Hyperborean sword from Witchfinder

Atlas

Well-Known Member
Hi guys,

The hyperborean sword has been on my To do-list ever since I first read Witchfinder, and when my current studies put various methods of metalworking at my disposal, of course, I instantly started thinking props. Since this was pretty much a pet project I worked upon while running between other things, I couldn't take as many pictures of the process as I would have liked, but hopefully they illustrate the build process well enough =)

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I based my build off of this particular pic. In Hellboy-universe (which Witchfinder is a part of), the sword later appears, but the design is slightly different. I like the idea of a broken swordblade being repurposed into a smaller sword/knife, so I wanted the shattered edge look for my blade.

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Since I was going to cast the blade out of bronze, I needed to make a master sculpt. I built a "skeleton" of the blade from scrap steel, and filled the voids with wax.

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The sandmold (well, a half of it) with the fresh cast blade still in it. Sand molds are good for things you don't need multiple copies of, since the mold is destroyed in the process. Since I needed just one, that's the way I went.

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The cast blade next to the master sculpt. Sand casting generally doesn't have very good fidelity, but most of the flaws were easily sanded away.

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Some time passed without process pictures, but basically I spent a few evenings at the belt sander smoothing the thing up, slowly getting to finer and finer grits, until I finally polished the blade into a mirror sheen. Some casting flaws in the blade were too deep to be sanded off, but they're nothing I couldn't live with. Below the blade here is a piece of birch I made the handle from.

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After sanding the handle into a more user-friendly shape, I mocked it into place.

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I stained the handle with two different shades of woodstains to get a dark, almost exotic color to it. After the stain dried, I sealed it with a double layer of carnauba wax.

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And finally finished. I will re-wrap the handle and blade together with thinner, wider leather strap that I bought from a friend of mine.

And finally, on my way home, I stopped in a nearby forest to snap a few pictures. Wintery fir forest works well with the intended Hyperborean origins of the blade. =D

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I love this prop, and I love your replica!

I know of one other, and he wasn't as faithful to the contours of the blade as you were. Great job!


-MJ
 
Re: Hyperborean sword from Witchfinder, and other artifacts from te Hellboy universe!

I rewrapped the handle with different leather:
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Much better. More comfortable, too.

I'm looking at some black leather scraps I have and...
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...Maybe? =D

As an extra, here's some other artifacts I've replicated from the Hellboy universe:
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Mohlomi's bell and Bog Roosh's nail. In comparison to the Skelton Crew's nail, I think mine's a little too small.

More to come!

_A
 
go on make the back scabbard for it, you can dress up as Agent Howards. all you need now is a B.P.R.D. vest and goggles and start monster hunting.
nice work on the bell and nail, looks very nice. have you given any thought about making a B.P.R.D. Badge like you see on the cover of Abe Sapien 15. cos i would love one.

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Yep, the badge is on my list of things I want to make. Not sure when I'll get around to making it, though, studies are eating up a lot of my time.

_A
 
Took some time, but finally got around to build the holster that Howards wears. made from 2,5mm (2/16'') thick black leather, sewn together by hand. My stitching and edge finish are pretty crude, but I guess in the Mignolaverse Howards crafted this by himself.
I put a PALS-compatible belt loop on the back, so this could be attached to a tactical vest if I ever wish to do so. I'll probably make the belt Howards has in the comics to hold this too, but with the sword being so heavy, it would hang too low on the back to be really useful..

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That being done, I'm happy to call this project done =)

_A
 
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