Here is a brief description of the methods of construction and materials I employ to make my swords.
I hand forge my monosteel blades out of 1075 high carbon steel or admiral L6, and my pattern-welded blades are forged out of 1075 and admiral L6. I harden my blades by quenching in a 475 degree low temp salt bath from 1500 degrees Fahrenheit. I then reduce the stress in the hardened blade by triple tempering at between 475 and 500 degrees for three cycles of 1 hour each. By using a low temperature salt pot, I am able to Marquench my blades producing very tough hardenned steel.
Handle materials can vary widely. I tend to use silicon bronze fittings and use a wide variety of exotic woods as well as some fine local hardwoods for handles. I like to make my swords as lightweight as possible, with a point of balance around four to six inches from the guard. I like to take the time to make swords that are both beautiful and durable, using more time consuming techniques such as hand filing often allows me to produce more precise balanced work. I will not sacrifice quality for speed of completion in my work.
The swords pictured on this page are examples of my previous works, each piece is one of a kind and made entirely by hand.