Sword of Justice WIP

Executioners Sword by Iron John Logan. WIP originally posted in the Art of Weapons Facebook Group April 2020

Forge hot, 1080 steel

Tang hand forged

blade and tang forged

Forging pommel

Forging the guard

Blade and hilt components rough forged

Drilling out the pommel

Everything rough ground and fitted, ready for heat treat

Heat treat furnace coming up to temp.

Successful heat treat

Blade ground and hand sanded, hilt and pommel final shaped.

Trying something new - attempting to create pitting with acid saturated saw dust.

Overnight "soak" with muradic acid soaked saw dust. I really like the patina, and may come back to this in the future, but it did not pit the steel as I wanted

#2 at aging the blade. this time with a salt/copper sulfate etch mixed with sawdust and wall sizing to make it sticky. Above photo is with it applied, bottom photo once it is washed off and carded back with steel wool. Only 2 hours

for layer #3 at aging the sword I decided to do the hilt and blade separate ways, to make the overall sword differing textures.

The hilt parts I am treating with the tried and true method of applying a cold blue to the steel and then submerging in bleach. this photo is only 30 minutes into the soak and you can already see the rusticals forming!

#3 on the hilt after soaking in bleach total 4 hours

#3 on the blade rock salt/copper sulfate mixed with saw dust. total of 6 hours

Grip core roughed in

grip core finished, leather "risers" attached

First binding of the goat skin leather grip. This forces the leather to stretch and compress to conform to the grip core. I normally do 2 forming bindings, and then a final 3rd once the leather is sewn on

first binding of the leather grip is dry. Now to take it off, trim and dye and bind for the second time

All parts completed! Just need to peen the tang. Front of the sword