Viking sword program on NOVA

laEspadaAncha · 11th October 2012, 10:15 PM

Thanks for the heads-up, Ric.

A friend watched it last night and told me about today - fortunately, it sounds like I'll get a chance to record it when it replays over the weekend...

ETA: Found the link to an online stream of the documentary for our forumites who won't have access to PBS' re-broadcast of the show.

laEspadaAncha · 13th October 2012, 01:37 AM

So I watched this, and I was very pleased...

Great showing, Ric - your demonstration of the process was impressive to say the least, and I have an appreciation I never before had for the effort that went into the inlay process. Wow.

And your sword was stunning. Considering it is one of a kind, I would have to think it is priceless in its own right. Again... wow. How many man hours would you estimate - from the time you first built the oven to the last minute of polishing - went into this sword's creation?

Every forumite here would enjoy this documentary, which focuses on the small group of Ulfberht swords, of which only a relative small minority are thought to be genuine (the others being contemporary copies). It mentions not only the likely origin of the steel, but the (Volga) trade routes that brought the Vikings to the south shore of the Caspian Sea, where they posit the Vikings likely traded for crucible ingots.

So much of the documentary had me thinking of various threads I have read and digested here over the years...

Iain · 13th October 2012, 12:25 PM

Very enjoyable documentary and seeing many elements of the process that went into the blade was fantastic.

The heavily magnified images of the steel were particularly interesting.

Battara · 18th October 2012, 12:30 AM

Great work and show Richard!

Another note of Medieval work is the Sutton Hoo Saxon sword in England.

11th October 2012, 10:15 PM	#1
laEspadaAncha Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 608	Thanks for the heads-up, Ric. A friend watched it last night and told me about today - fortunately, it sounds like I'll get a chance to record it when it replays over the weekend... ETA: Found the link to an online stream of the documentary for our forumites who won't have access to PBS' re-broadcast of the show. Last edited by laEspadaAncha; 12th October 2012 at 03:35 AM.

13th October 2012, 01:37 AM	#2
laEspadaAncha Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 608	So I watched this, and I was very pleased... Great showing, Ric - your demonstration of the process was impressive to say the least, and I have an appreciation I never before had for the effort that went into the inlay process. Wow. And your sword was stunning. Considering it is one of a kind, I would have to think it is priceless in its own right. Again... wow. How many man hours would you estimate - from the time you first built the oven to the last minute of polishing - went into this sword's creation? Every forumite here would enjoy this documentary, which focuses on the small group of Ulfberht swords, of which only a relative small minority are thought to be genuine (the others being contemporary copies). It mentions not only the likely origin of the steel, but the (Volga) trade routes that brought the Vikings to the south shore of the Caspian Sea, where they posit the Vikings likely traded for crucible ingots. So much of the documentary had me thinking of various threads I have read and digested here over the years...

13th October 2012, 12:25 PM	#3
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,719	Very enjoyable documentary and seeing many elements of the process that went into the blade was fantastic. The heavily magnified images of the steel were particularly interesting.

18th October 2012, 12:30 AM	#4
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,308	Great work and show Richard! Another note of Medieval work is the Sutton Hoo Saxon sword in England.