How to make a Sword?

 Overview of How to Make a Sword
The two main parts of a sword are the blade and the hilt. The blade could be single edged or double edged. The hilt gives a firm grip to the swordsman. There are various types of swords.

A fully equipped blacksmith workshop along with the requisite raw materials is the basic necessity of a sword making endeavor. Let us see the steps of how to make a sword. These steps are generic in the sense that depending on the kind of sword, you want to make, they may vary.

Study the Sword Making Techniques and Decide A Design
This is the first and most important part. An opportunity to see a real sword maker doing his thing, is the best form of education. So, see if a sword maker takes you in as an apprentice. You will get to learn on the job. Set up the forgery for the job. Decide on a design, dimensions and plan your procedure of making the sword, down to the last details. That way, the time spent in a forgery will be more productive.

Forging the Sword
The process of making a sword starts with forging. The metal bar from which you intend to make a sword is heated in a forge and hammered into shape. This is probably the most difficult of all the steps. Impulse needs to be delivered with the right power to mold the metal bar into the shape of a sword. The forging process involves repeated heating and hammering, till the desired shape has been achieved. This gives strength to the blade.

Annealing the Sword
Annealing is the most important part of forging. It involves heating the sword and making it cool slowly. This cooling process can be stretched to more than 24 hours. Annealing prepares the blade for the grinding part later.

Grinding and Hardening the Sword
Using a grinder and the force of friction, a sharp blade is methodically sculpted out of the forged metal, along with a sharp pointed tip. Engravings are made on the blade in this step. Then the sword is hardened by heating it to a high temperature and then cooling it suddenly by inserting it in a quenching or coolant tank.

Tempering the Sword
The last part is tempering the blade which again involves repeated cycles of heating to low temperatures and cooling. This gets rid of the brittleness of the sword. This final stage is the toughest and needs a lot of blacksmith skill.

Putting the Finishing Touches

Task: Explain with your words how to make a sword in the Metal Ages