Game Of Thrones Needle Sword WIP- Finished! Pics 4/3

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DeadRinger

Member
So, I've been lurking this forum for a while, I'm mostly into Jaws props,but I'm hooked on this place and just getting into the pep thing. Anyway, I had been working on a smallsword replica, based on a museum piece I saw in Philly, for my girlfriend when I realized she is a big Game of Thrones fan, and I decided I would do a copy of the Needle sword from the show.

She is lefty like the character Arya and it seems to take a lot of influence from smallswords since it was designed for a young girl. Now, I see that a company is making them, endorsed by GRR Martin, but they are nothing like the sword from the tv show.

So, I'm kind of on the fence.. do I make a replica of a sword that's not even featured on TV? I can probably buy it for the amount of time and money it would take to make it and it would come with a COA and an autograph from GRRM. I dont think anyone has done a copy of the screen sword, and I hear HBO doesnt own the rights to make steel swords, only toys..

Anyone have anymore ref for me? I really only have the one good picture of the hilt, and blurry shot of the pommel. I also cant tell if the blade is an epee blade, 3-sided, or flat like a smallsword. Any help would be appreciated. I plan to cut the blade from some 1/4" tool steel, grind and heat treat. The hilt and pommel will be lost foam cast in either aluminum or bronze. Still not sure how the grip is going to be done.. here are my reference pics.. the first one is of the replica sword available for sale..
 
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Re: Game Of Thrones Needle Sword WIP- need reference

I was re-watching the episode when Eddard discovers she has the sword, and it looked like the blade had a triangular cross section.

Not what you're looking for, but the folks at valyriansteel.com are producing swords based on the books, including Needle. They sent one to Martin, who sent it on to the girl playing Arya so she'd have something to practice with:
Valyrian Steel - Swords from George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire”
 
Re: Game Of Thrones Needle Sword WIP- need reference

SmilingOtter said:
I was re-watching the episode when Eddard discovers she has the sword, and it looked like the blade had a triangular cross section.

Not what you're looking for, but the folks at valyriansteel.com are producing swords based on the books, including Needle. They sent one to Martin, who sent it on to the girl playing Arya so she'd have something to practice with:
Valyrian Steel - Swords from George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire”
Click to expand...


yeah, that is the one in my first picture, but I want to do the screen used HBO version. If you can get a screengrab from that scene it would be appreciate it. Im watching it now but dont have the software for the screen capture. Thanks
 
Re: Game Of Thrones Needle Sword WIP- need reference

I'm just going to update this thread to document my progress , I found a couple decent reference pictures in the HBO video- "Forging a Needle" where they show a closeup of the hilt, guard and grip. Also they show original design sketches etc.. I can also clearly see that the blade is triangular in profile and most likely a double wide epee blade that has been shortened. As opposed to the flat blade of the licensed version of the sword, I wont be able to form a triangular blade myself, so I will modify an existing one. I dont have enough equipment to cast a brass guard myself so I will have to settle for pewter and then I will copper electroplate followed by brass plating. I'm still not sure if I will be able to undertake the brass electroplate myself, but it looks possible. Next is to figure out what the pommel looks like and to start the wax sculpt of the guard. If anyone has any advice on what to use for a mold, I have never done any pewter casting before.. Also if there is a better low temp alloy for the job. I know most people here deal mostly in resins and plastics, but any info is appreciated.


link to video: Forging Needle - YouTube
 
Re: Game Of Thrones Needle Sword WIP- need reference

Cool. I fence epee (and to a lesser extent foil and saber) and have a few broken blades that I've collected over the years. If yours turns out well I may have see what can be done with one of them.
 
Re: Game Of Thrones Needle Sword WIP- need reference

Its a musketeer epee blade so its more of a triangular profile with very shallow cuts and a much fatter tang, the regular epee blades are too thin looking, but would be serviceable. If you do decide to make one I can probably cast you a guard(if it comes out good.) I may try my hand at doing a lost foam cast in brass, but leaning towards pewter right now for simplicity.
 
Re: Game Of Thrones Needle Sword WIP- need reference

I'll definitely keep it in mind, though now that I think about it, the tangs on my epees have all been shortened to fit the grips I use. (French grips are pretty much the only ones that keep the tang full length.) They won't come close to reaching the pommel on Needle, which isn't absolutely necessary, but I'd prefer it.

I might check with my coach to see what broken blades he might have lying around.

Also, a buddy of mine is setting up a small forge for sand casting. I doubt it would take too much convincing for him to give lost wax/foam a try.
 
Re: Game Of Thrones Needle Sword WIP- need reference

I'm trying to figure out the size of the base of the blade on an epee. If you know offhand the average cicumference? Are they round like the musketeer blade? After watching the scene where she receives the sword again, the blade looks to be far more hollow than I previously thought. I think the musketeer blade I ordered is 24mm at the base. I would love to be able to use a childrens #0(30") blade but I fear the base will be too narrow and look thin. I wish there was somewhere here on Long Island where I could take a look at some blades in real life. Any pictures with a size ref would help me out if you get the time.
 
Re: Game Of Thrones Needle Sword WIP- need reference

I *think* the only difference is in length. There shouldn't be any difference in width where the blade meets the tang. After all, the full size blades are only 36", which isn't a whole lot longer.
 
Re: Game Of Thrones Needle Sword WIP- Update

Just another update to this thread, got my blade, which will have to be shortened and sharpened, looks like a perfect match. Also got the wooden core for the grip shaped. Started a few sketches for the handguard just for scale, going to have an artist friend help with the scale sketches and then I will either do the sculpt or send the sketches out to be cast in brass. I may have to buy 10 or more handguards for that route, so I wonder if there is any interest in a few of these, otherwise I'm sure I could move them on ebay. I also got the leather gor the grip and scabbard, No pictures of that, it needs to be dyed anyway before I use it. It's hard to tell what color the grip is in the pictures I've found. The leather I have is red, but the grip looks almost purple to me. Still looking for reference pictures.
 
Re: Game Of Thrones Needle Sword WIP- need reference

Moving ahead with the sculpt of the handguard. The copper piece is going to be removed when I'm done, it's just to hold it in place on a dowel while I carve. I've got most of the basic shape roughed out. Any critiques? Now is the time. I figured out all of the proportions based on the blade I got, which is a standard sized blade, but I feel like I might have to shrink the handguard a little more so the blade doesn't look too skinny, but that could be because the copper fitting is oversized, hard to tell, still debating. Also got a picture of the leather, still testing different dyes and distresses, not completely happy with any of them yet.
 
Re: Game Of Thrones Needle Sword WIP- need reference

Yeah, it's starting to come together. I dont know whether my blade is too thin or if my handguard is too big, gonna resculpt it tonight a little smaller and see how it turns out.
 
Re: Game Of Thrones Needle Sword WIP- **Updated pics 9/20**

OH MAN! Thanks! I haven't been able to find a shot of the top of the handguard yet, it also shows how the blade is fitted. Very important info, that is exactly what I needed to finish the sculpt accurately. Excellent!
 
Re: Game Of Thrones Needle Sword WIP- **Updated pics 9/20**

I still dont have a high res shot of the pommel though, but I think I have enough info from the small pictures I've seen.
 
Re: Game Of Thrones Needle Sword WIP- **Updated pics 9/20**

I still don't have a high res shot of the pommel though, but I think I have enough info from the small pictures I've seen.
 
Re: Game Of Thrones Needle Sword WIP- **Updated pics 9/20**

So, I've learned a lot in the last few months here on the rpf and have made some progress on the Needle sword. I ended up making silicone molds of my sculpt, and cast copies in brown wax. I sent the waxes out to a foundry to be cast in bronze. Hope to have the copies back in a couple weeks and assemble the whole thing. Here is an album of pictures of my progress since September.

Photo Album - Imgur

I had to take a few liberties with the pommel and the details on the handguard, but this is as close to screen accurate at i could get with my current level of skill, I hope to get better at prop making as I continue with the hobby, but I'm overall pretty happy with how the first couple projects have been turning out.
 
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