?
+1 for DIY bejeweled steel- edit- you can't stop me from giving karma, whether it shows or not you got it!
really high polish on that stone eh?
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Sean (Shadowhowler)
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Mar 18, 2011 4:58:21 GMT
Think I got the Tiger eye off of Ebay... I'm still waiting for some other stones I got to come in, so I can pretty up some other swords. I might add some stones to scabbards soon as well... as I feel those can be done up a bit more then the sword. I like to keep the swords themselves only lightly adorned.
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Post by 14thforsaken on Mar 18, 2011 5:25:26 GMT
I've got a couple of swords that I want to set fire opals in the pommels. Also have a scabbard I'm going to add some pear cut natural garnets to the chape. It will match the garnets that are going to be set into the guard of the blade. Garnets are pretty easy to find at least. I just have too pricey taste when it comes to the fire opals, all the ones I like are over $100.
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Sean (Shadowhowler)
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Mar 18, 2011 5:39:57 GMT
I love Gems... awhile back I bought a ton of lose gems and over the years have a piece here and there made for my wife with them... I have to be VERY careful not to spend too much in gems pretty-ing up my swords... it would be easy for me to get carried away. :lol:
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