He teaches two types of hands-on sword making classes that enable participants to explore themes of archaeology, metallurgy, and physics in the process of making a Bronze Age sword. Dave is an incredibly knowledgeable and patient teacher and utterly passionate about the ancient world. By Léonard Dumont. We’ll grind your sword and leave it with a polished finish. Abstract. In both classes you’ll begin by learning about the evolution of human tool making skills that led to Bronze Age culture. Brandish a big bronze sword and shout imprecations at pesky Roman legionaries? Other items need to be more thoroughly examined before dates can be affixed. Since 1995 they have been involved in various film, TV and radio productions such as the Time Team and R4 documentaries. The gathering is regularly attended by people from the UK, US, Germany and the Netherlands. Greg interleaves educational snapshots of the history and art of sword-making into an engaging session that gets your hands dirty and leaves you with an amazing sword to take home! Check out our calendar of events, and sign up for a class today! And then watch as we pour your mold with 1,400 degree molten aluminum! ... Of course, in olden times, they were forced to make their safety goggles from simple perspex. Abstract. Also unique for Chinese bronzes is the consistent use of high tin bro… In both classes you’ll begin by learning about the evolution of human tool making skills that led to Bronze Age culture. The Bronze Age is the second principal period of the three-age Stone-Bronze-Iron system, as proposed in modern times by Christian Jürgensen Thomsen, for classifying and studying ancient societies. His sword casting classes are available in Austin and around the US. The sword-making course includes all tools and materials, with expert guidance so that you can make your own fully finished, hilted and polished bronze leaf shaped sword. Sword production in China is attested from the Bronze Age Shang Dynasty, from roughly 1200 BC. Are there any technologies available today (or in a future sci fi setting) that could improve the possible sword length in a bronze material? The kids all learned a great deal of history, got hands on experience with tools, and each walked away with a beautiful metal sword picked and designed by the individual. This craft course provider has been awarded Bronze status for receiving 1 or more 5 star ratings from previous students. Well, that's something special! Bronze Age sword casting class allows children and adults to make realistic replicas of medieval weaponry. No experience is necessary, just the preparedness to work hard for a couple of days, to produce a thing of beauty from another age. And then watch as we pour your mold with 1,400 degree molten aluminum! Afterwards, while you take a lunch break, several volunteers & I grind the swords smooth and prepare them for handles. Check out our calendar of events, and sign up for a class today! From liquid fire to metal sword, in a couple of minutes. Choose between 1, 2, 3 or 4 columns, set the background color, widget divider color, activate transparency, a top border or fully disable it on desktop and mobile. Imagine you lived during the late Stone Age, a time known as the Neolithic. For his classes, he uses some “modern-day equivalents” to Bronze Age methods and materials. You’ll learn more about bronze, its manufacture and properties in a day and a half than from a lifetime of books.” Over 400 similar Late Bronze Age swords are known from Ireland, the vast majority having being recovered from watery contexts such as rivers, lakes or bogs. Greg brought his magic to Houston for a class right in our front yard. For his classes, he uses some “modern-day … The gladius varied in length and size as Roman soldiers of different ranks used gladius measuring around 34.5 and 64 centimeters. The gathering is regularly attended by … The Bronze Age-style swords made in his classes range from those used roughly around 2000 BC to 700 BC, he says. Lower photo source Archeologische vondsten uit Nederland. Or the organizer can avoid individual ticketing fees by paying for the class in full. Brandish a big bronze sword and shout imprecations at pesky Roman legionaries? You pick it up and take it home where you try to figure out what it is. The Bronze Age is a prehistoric period that was characterized by the use of bronze, in some areas proto-writing, and other early features of urban civilization. And it is easier than you think—just select a date and find a location that has shade, bathroom access, and electricity. Sword Casting Workshop “If you’re working on the Bronze Age and interested in technology, weapons, warfare or craft-production then this course is essential. Afterwards, while you take a lunch break, several volunteers & I grind the swords smooth and prepare them for handles. – Micha Lunt Hooper, Host a Class, Today we hosted a sword casting class at my house. Participants 8 or younger must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who will assist them. Canadian drives stranded Americans 1,600 kms. Sword making classes are being offered … Bronze Age sword casting class allows children and adults to make realistic replicas of medieval weaponry. There are two ways of paying for a custom class—select a date and location, and we’ll create a private event for you and your friends to buy tickets. They had amazing energy and passion for the craft, coupled with a wealth of knowledge. Bronze sword workshop A two day workshop exploring the manufacture of bronze swords in the Late Bronze Age. Price. The Bronze Age-style swords made in his classes range from those used roughly around 2000 BC to 700 BC, he says. They were great at incorporating students of varying ages and skill levels and giving just enough information without it feeling overwhelmingly like “learning.” The class was informative, creative, and fun! To this end the pommel-piece may have rivet-holes, peg holes, peg-clefts or hooked ears and, in Mindelheim, spike-tangs to attach and hold the pommel securely to the tang. Their conclusions are that the eye-catching sword was cast during the Bronze Age in northern Europe, and bears a resemblance to "Vasby" swords, classified as such after a Swedish location where another ceremonial sword of this sort was discovered. Greg is a very positive and patient teacher, there to inform and help troubleshoot while still giving plenty of leeway for students to experience the process. Based on what my IT man told me today as he let me know he'd need another ten more minutes at my desk, this is also what upgrading from windows XP to 7 looks like. Typically they forged the blade by hand using a hammer while they employing molds for making the cross piece and pommel. Nobody forges on an an anvil with a flammable liquid on it (but some blade makers use water). This style of sword is called the Ewart Park Leaf and comes from the middle bronze age period approximately 3,000 years ago, Bronze age swords differ greatly in their design but very much portray the skill set of the early metal workers of the bronze age period. Participants could make swords such as an Assyrian sickle sword, a Spartan sword, an Egyptian khopesh or a Greek xiphos, says Austinite Greg Wenderski, who leads the classes for his business called Sword Casting Guy. We have held classes in backyards, parks, summer camps, schools, festivals, and even parking lots. Kids and adults are welcome at our aluminum sword casting classes! The price of each class is per sword cast, not per participant, so you’re welcome to bring a friend! Bronze age Naue II swords were typically 70cm but I am wondering if a longer (1.2m +) sword is actually practical, both in terms of weight and strength of the material. Bronze Age swords appeared from around the 17th century BC, in the Black Sea region and the Aegean, as a further development of the dagger. found that a replica bronze sword became bent when striking an animal carcass, and Crellin and colleagues refer to swords that bent during parrying actions in their Bronze Age Combat project (Crellin et al. However, the artisans of the Bronze Age used molds to create the entirety their blades. First, the scientists staged controlled experiments with seven replica Bronze Age swords, conducting single-strike tests against other weapons and shields. Hallstatt C swords were the first with clear design changes to fix the pommel directly to the tang. Neil Oliver makes a Bronze Age style sword using traditional methods. It was simply amazing. You hit it a few more times and find you can shape it into something else, maybe into a knife. Our classes aim to recreate the key steps in making a Bronze Age sword, while making the process accessible to participants of all skill levels. Aluminum sword casting classes and bronze sword casting classes are offered, according to his website, swordcastingguy.com. Want us to come cast molten metal swords with your group? This style of sword is called the Ewart Park Leaf and comes from the middle bronze age period approximately 3,000 years ago, Bronze age swords differ greatly in their design but very much portray the skill set of the early metal workers of the bronze age period. posted by Wataki at 6:50 PM on May 4, 2011 [10 favorites] No problem! The only modification the rebel fighter had made to the sword, to make it battle worthy again, was to add a crude leather handle,which was attached with iron rivets. This instructable will detail the process of making a beautiful bronze leaf-shaped Ewart Park through gathering materials, making a blank,creating a mold, melting the metal, and pouring the sword. ONE DAY SWORD MAKING COURSE Come and make your own Bronze Sword. ONE DAY SWORD MAKING COURSE Come and make your own Bronze Sword. To make accurate Bronze Age swords of different shapes and types, the researchers asked a “traditional bronzesmith” to make both a variety of swords and a … And then watch as we pour your mold with 1,400 degree molten aluminum! The kids ranged from 10 to 18 (not including the dads who jumped in and made swords too!). Next, get your hands dirty making a sand cast of the original wooden sword. You hit it a few more times and find you can shape it into something else, maybe into a knife. Next, they used human combatants to … About The Classes There are two types of classes: Aluminum Sword Casting (All Ages, 4 hours), and Bronze Sword Casting (Advanced, 8 hours). One of the most influential of the early swords that arose during the Bronze Age, the khopesh was an ancient Egyptian weapon that featured a … [24] Afterwards, while you take a lunch break, several volunteers & I grind the swords smooth and prepare them for handles. Group bookings are also available. You find the edge is sharper than the stone tools you use, but it's only really good for cutting sof… You’ll finish off the handle, and take home the finished metal sword and the wooden original. BUT if you really want a replica of one of these ancient swords, I recommend a visit to www.bronze-age-craft.com, Neil Burridges UK based website. Finally, you’ll learn about the science of metallurgy and watch as we pour an exact copy of your sword in molten metal! These swords were made with an iron blade to which a bronze-covered wood, or ivory cross guard, pommel, and grip would be attached. Afterwards, while you take a lunch break, several volunteers & I grind the swords smooth and prepare them for handles. The Gathering of The Children of Neil is the yearly gathering of Bronze Age enthusiasts and experts from around the world to celebrate the mastery of Bronze Age metal workers and the making of bronze swords in ancient times. Want us to come cast molten metal swords with your group? “If you’re working on the Bronze Age and interested in technology, weapons, warfare or craft-production then this course is essential. This year we had a varied group of familiar attendees. SLYT, 3.14. And it is easier than you think—just select a date and find a location that has shade, bathroom access, and electricity. A mushroom picker in the Czech Republic unearthed a 3,300-year-old Bronze Age sword that has been certified as authentic by the Silesian Museum. Part one is forging out the axe, Part two is heat treating the axe to turn it in to a working tool, and part three is shaping and hafting (handeling) the axe. The alloys used in the bronze age for swords, on average, vary from 8% to 12% tin and in later swords the lead content varies 1% to 5% depending on the tin content. The price of each class is per sword cast, not per participant, so you’re welcome to bring a friend! Minneapolis City Council votes to cut millions from the police budget. In general, the evolution of blade weapons in the Aegean Bronze Age is from the dagger or knife in the Early Bronze Age to the earliest narrow bladed "rapier" swords optimized for thrusting from the Middle Bronze Age to the typical leaf-shape blades in the Late Bronze Age. Next, you'll choose a wooden sword from several historical Bronze Age patterns, and get your hands dirty making a careful sand cast of the wooden original. The class is doable for all ages but still enjoyable for older folks. Release date: 01 March 2011. The class was a full house (about 18 attendees). Bronze Age Sword Making May 4, 2011 6:00 PM Subscribe. Even when we weren’t making swords, he’s a great person to talk to.”. One day, you find a shiny chunk of rock. We have held classes in backyards, parks, summer camps, schools, festivals, and even parking lots. Sword length is related to its use and not so much to the material of which it is made. My personal feelings are that the hardness of sword alloys could not exceed the hardness of the tools used in the process of edge hardening. It would have been a pricey weapon for folks of the time period, made during a point in time when the region's Urnfield culture was just rising … From liquid fire to metal sword, in a couple of minutes. Bronze Age sword casting class allows children and adults to make realistic replicas of medieval weaponry. Our Bronze Sword Casting class is a bit more advanced, and recommended for older kids and adults. You hit it with a hammer, expecting it to break like most of the rocks you know, but instead, you dent it. -David Pappas, Bronze Class. They also allow tutors to gain valuable feedback on their courses and for new students to find the course that's right for them. They were replaced by iron swords during the early part of the 1st millennium BC. No problem! Its perfect for grabbing the attention of your viewers. To purchase tickets for all events out of Austin, please click on the specific Eventbrite link on the calendar page in the event listing. Sword finds are however very rare until around 2300 BC. The Gathering of The Children of Neil is the yearly gathering of Bronze Age enthusiasts and experts from around the world to celebrate the mastery of Bronze Age metal workers and the making of bronze swords in ancient times. Greg Wenderski, lovingly known as the Sword Casting Guy, travels around the … Next, you'll choose a wooden sword from several historical Bronze Age patterns, and get your hands dirty making a careful sand cast of the wooden original. Or the organizer can avoid individual ticketing fees by paying for the class in full. This is a replica of a sword found in the tomb belonging to King Tutankhamun (King Tut). This is an excellent course for groups and does require team work to move the metal where you want it to go. If you cannot make a small high quality cooking knife then why do you want to try to make a sword? 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