In a new web series by Break Media, called “Man at Arms”, Hollywood swordsmith and propmaster Tony Swatton recreates famous weapons from TV and movies. For the debut episode, presented by HBO’s Game of Thrones, he forges Jaime Lannister’s sword.
Winter Is Coming: That was pretty cool. It is amazing the amount of work that goes into creating just this one sword. The armorer for Thrones is Tommy Dunne and he has stated that they handcraft all of their weapons and armor. Just think about how many man-hours go into creating everything we see on screen.
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49 Comments
Such a difficult art…
ArkashQuote Reply
I want a sword too please!
Sky AeroQuote Reply
Its amazing the level of detail that goes into the show.
RoopertQuote Reply
Awesome
Pablo JainagaQuote Reply
It is so amazing the proccess to do a sword!
juego de tronosQuote Reply
Ive always been a huge fan of swords. Amazing how they each are created.
king of the NorthQuote Reply
wow
the waifQuote Reply
Just had to show the guys smashing stuff with the swords. I guess if you spend days making them you might as well have some fun as well.
EPNQuote Reply
Please make Ice next!
Ser Aerys OakheartQuote Reply
awesome profession
novichasoQuote Reply
Looks like a fun job.
JamboQuote Reply
What nonsense. A blade’s fuller is meant to decrease weight – there is no such thing as “blood grooves”.
Also, weren’t the main swords in Game of Thrones made after traditional fashion by a bladesmith (Tommy Dunne) instead of using modern industrial stock removal tools on blanked out steel bars?
LVQuote Reply
Totally awesome video!
Lord of FangsQuote Reply
LV is right, fullers were put into swords to reduce the weight of the blade, it’s why you sometimes see swords with two, or even three. The guy does nice work, and I couldn’t even come close–but I am rather disappointed to find out he doesn’t make swords the correct way. His swords are fine for drama, but they’re stamped and cut steel, and’ll break if you really put them to the test.
Christopher RuocchioQuote Reply
I am reminded of:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un1M7xbCCIs
KGQuote Reply
That is so awesome seeing it from the very beginning! What an art !
JimboQuote Reply
king of the NorthQuote Reply
Weak. Should have been gold.
HunterQuote Reply
SWEET!
Mrs. H’gharQuote Reply
As he was pouring the bronze into the mold, I found myself screaming “ONE RING TO RULE THEM ALL!!!”
Mr. EdQuote Reply
Hopefully Vayriansteel.com/shop throws Jaime’s Kingsguard blade on their site for sale this year. Would be nice to own the sword used for slewing Aries Targaryen, plus Jaime is my favourite character in the books.
The Onion KnightQuote Reply
This loving attention to detail by the entire technical crew is just one of the elements that go into making GoT a work of art, worthy of our time and attention. Roll on season 3!
3eyesQuote Reply
Smashing/cutting glass with a blade made in such a incorrect fashion is easier than using that blade on flesh and bone and wood and armor.
Here’s one way a real masterpiece of sword is forged:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXbLyVpWsVM
What he made was meant for display and short use only. Not really good for any combat or and not “battle ready”. Beyond that its a perdy piece of art. Nice pommel and hilt.
WolfheartQuote Reply
Forget about Jaime Lannister……. this sword smith is awesome !
He was also featured in a NOVA presentation of the ” Viking Ulfberht Sword “,
which aired in the US just a few months ago ( Public Broadcast System ).
Tony Swatton actually re-created the Ulfberht using same smitty methods
utilised in days of the Christian Crusades and Viking conquests. I believe
the sword was tested for molten content by experts that measure such products.
Awesome post *>*
Has Conan the Barbarion’s birthday passed yet ? :D
WildSeedQuote Reply
Im pretty sure he’s making a prop for the show not a “real” sword for an acutal battle. big difference. I’ve used a number of these types of swords on stage and its bad ass. What a fun job!
AlexBaratheonQuote Reply
Ahh, the Ulfberht sword is quite special, along with other Viking, Saxon and Frankish swords. Pattern welded, the beautiful swirling patterns, chevrons and stars really does it for me, and the amount of time, effort and skill put into making these masterpieces is staggering! Much more interessting than seeing a sword cut from a bar of metal…still, it’s a prop right? ;-)
GrijnwaaldQuote Reply
WildSeed,
That was actually Richard Furrer a blacksmith in Wisconsin.
EricQuote Reply
As far as I can tell this guy is not the armourer HBO hired for GoT (his IMDB credits don’t include GoT, for example), and he’s not describing how the sword was made for the show. Rather, this is an experienced armourer who has made a sword on his own following what he saw on TV and is posting a movie about it.
HBO’s armourer is Tommy Dunne.
LiorQuote Reply
Sure this guy does good work (hell, he does great work) but the guys at work for Weta for Lord of the Rings are better, no offense. Those guys made real armor and real swords that were “battle ready”. And in no way am I criticizing Game of Thrones smithing because this guy, I believe, isn’t an official Thrones smith. Season three is under fifty days away!!! It’s coming so fast!
After The FeastQuote Reply
Ah yes, I recall the smitty from Wisconsin on the telecast, but I thought Swatton
resembled the bloke… they both look similar……. If Furrer was the smith
in the broadcast , I stand corrected. Thanks :D
WildSeedQuote Reply
Grijnwaald,
LOL, I pushed my memory of that Ulfberht broadcast, and forgot about Jaime’s
sword. I’m sure it will do as a prop, and prove less dangerous to handle than
the real deal. A very nice career for a nerdiest smithy….. one gets to make all
the swords a slayer needs. I suppose Conan the Barbarian deserves recognition
too, and Drogo of course *>*
WildSeedQuote Reply
I have been working metal for close to 38 years. Think about it , in westoros the had no power hammers or propane , or electric sanders. So yes there is a lot of work put into this sword and it is a piece of art, but just think what it took to do these completely by hand tools. I would say ten times as long . If not more
peter sweeneyQuote Reply
3eyes,
The Onion Knight,
He is not a crew member. The person who makes the swords for GoT is Tommy Dunne.
FogQuote Reply
i wanna see the valyrian sword that jamie gave brienne
xFire and BloodxQuote Reply
I’m surprised that for somebody forging medieval weaponry replicas that he still repeats the myth about the purpose of a fuller. The purpose of a fuller is not as a “blood groove” to prevent a (non-existent) vacuum. This has been debunked handily.
The purpose of the fuller is to remove excess metal from the sword while not compromising its strength. The sword is lighter and easier to swing with a fuller because more metal has been removed from the blade, but is still just as strong in a sword fight.
BaramosQuote Reply
It’s still wrong.
Christopher RuocchioQuote Reply
Here is a brief but poignant article from last year which basically says that when compared to GoT, the LOTR trilogy is basically child’s play…
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/mar/30/entertainment/la-et-game-of-thrones-20120330
Ioco73Quote Reply
You are awesome! Amazing work!
I’d love to see Robert Baratheon’s warhammer (don’t know if you make things like that, but i’d love to see it)
CheyenneQuote Reply
That is simply amazing. I wish I had the skills to make swords like that.
Brian InmanQuote Reply
Ioco73,
Ya that’s about the show as a whole, not about the weapons and armor. I still enjoy both LOTR and GoT thoroughly!
After The FeastQuote Reply
king of the NorthQuote Reply
Baramos,
I know, it’s pathetic.
I’d go further and say that a man who would like to sell the products of his effort wouldn’t be harmed if he dedicated some time to check out some historical facts about them, instead of repeating quotes by people who clearly knew nothing about swords except that they were used for killing and look cool hanging by one’s side.
I have to add that a fuller gives a vast amount of elasticity to the blade while delivering a blow. At the time of impact the power alone is enough to break the blade but the fuller absorbs much of the pressure and help the sword return to its original state. This way they could use harder metals without the fear they’ll break after some hits. Ask any mechanic about that and look at some slow motion videos to see how much a blade distorts even during swings.
Off course a heated metal bar doesn’t need a fuller. I’m sorry but that guy is not a weapon craftsman. He has the tools, he picked up some things about how forging works but at the end he is a decorator.
Also the guy who “tests” the sword by smashing things doesn’t know how to swing a sword (or any non firearm for that matter). The video shows clearly that he has the wrong foot in front, he turns his body around, he hits the bottles with the middle of the blade, not the tip… Nah, completely amateurish and wrong.
Kael of the LakeQuote Reply
Man, that is cool. Can I just follow him around for a week?
Inn atthe CrossroadsQuote Reply
Winter, your links to the new casting article are broken.
sunspearQuote Reply
Wolfheart,
I watched this entire video, so awesome. Thanks so much for linking it :)
ZackQuote Reply
Tommy Dunne doesn’t take kindly to feckless extras mucking about with his swords. True story.
JoeQuote Reply
Cool. Cant wait till he makes Oathkeeper!!!
NerdQuote Reply
Lord Stark’s Valyrian steel sword was made into two. Now wouldn’t that be something to see? I thought Tony Swatton was an artist. He only makes it look easy…
MonicaQuote Reply
He doesn’t work on the Game of Thrones production. He’s just a prop sword maker in Hollywood doing this webseries, but not even using the techniques that the production uses for GOT. So this video gives us very little insight on how GOT’s Jaime Lannister sword was actually made.
spacechampionQuote Reply
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