How to Forge a Patterned Welded Blade

Pattern welding was used in Viking-era Scandinavia for swords in this style.

Pattern welding creates designs by layering metal and folding it. The process was used in antiquity, particularly by the Vikings, to make serviceable blades from primitively smelted iron and steel. They hammered chunks of metal together to create larger pieces suitable for bladesmithing. This method became outdated as steelworking techniques were refined and larger, solid pieces of steel were used for swords instead. A single bar of steel cannot duplicate the striking look of patterned metals, however, and the technique is used today to create blades and even jewelry.

Things You'll Need

• Steel or iron pieces
• Belt sander and 80-grit belt
• Tri-sodium phosphate cleaning solution
• Vise
• Wire
• Gas-powered or coal forge
• Borax flux
• Spoon or flour sieve
• Iron anvil
• Forging hammer
• Wire brush
• Power hammer
• Light hammer
• Tang
• Polish

Instructions

1. Select and clean your metal pieces. Metal pieces should be in flat bars 1-inch wide, roughly 12 to 18 inches long and 1/4-inch thick, maximum. They must be free of dirt and rust, which causes imperfections in the welding. Sand the pieces with an 80-grit belt sander, then clean them with tri-sodium phosphate, or TSP, solution. TSP is often available at hardware stores.

2. Stack the metals. Layer them with darker metals, such as iron or high-carbon steel, in the center. Use lighter metals such as steel with high chrome content on the top and bottom. The stack should be no more than 1 1/4 inches tall. Place the stack of metals, also called a billet, in a vise and clamp it tightly. Wrap wire around the billet to hold the metal pieces together while you begin work. Remove the billet from the vise.

3. Heat the billet in the forge and apply flux to prevent scale. Any forge will do, as long as it fits the billet and heats the metal. You can use borax for pattern welding flux. Specialty fluxes for welding are geared toward certain metals. You are mixing metals, so a flux meant for only one of them will not function properly on the others. Using borax eliminates this concern and still prevents scaling from oxygen exposure. Heat the billet to a cherry red color. Apply the borax flux by spooning it or sifting it on through a sieve, like you would sift flour for baking. The flux melts from the heat, but may slough off at first. Reapply until it flows smoothly and coats the entire billet.

4. Heat the billet and your anvil, which should be warmed to a black heat while you heat the billet again. The billet needs to be uniform in color with no dark spots, which indicate cool areas. Once it is heated, bring the billet to your anvil.

5. Hammer the billet with strokes that are flat and square. Strokes that are uneven, like a tilted hammer head or an off-center strike, will warp the metal, possibly making the piece unusable. Clean off all the old flux with a wire brush. Check the billet after you have hammered. If any light shows through the layers of metal, they have not welded together. Reflux and reheat the billet and hammer it again.

6. Draw out the billet and create the first fold. Once the billet is welded together, hammer it until it becomes thinner and longer. This is called drawing out the metal. Fold the metal after it has been drawn out. You can use a motor-actuated power hammer to work and fold the metal. Be cautious when using power hammers; they can still jar your arms or ruin the metal if you strike off-center or get distracted from them.

7. Repeat Steps 5 and 6 until you have the number of folds you want. Keep the billet hot, since working it while it is cool will cause stress in the metal and lead to breakage. This creates a random pattern in the metals.

8. 

   The tang connects the hilt to the blade and is hidden by the grip.

   Hammer the metal into shape. Use a smaller, lighter hammer to create the edges. A lighter hammer makes the edges taper with less chance of warping the metal. The design of the sword depends on the time period. Pattern-welded Viking blades were double-edged and tapered to a slightly rounded point, for example. Regardless of the blade design or length, you will need a tang. A tang is a short, thin piece of the blade that forms the interior of the grip. The hilt and pommel attach to the tang, leaving the longer, thicker blade uncovered.

9. Heat-treat and polish the blade. Heat treatments harden the metal and are done by quenching the finished blade. The quenching liquid depends on what metals you work with, but oil is suitable for many pattern welded blades. Once the blade is cooled, you can finish polishing it or use acid to etch the pattern welding. Etching makes the patterns stand out more, making even subtle variations pop out at viewers and creating an eye-catching piece for display.

Tips & Warnings

• It is also possible to pattern-weld with used, steel cable wires and other recycled materials, but the results are less certain. The metals can turn out to be different from what you thought you had, which affects welding.

• Always wear protective gear while working in the forge. Heat-resistant eye protection, gloves and an apron are essential to protect yourself from sparks.

• Have fire extinguishers handy in your work area. Also have a quench bucket or trough that can fit the metal pieces you work with.

References

• Octavia; The creation of a Pattern Welded Blade; Robert P. Shyan-Norwalt
• Fenris Forge: How to Make Damascus
• Jake Powning: Swordsmith; Composite Pattern-Welded Viking Sword; Jake Powning

Resources

• "Sword Forum" magazine; The Road to Damascus; Kevin R. Cashen
• Hurstwic; Viking Swords; William R. Short
• Salamander Armoury; Pattern Welding; J.P. Hrisoulas