uLike blade designs

I hadn't thought about a T-shaped cross-section. That should make it interesting and I always forget about the distal tapering, but that is a definite must, though I think keeping the pommel attractive yet still be big enough to even out the balance will be difficult. Ought to be interesting to see what you come up with.

Yep. I saw it over there and just like I said there, I think I want one. It would definitely be interesting to have one with those proportions in real life. I'm also interested in the hilt. It looks like you've got a leather over wood grip with a leather cross wrap and metal studs (like on the Albion Chevalier); am I right?

Anyways, my only real issue would be the potentially weak tip. But, as with most of what you posted, that could just be the proportions messing with my head. I'm also assuming that the tang is nearly the full width of the grip for extra strength, no? Could hardly have it otherwise, with such a massive blade.

Hmm. Then it should probably be fine, for the most part. After all, a thick, reinforced point, as far as I'm aware, is mostly used for penetrating armor and since we don't have to do that, it's not that big a deal. Still, it'd be easy to ask someone like Brenno or another smith what they think on the point issue. Now, finding someone who could, and would be willing to, make this is another story entirely...

On a related note, a sheath for this thing would be just as difficult to make, considering the proportions necessary.

Not a coincidence! I estimated the size from that reference pic of Cloud with the sword and tried to stick as close as possible. Seems I actually overdid it a little bit.

Here's a small but hefty ring-pommeled leaf blade, another fantasy design with some vaguely African and South-East Asian influences.











25 inches overall, with an 18-inch blade and a 4-inch grip. The whole sword consists of one piece of steel, with gold-plated pommel, tang and shoulders. The grip is made simply by wrapping the tang with split and dyed rattan. The blade is lenticular in cross-section and gets quite thick near the pommel; the combination of distal taper and the deep fuller should keep the center of balance at around 3 inches from the shoulders, resulting in fairly significant blade presence, but not enough to slow you down. The scabbard is made of dark rosewood, and features a gold-plated steel chape and throat and a series of rattan bands around the bare wood in the middle.

Of course, you could also skip the gold-plating for a more business-like weapon. Or replace it with brass - give it a little time to put on a nice dark patina and it could actually turn out very nice.

Yeah, I love shorties myself, especially compact but heavy cutters like this. On the other hand, I also really like large swords... and medium ones, too... oh, who am I kidding - just like with everything else, my taste in swords is expansive enough that I don't really have any. It's a Zen kinda thing, honest.

From the fantasy sword redesign thread, Buliwyf's sword from The 13th Warrior:





And because I couldn't sleep and felt like doing something else with that hilt, here's something just for you, Vincent - a Migration Era bowie:





20-inch blade, 4-inch grip. Again, gilt steel hilt with iron plates in the guards and iron bands holding the pommel. Grip wrapped in oxblood leather. The blade has a thick-spined cross-section with a broad and shallow fuller like on most historical langseax, and a very ahistorical clipped point.

Here's something a little bit special. It's a hunting sword in German style. And it's for hunting a very specific beast...











A bold, broad blade of Oakeshott type XVIIIc, 40 inches long and 3 inches wide at the guard, with hollow-ground bevels and a strong central ridge that starts out 0.4 inches thick at the guard - very stiff, but lighter than in looks. Overall length of the sword is 51 inches; the quillons are 10 inches long from tip to tip. The hilt is of a messer-like sandwhiched construction, with blackened steel guard and pommel. The whole sword is balanced mainly by the thick slab tang.





The grip is 8 inches long, with grip slabs of the dark heartwood of ash, seven tubular silver-plated rivets, and silver bolsters. The pommel is also made of two slabs in the form of a wolf's head. The flared ends of the quillons bear the vertical wolfsangel in silver inlay on each face, and a pentagram is likewise inlaid in silver on the small, round shell guard.

If you've seen the right movies, you already know what this thing is for. And if you haven't, just remember:

Even a man who is pure of heart
And says his prayers by night
May become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms
And the autumn moon is bright.

This sword is called Wehrwolf. It's sort of a pun in German: it's an alternate spelling of werwolf - and if I still have to explain what that means, you're seriously not even trying - but wehr can also mean "weapon" or "defense" (as in wehrmacht); I suppose Warwolf would be a good English approximation.

PS. Here's a refined version with a companion knife.

It started out as a more reasonably sized hand-and-a-half, but the proportions just didn't look right until I enlarged the blade to its current size... Oh well, no loss. When your opponent wears his fur inside his skin, you'll want all the reach and power you can get.