Friday, June 20, 2008

You Can Never Go Back ...

Owning a commissioned sword is addictive -- you just can't get ONE.

There is a magnificent difference in the handling of JJ's Ranger sword and the other swords that I got through the Internet. It's not that they are bad - in fact the Boromir sword, the Spartan falcata, even the rapier (yes, I have a basket-hilt rapier too - the pirate outfit was so easy, it literally made itself - but I'll put a posting together for that!) feel solid in the hand, but JJ's sword just seems to be an extension of my arm. The Aragorn sword - from United Cutlery - looks great, but feels unwieldy and ill-balanced. That's what you get when you use stainless steel and a rat-tailed tang - great to hang on a wall, not so great to wield. And no real edge.

That's why I had him do a Faramir sword.

I already have a Faramir sword ... Reg sent it to me and did a nice job of leather dyeing the pommel and scabbard a leaf green color. But it still had that indefinable "cheap" quality that just sets my teeth on edge. So when I contacted JJ, I told him I wanted a "quality" Faramir sword good enough for a Steward's son. JJ - being a true Tolkien geek like myself - approached the commission with relish and we discussed some of the finer points of the blade and pommel. For example, the pommel has brass inlays and the intertwined ravens are beautifully executed. The sword itself is complete, and he's now working on the scabbard and suspension harness. I should have everything by mid-July.

And here are some shots of the finished sword (less the scabbard) - in the second picture, you can see the beautifully detailed intertwined ravens and the brass accents on the pommel.


And below is the completed sword with scabbard! The leather is a dark, weathered green, but it's not showing up as such in JJ's photo ...

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very nice. Is the cost comparable to your average custom carbon steel sword? Also, what was the wait time on the thing?

Herion said...

Hi - wait time has been about 15 months. I'd say it's about as long as something you would get from another high end commissioner like Lyonesse. JJ has been swamped with work and he actually did my Spartan armor before this, otherwise it would have been done about 4-5 months ago.

Anonymous said...

Oooh! Dare2dreamer told me you had a sword custom made but this is the first time I've seen it. It's just lovely.
Of course, when I told him to pass along "nice sword" he told me I'd better do it myself because the jokes pretty much write themselves...

Herion said...

Hey Stephanie,

Thanks for the comment! Dare2dreamer and I have often joked about my collection of "sharp, pointy things"

JJ's work IS incredible - I'm really lucky to have found someone who is not only talented, but shares the same love of all things LOTR...

Jess :) said...

That's a great sword! I've been looking EVERYWHERE for a Faramir sword, but to no avail. My husband and I are great fans (dare I say geeks) of all things Tolkien, but especially have a love, a likeness, for the lives and love of Eowyn and Faramir. Anyway, long rambling story short, great sword! Where can I get one? ;)

Herion said...

Hey Jess,

Ah ... another Faramir fan! Nice to meet you. If you're interested in getting a Faramir sword, please email me at {name of this blog}@gmail.com