Custom Battle Ready Elven Sword: Fate Weaver

The plan was all set…in my head.

The execution, however, would require some finesse. Well-timed vigilance (to receive the packages when I was working from home), some small white lies (but only by omission), sometimes its all about the right place at the right time and dodging bullets (but try and be honest).

2 swords. No questions. No fights with the wife about money or spending. The sublime ideal for a collector with two kids, a mortgage, and a budget.

Better still, one of them would come from Kaer Morhen Forge (yes, Witcher fans, that Kaer Morhen).

But the gods see all our best laid plans and laugh, dont they?

My destiny, it seemed (b/c of bills, PayPal, and other bullshit) was to only acquire ONE sword. But oh what a sword she would be!

Let’s go back…

I had worked on a MASSIVE freelance writing project in April. One of the terms of the money we would earn (most of it would go the family and our trip to Disney) would be that I would allocate funds towards a new sword (or two).

Having caught the custom bug, I went straight to our man Wes Beem and Lonely Wolf Forge first to see what I could do with $1000. He offered me some great options for one of his amazing long sword constructions:

• Mike Jia from The Printed Armory would do the pommel and guard
• Wes would forge/remove stock for the blade
• Steve Huerta from Steve Huerta Custom Leather Works would do the custom scabbard (optional)

I was psyched!

But as the discussion went on, as tends to happen when designing a custom sword with a limited budget, my ideal and his capabilities (for the price) didn’t sync up. I wanted anthropomorphic everything (like my custom Braveheart sword). But instead of a bear this time, I wanted a stag.

• Stag pommel (or stag in a wheel pommel)
• Antler crossguard

I even sent photos:

No dice.

Now, Wes and I are friends, so he told me a nicely and as bluntly as Wes can:

“For that kind of cash, you’re not going to get what you want.”

I couldn’t fault him at all. In my excitement and haste, I had fallen into the oldest trap there is when designing a sword.

“I have this much to spend and I want a frickin’ lightsaber”

Unfortunately, in the end, we couldn’t come to an accord for anything less than $2000 (which I suggested as the right price for Wes’ time, work, and bills). I had to explore other options.

Now, please don’t weep for Wes. There’s a happy ending. I did end up with one of his customs after all…and for a lot less.

HER NAME IS FATE WEAVER

As luck would have it, another one of my All Swords brethren, David, was trying to unload one of the swords he bought from Gentleman Beem: his custom elven saber.

Now, I had been tracking this treasure since the beginning of April, patiently circling like a starving shark to see if this magnificent brand would drop in price at all to a budget depth where I could bite.

In the middle of May, it did.

$750...$650...WAIT FOR IT...BAM!

Once it hit a price where I could nab it, I breached like South African great white and, at least for that hot second, the custom elven blade, aptly-named Fate Weaver, was mine.

But, as with anything worth doing, there were some...complications:

• Gift Card Payments (Fail)
• PayPal Transactions (Fail)
• Canadian Exchange Rate
• International Shipping
• Customs Clearance
• Continental Travel
• Greedy Bandits (not really)

The works….

The apprehension, frustration, and panic was rivaled only by the (figurative) perspiration pouring out of me every day.

But then…after two weeks of waiting….after all the checks and balances were cleared and monetary obstacles…Fate Weaver FINALLY found a new home!

Like a virgin groom on his wedding night (so I have been told), I slowly, reverently (as I do with all my new swords) unfettered my newest steely soul mate from all her trappings, wrappings, and packaging, and simply stood there, awestruck and admiringly soaking in her glorious curves, design, and undeniable metallic strength.

Today, after 4 months, and a lot of work in the yard, I can say that this is the fastest, most agile, and one of the sharpest (shaving would be an insult) swords I own:

• Blade Length: 25 inches 
• Handle Length: 10 inches 
• Weight: 2.5 lbs 
• Steel: 5160 
• Forge Marks on the Blade 
• "Amarth Nathron," "Fate Weaver" in Sindarin Elvish

Not only is it elegant and stunning to behold, it possesses the tank-tough, full-tang, battle-ready construction necessary to make it the first and foremost candidate to ride on my hip on treks through the wilderness. It is also the steel I plan to use when I step up my cutting game and launch into some unsuspecting tatami later on this year.

But for now...

Care to see her in action? Get to know her a little better?

Abracadaver! Thanks for the view!

Stay tuned for the custom scabbard build from Steve Huerta, coming soon!

Collector's Rec.

Every custom sword deserves a home worthy of the blade.

While Fate Weaver waits for its bespoke scabbard, a quality padded sword case is one of the smartest investments any collector can make. Whether you're transporting your sword to cutting practice, a Renaissance Faire, or simply storing it safely between adventures, proper protection ensures your custom stays as flawless as the day it arrived.

Premium Padded Sword Carrying Case

BATTLE READY HIGH ELVEN WARRIOR SWORD

Once again, Scorpion Swords has come through in the Elvish clutch. Their newest creation, the Middle Earth Warrior Sword, is a unique take on the swords used by the elves of the First Age from the Lord of the Rings series.

While less artistic than their United Cutlery counterparts (now unavailable almost everywhere), for the FULL TANG, BATTLE READY, peened-hilt functionality, I will forgive them the less-than-Sindarin aesthetics.

Oh, and did I mention the price? $269 for one of these bad boys! $318 with the sheath to carry it!! And, best of all, they are hand-forged for heavy cutting!!!

Yeah, ring me up. Thanks.

Important Note: the boys at Scorpion Swords will customize your weapon (make it a bit longer, possibly paint vines around the handle, etc) in most cases, if you email and ask them. I know from experience. I have asked them to do just that with their take on Hadhafang.

So check out the photos of this amazing weapon:

Give Scorpion Swords a call, 417-773-0304, and get your FUNCTIONAL ELVEN WARRIOR SWORD before they take off into the West.

BATTLE READY HADHAFANG (SWORD OF ARWEN)

Very exciting! Someone finally took to the time to reconstruct the sword of Arwen, Hadhafang, made oh so famous in the the Lord of the Rings movie, the Fellowship of the Ring, in a functional, full tang, slice-up-your-dinner-then-eat-it-for-you kind of way!

TraditionalArcheryBows.com (I know, it's terrible, was EVERYTHING else taken?) has done some amazing pieces in the past and I am always thrilled to death when they create something both functional and beautiful. They are true craftsmen of the highest order with some amazing videos on their site.

Now, that being said, it is true that this version of Hadhafang lacks the elvish grace and whimsical aesthetic of Tolkien's faery folk, but, put to the test, no doubt this thing would take down a tree.

I, for one, am all aboard to save Frodo's midget behind at the ford of a river, or chop some useful kindling (sacrilegious for a swordsman, I know) using this hunk of steel and wood that certainly wasn't built for any lady I know.

One Post to Rule Them All

Like any fan of the blade, I am quite partial to the works of master author and philologist J.R.R Tolkien. Tolkien, for anyone reading this who has not heard his name mentioned by Western martial arts experts, forge masters who have used his creations as their paramount inspiration, or Hollywood Actors who have made careers, Viggo Mortensen, or Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings Trilogy,



is the master behind the writings involved with The Lord of The Rings.

Now, this post is not pertaining to these works, as I could go on for pages about the philosophies, wisdom, and entertainment found therein, no. This post is to illustrate the power and inspiration this author and his works have had on the world and works of the sword.

The recreations of the works from the pages of Tolkien range from the extremely shoddy $40.00 swords found on Ebay and other sights looking to make a buck, to hand crafted, hand forged and detailed replicas costing as much as the dreaded engagement ring purchase.

The former are the ones to steer clear of. These bastard children of the rat tail tang mentality have, in my opinion, a very small part to play in the world of the sword. They serve as an uneducated beginning. They serve as a prototype for the genuine desire to possess a truly strong and balanced weapon and they are to be looked at as a bauble and then eventually discarded or given to someone who is just starting their journey in pursuit of the Savage Steel.



While a sword like this looks similar to the real movie prop made by the fine crafts people at the WETA Workshop , the armorers for movies such as The Lord of the Rings, Narnia, The Last Samurai, Guillermo del Toro's Hell Boy, and others, they do not possess 1/10 of the craftsmanship or the soul that WETA can produce.





Often times, they all possess the same characteristics:

• Rat Tail Tang Construction: Where the blade is spot welded to the a thin cylindrical tang and then threaded into the cheap wooden handle.



• Quasi-detailing that resembles the actual weapon but anyone looking at pictures side by side will know which is the superior with no prior knowledge



• And finally, 440 Stainless Steel. Unlike high carbon steel or Damascus Steel, which has better flexibility, hardened edges, better resistance to rust and weathering, 440 Stainless is garden variety steel and should not be considered an excellent metal by any means.

These characteristics can be a terrible combination for any sword collector and can even lead to grave injury when your precious 440 decides to do this.

What you should be looking at, first of all, is what you want to get for your hard earned cash. When working with such a money maker like the Lord of the Rings, sword makers have the whole candy shop for you to choose from. They offer everything from the "Halfling Froto Sword" garbage from above, to magnificent pieces from United Cutlery


Now Extinct Museum Glamdring

to unbelievably strong pieces from Generation 2 (The Ranger and The Elven King Sword), Dark Sword Armory (The Ranger *DISCONTINUED*, Faramir Sword, Boromir Sword *DISCONTINUED* and an incredibly strong Samwise and Anduril!)

The latter are the pieces that I would recommend very highly. You all know that Darksword Armory is my favorite and in my humble opinion the by far the most superior forge. Alot of people would agree. The prices are great, the quality couldn't be better, and there is free shipping and even a 10% discount on almost of all of them from the Sword Buyers Manufacturer Store for members.

Now, for the customer who deals in the incredibly rare piece or replica from the Lord of the Rings literature, there are pieces out there that can accommodate. These pieces are from forgers at the top of their profession who not looking to sell wall hangers. They know their stuff is so good and so worth the money (albeit overpriced) that they dont even bother to show the pricing half of the time. Ladies and gentlemen, after much searching, both online and through my own sword collecting soul, I give to you the holy grails of the Lord of the Rings replicas. Enjoy!

• Raven Armory



• Fable Blades



• Odin Blades



• Mad Dwarf Workshop
  

If you can afford those boys then drop the name of my blog when you make a purchase and give this servant of the steel a little extra holiday cheer to bring in the new year.

All in all, people know that we are out there. We, the quasi-nerds of the sword world, are anxiously awaiting the return of Kult of Athena and the newest, best, and brightest the sword world has to offer us for new takes on the chosen weapons of some of our favorite heroes from literature and film.

I will leave you now with a sense, again, of authenticity. Just so you know, if somehow you do not already, that I share your fierce love of LOTR swords and have dropped serious coin in the past when they were at the height of their popularity with a personal photo of my collection taken only days ago.



'We will make them fear the Chamber of Marzarbul!' he said grimly, feeling the edge of his sword Anduril.(Lord of the Rings, Fellowship, page 324)