When you think of medieval warfare, we think of swords. While most Viking blades were found to have been composed of slag-ridden, low-carbon steel, these blades' metal was comparable to the strength of modern steel. It was the sword of choice for the discerning Viking – superstrong, and almost unbeatable in battle. The group of Ulfberht swords includes a wide spectrum of steel and production method. Possibly. Not only was the material better, but the design of the sword was a definite improvement. If the steel that he produced was good, wouldn't our controlled methods be even better? Were the makers of the Ulfberht swords using the same techniques? This Documentary was based on how this sword was made. His work can be seen in several articles and his new book "The Sword and the Crucible" ISBN 9789004227835. The sword can be used for actual combat and for cutting practices when ordered sharp. The Ulfberht swords are about 170 medieval swords found in Europe, dated to the 9th to 11th centuries, with blades inlaid with the inscription +VLFBERH+T or +VLFBERHT+. The Sword has a base damage of 18. Maybe the trade route that had been providing the crucible steel dried up. Great doc. Ulfberht swords were made during a period when European swords were still predominantly pattern welded ("false Damascus"), but with larger blooms of steel gradually becoming available, so that higher quality swords made after AD 1000 are increasingly likely to have crucible steel blades. And they quickly became famous, and probably rich, for it. But if you think that everyone was using swords, you might be a little off-base. The guard and pommel are made in Mild Steel. We’ll probably never know for sure. Giving the user more guile and power, the brand was also notable for being shatter-resistant in a time when most swords rarely lasted. And because there are so many imitation swords out there, figuring out who originally created the mythic Ulfberht swords or where they did it has baffled archeologists for decades, and will likely long remain a mystery. But what if you wanted a really good sword? The Magnificent 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Coupe From the Ralph Lauren Collection. An enigmatic blade made by the Vikings and engraved with the word Ulfberht has stumped archaeologists. Please, why does everyone have to mention these primitive chunks of garbage every time someone mentions a real combat sword? The Norimitsu Odachi is a huge sword from Japan. Add too much carbon and the sword becomes brittle and breaks. Unfortunately, this fact is largely ignored. That might imply that the original … The purity of the steel is not evident to the naked eye. This was traditionally where the best swords were made, and the Ulfberht “brand” might have made the best swords in Francia. And getting these materials from as far as India involved a global trade network you don’t usually associate with the period. Related products . The other stats are the same as those of the standard steel sword. That gave the user a huge advantage in battle. I like it, but personally I like Secrets of the Samurai Sword better. Yet only a select few carried the ultimate weapon of their era: the feared Ulfberht sword. There, they were turned into swords in what is now Germany. And since the people who bought these swords were relying on them for battle, this had deadly consequences. I can't watch this. But, the Ulfberht sword was a quantum leap in both technology and design. That’s because the process used to make Ulfberht swords was centuries ahead of the competition. Even if you tried to equip an entire army with swords, you would have quickly run into the biggest problem associated with warfare no matter the era: money. There are about 170 true Ulfberht swords that have survived to the present day. Four Ulfberht swords found in Norway (drawings from Lorange 1889). Modern-day blacksmith Richard Furr tries to create this legendary sword using techniques that Vikings would have been used at the time when this sword was made. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. The Ulfberht swords, largely associated with Vikings, were basically like the Ferraris of their time. Apart from the basic knowledge of it having been forged in the 15th century AD, measuring 3.77 meters (12.37 ft.) in length, and weighing as much as 14.5 kg (31.97 lbs. If not, then they somehow produced something very similar to Damascus Steel on their own, with almost no impurities in the metal. In the documentary there are suggestions that the shape of the Ulfberht blade was in some way unique, in particular the point for pierceing chainmail, and the high ratio of its width measuring edge to edge from base to tip - as is best I can describe it myself. The grip is made of Oak and wrapped in black leather. Learn how your comment data is processed. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. But the bottom line is if you wanted a good sword, it wasn’t cheap. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The Ulfberht sword deserves to be put alongside the names of the most famous, and in this case mysterious, swords ever found. Manufacturer: armorer (WS500864) An old legend has it that a Nordic smith named Ulfberht developed the first all steel blade. And that’s actually a better comparison than you might think. ), this impressive sword is shrouded in mystery. You could block an enemy’s sword and trust that your blade wouldn’t shatter, which was a constant concern. The type of Viking sword was made famous in the Stiklestad battle. ( Log Out /  It’s hard to say exactly what an Ulfberht cost, but it was probably something only the richest noblemen could afford. ( Log Out /  Art. The mystery was how the Vikings created these blades while the rest of Europe was still … The secret to Ulfberht swords was the distribution of carbon in the blade. Not strips, but good carbon steel blades with enough carbon content to produce excellent swords. Although of a similar size and shape, the Ulfberht was far more durable than a common Viking sword and penetrated armor more easily. Just imagine, people made this hundreds of years ago. Blade: EN-45 High Carbon Spring Steel Total length: 36″ Blade length: 30″ Blade width at base: 2″ Guard & Pommel: mild Steel Weight: TBD. But until recently, it was unknown how Vikings actually made them - seeing as they did not possess the technology to produce one! A scrawny smith's son must transcend his father and draw the sword Ulfberht to save the village from their malevolent warden Uffe. Of the thousands of Viking swords that have been recovered throughout Scandinavia and Europe, only 171 are marked as Ulfberhts. Only the best warriors could afford a Ulfberht. It is so large, in fact, that it was said to have been wielded by a giant. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the ArtisanVideos community, Press J to jump to the feed. Then you needed an Ulfberht. Experts believe a German monastry may have been responsible for the product of the superstrong weapons. ( Log Out /  During this feature they also explain more towards the background of this ancient sword. Some details on the making of this documentary: http://www.thearma.org/Secrets-of-the-Viking-Sword.html#.UyDY8uddUmc. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Secrets of the Viking Sword, a popular 2012 documentary by NOVA, features the rounded shaped U instead of V on their sword replica, which is, I think, a shame. Archeological records indicate that Ulfberht swords burst onto the scene in 800 and just as abruptly disappeared in 1000. The Ulfberht was probably a very rare weapon only carried by elite warriors and chieftains, giving its user a great advantage over common weapons of the Viking age made of lower quality steel. Thousands of Ulfberht swords were found across Europe, most of them found in rivers or or excavated from Viking burials across Europe and Scandinavia but only around 170 Swords are proven to be the real Ulfberht swords. But since the swords were made for about 200 years, he certainly wasn’t the only one producing them. And since the people who bought these swords were relying on them for battle, this had deadly consequences. 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