Have you ever seen something you simply had to have? Like
there was a time for you when something could have cost $10k and you were
already Googling “how to second mortgage?”
Back in June 2015, it happened to me.
As a member of many of the sword communities on Facebook, I
happened upon a newcomer; peddling his wares from somewhere in sunny Soria, Spain.
Javier Sole from Ancient Forge seemed enthusiastic, friendly (a must for a lot
of sword groups out there), and his work, at first glance, was BEAUTIFUL.
But the one piece that caught my eye almost immediately was the William Wallace Greatsword from 1995’s “Braveheart.” And, while the movie version itself IS NOT true to the actual sword in the museum at Sterling, Scotland, there have been countless reproductions – Ritter Steel, Del Tin, even Albion – that have done collectors true justice.
This one simply captivated me in a way that no other sword
really ever had (except maybe for the DSA Guardian. Ok, the DSA 10TH
Century Viking, too).
The point is I made enquires.
Shipping to the US? Yep. Sharp? Yep (enough). Price? Less
than $500?! Sign me up.
Then came the offer, from Javier, for complete customization:
“You can customize?,”
said I. Like how? Can you do a bear’s
head pommel?
“Sure thing!”
“Wait, what? You mean
I can have a roaring bear head at the resting end of my sword, so I can name it
Mathghamhain (Mahon, “Bear” in Gaelic, representing the famous warrior
brother of High King Brian Boru)?”
The price was now hovering somewhere around $600.
The Wife:
I set to writing. “These are all the reasons and
justifications why I need this blade, hun.” Sound familiar? I haven’t purchased
a sword in 2 years…It’s not that expensive if you compare it to others…I
deserve this because it’s my birthday…You know I love Braveheart.
The list went on.
And so, on a quite night in August, I put PayPal to work. My
money was gone. My heart was elated. My anticipation was peaked.
The Wait:
7-12 weeks. Not bad. I accepted that. Maybe even a few more
for the customization? For this piece? No problem. I knew hand forged, hand
cast materials take time. This isn’t Forged in Fire. I’m a patient man. So I waited…
And waited…
And waited…
Come November 2015, I sent a few quick messages to Javier to
confirm that we were still on schedule.
We weren’t.
The caster had destroyed the mold for the pommel, but Javier
neglected to inform me. More time passed. The caster needed to be spoken to,
AGAIN.
More time…
February came. Half way through, dejectedly, I told him:
“Scrap the pommel project. Return to the original and send me the weapon.” The
dream was dead.
Or so I thought…
The Follow Through:
True to the spirit of great customer service, Javier pushed
through and DEMANDED the caster fulfill his promise. He saved the sword! More than
that, he offered his sincerest apologies, AND made me a gift of a custom
Scottish Dirk for my trouble! Wow, was I impressed.
After much fanfare, and exchange of “in-progress” photos,
the weapon was finished and on its way! I received shipping numbers, dates to
expect her, everything you need to really get excited about a sword.
She arrived. I wasn’t home.
Fuck.
She was delivered the next day, and my mother in law snagged
her up and settled her neatly against the wall of the foyer inside the door.
She was safe (the sword) and she waited for my hand.
The Look:
I can’t do this weapon justice in words. It’s simply
magnificent. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves:
- The Process:
·
- The Pommel:
·
- The Blade:
The Feel:
Handling this sword, I can honestly say it lives up to its BEASTLY
name. At a little over 3 pounds, and approximately 49 inches, it feels like a
great sword should. It sings through the air with immense power behind it, and
generally just jumps when you half sword.
There is no fuller on the blade, but I’m not sure I would
want one. Form is tough with this blade b/c it is so long, but I am sure a more
experienced swordsman than myself, better trained in Fiore or Talhoffer, could
pull it off.
Now, being made of mild 1045 carbon steel, I’m not sure how
it would react steel on steel, but I know that Javier knows his craft and knows
what his clients expect. He explained to me, in great detail, how his heat
treat went, and it seemed (again, I am no expert) to be up to the standards of
the industry.
As for the balance, it is exceptional for so much blade.
It’s about half way up the quarter-length wrap, and is not too heavy like some
other weapons I could name (again looking at you DSA Guardian)
The Video:
Ok, enough talk. Let’s see this thing in action, hmm?
Ok, enough talk. Let’s see this thing in action, hmm?
The Experience:
The experience with Ancient Forge has to be taken in
context. I was excited about the fabulous Celt-inspired design and the custom
fabrication of the sword and bear’s head pommel (maybe too much so). I put
Javier through the ringer in terms of design of said pommel as well, and
because I was paying a high price for my first custom, I made sure that it was
turning out my way.
In prefacing all of this, I am going to give you the pros
and cons, and let you decide for yourself based on the look of his work from
his site, ANCIENT FORGE,
and his Facebook Page.
Pros:
Aside from the stunning
works of art that his swords actually are, Javier offered incredible customer service and live
updates (when asked for). He was in contact
with me constantly via Facebook Messenger for responses, made payment easy and efficient
through PayPal, and converted
everything for me from Euros to Dollars, to give me a clear indication of what
the upfront costs would be.
More than that, he pushed his caster to get the bear’s head done
even at a cost to himself. I am sure when he told me his conversations with his
caster were “difficult” and “angry,” he wasn’t lying. He made a promise, I paid
him, and he delivered. That is not lost on me.
Even MORE than that, as recompense for my waiting so long, he MADE ME a knife! Who does that? No one gets anything for free in this life, but, for this one instance, I did:
Javier guided me through the process, let me know when things were amiss, and made amends. That’s all you can really ask of a blacksmith/business. Right?
The peen is solid, the sword looks great, and the blade,
even semi-sharpened (as international law allows) cuts through water
bottles/jugs/my brother in law’s hand with the right swing. I dig it.
Cons:
Even with so much high praise, things were rocky throughout
the entire, almost year-long process with Ancient Forge.
Starting in November
2015, as I mentioned, I needed to initiate contact with Javier about the
progress of the sword. It seemed, at times, that no progress was even being
made on the sword, like my project was being ignored in favor of other ones. Of
course, this could be due to him making up to 20 different weapons at one time,
mine included. I never thought I was special (and that’s ok).
The bear’s head pommel was a disaster. It was on again. It was off again. The caster was not working out. It was cancelled. It wasn’t cancelled. No updates at all as he outsourced it to someone else. Things happen, but that was rough. If you say you can do custom work, by God, make sure you have someone who can deliver in a timely fashion.
The wait was torturous. Almost a full year to make one sword? That is too long. I was never worried that he would run off with my money, but when 2015 turned into 2016, I started to get a little nervous.
Finally, from a construction and durability standpoint, the sword is "journeyman" at best. Recently, the crossguard began to rattle and move. I had to make minor repairs to it myself and, to remedy the situation with Javier (which he offered to do), I would have to send it back to Spain. I also learned that Javier is “still perfecting his craft” (which, again, I can understand), so he was more than a little aware things might come loose.
The bear’s head pommel was a disaster. It was on again. It was off again. The caster was not working out. It was cancelled. It wasn’t cancelled. No updates at all as he outsourced it to someone else. Things happen, but that was rough. If you say you can do custom work, by God, make sure you have someone who can deliver in a timely fashion.
The wait was torturous. Almost a full year to make one sword? That is too long. I was never worried that he would run off with my money, but when 2015 turned into 2016, I started to get a little nervous.
Finally, from a construction and durability standpoint, the sword is "journeyman" at best. Recently, the crossguard began to rattle and move. I had to make minor repairs to it myself and, to remedy the situation with Javier (which he offered to do), I would have to send it back to Spain. I also learned that Javier is “still perfecting his craft” (which, again, I can understand), so he was more than a little aware things might come loose.
Bottom line is if I pay $600 for something, especially something that is
designed to withstand impact, it better hold up for the longer than half a year (with only sparse use for backyard cutting).
Overall:
While my sword is amazing, and I love the look of it, I
would not, personally, do business with Javier’s forge in the future.
I am very aware of the capabilities of his forge, his customer service, and the
final product. For that price, and that type of headache (worth it, I guess), I
will keep my money and my commissions Stateside.
Perhaps when he has more
experience, better materials (5160 steel+), and a solid process to ensure
nothing moves, rattles, or falls apart, I may revisit.
Would I recommend him to others? Not before they read this post,
and understand what they may be getting into.
Does that make me smart? A bad person? Too particular? A
total asshole?
I’ve been called worse…but it's all the truth.
You can decide for yourself.
