I welcome all of you who appreciate the seductive curves and radiant warmth of steel fashioned into the perfect Klingon blade - the betleH vaQqu' !! Whether you are fortunate enough to create your own custom weapons, aspire to learn the art or just want to associate with blade-smiths, *The Guild* is here to serve you and the Empire.
Once again we have new members to welcome. The Guild is really starting to
take form and because of that I felt we should have an additional project
running. The Battleaxe is a glorious project but probably too much for a novice
to tackle. I will start a smaller knife project this month and use it to go step
by step through the process of knife making for the members who are new to the
craft and want to get started on their own blades. For the Warrior's knife which
this project will involve I am using my standard quarter inch stock, but the
pattern can be reduced in size and smaller stock substituted. You can also forgo
some of the details in the blade such as the *cut-out*. At any rate this will be
covered in that section.
I got a copy of the latest *Star Trek Communicator* because it had a large
section devoted to Klingons. There is an article in it by the honorable Terry
Ray Hiller who is a trained design analyst. He makes some observations that I
think we all can benefit from. The points he brings up concerning Klingon design
are ones that I have tried to stress in the blades that I make. The following is
quoted from the Dec/Jan issue of the "Star Trek Communicator" , article by Terry
Ray Hiller.
"Klingons value facing their enemies in combat. While they have photon torpedoes, disruptors, and any number of hi-tech weapons at their disposal, Klingons still prefer the traditional weapons of their low-tech ancestors for personal combat - the bat'leth and the d'k tahg"............"to engage an enemy without confrontation would not have appealed to the Klingon sense of ethics."
"Klingon esthetics reflect these deeply held beliefs and behaviors. Unlike
the smooth lines incorporated into Federation objects, sharp angles and over
sized elements distinguish Klingon design with an abiding fascination with
points and blade-like edges." (Does this sound like any of *us*?) "More over,
simplicity and straight forwardness are key Klingon esthetic ideals. Calling on
the metaphor of hunting birds, Klingon visual design stresses four elements :
strength, simplicity, power and danger."
STRENGTH, SIMPLICITY, POWER and
DANGER
Lets get started.
I hope you enjoy it. As always your comments and
input are welcome.
mupwI' yI'uchtaH !! (Keep holding the hammer ! )
K'Daq son of
Toragh
Master of the Heart of Kri'stak
As the Guild grows, we will try to enhance camaraderie by publishing
histories of our members (both Klingon and Terran). It is not necessary to
develop a family history to be a Guild member, but it does help to solidify an
image of you as a fellow crafts person and Klin.
House Kale has a long history that dates back to pre-spacefaring days of the
empire .
House Kale is not a large house but has much honor. Recently things
have not gone well for House Kale. My "Father" dishonored our house by his
cowardly retreat in battle. He was killed when challenged by the first officer
of the bird of prey he commanded - for his cowardice he died and now Morac is
head of house and is considering joining house Kassara. .
Morac of the
House of Kale
Honored Morac,
The honor of a House is based
entirely on the one who leads that House. The blot placed on the House of Kale
by your father will be erased by the songs of his most honorable son. You have
the strength to lead your House but these are times of great unrest in the
Empire. There is strength in numbers and House Kasara certainly has strength.
You and I are not so different. I was led to House Kasara when my House was
depleted by treachery and now you face a similar choice. Your heritage and who
you are as a warrior will always remain no matter what house is honored to call
you it's own.
K'Daq
Next month: House Kasara
The first accounting is well known but it is a tale that deserves telling. In
it Kahless walked from the camps of his army prior to the final battle with
Molar. He was troubled - the weight of thousands of warrior's lives was getting
too much to bear and he had to have quiet to contemplate the situation. After
sitting down under a small tree he fell into a troubled sleep and was met with a
vision. The Gods told him to climb the slopes of Kri'stak , take a lock of his
long black hair and dip it into the lava of the volcano . This was to be plunged
into the waters of Lursor and a weapon of great power was to be forged from
this. The God's gave him the vision of the sword and Kahless forged it as he was
instructed, giving it the name bat'leth - *Sword of Honor*.
Molar was
defeated and the bat'leth became not only the symbol, but the primary weapon of
the warriors of the Empire.
The second accounting involves the recovery
of some ancient documents written in Kahless's own hand. Although many tried to
suppress them, the contents did become known and the story they tell not only
honors Kahless as a leader, but as a man we can all admire and respect. God-hood
is a terrible onus. Gods are to be feared but warriors of great strength and
courage are to be admired and respected - that's what Kahless is and means to
the Klingon Empire.
In this accounting Kahless still walks from camp and has
his dream, but his first reaction is to gaze up at Kri'stak and laugh at the
ridiculous idea of climbing the slopes of an active volcano. He does believe
that the design of the bat'leth is divine in nature and he hurries back to camp
to locate a metal smith. When the call is sent out for the best weapons maker in
camp it is answered by Toragh, who makes Kahless his weapon and Molar is
defeated.
This is the heritage of the weapons smith as well as the story of
the bat'leth. We who make weapons are warriors first, for who can make a weapon
if he does not first understand how to use it ? Great weapons are made by great
weapons makers but great warriors are born to the task
Qa'Pla!!!
mupwI' yI'uchtaH !!
The standard bat'leth is one meter long (39 inches) from primary tip to
primary tip and 27 inches long from secondary tip to secondary tip. The arch
from the back of the center grip to the tip of the primary blades is 15.5 inches
deep. So it fills a rectangle 39 X 15.5 inches. Mine is made of quarter inch
stock.
OK a moment about blade thickness. I have made swords for a long time and
historically and practically a quarter inch is the optimum thickness. You can
get away with 3/16 on marginally small blades (small bat'leths and meqleths) but
on larger swords you need the bulk to give you a blade that won't be easily
deflected. In smaller pieces like knives I like quarter inch because of the
*depth* it gives the piece. In this case its partially esthetics and partially
function. A thick knife feels powerful in your grip.
In sizing your work the primary factor is the width of the warrior's
shoulders. I have the warrior stand with arms outstretched and fists clenched
with thumbs pointed inward. The measurement from the middle finger knuckle to
middle finger knuckle corresponds to the measurement from the center of the one
outboard cut-out to the other. Each cut-out should be pretty much similar but
when you make adjustments to a final width the central opening will sometimes be
changed to accommodate the size.
Next to consider is the stature of the warrior. Short warriors will require a
smaller measurement in the width. This sometimes translates into an overall
smaller sword but there are cases where the warrior has broad shoulders and is
short in which case I usually make the arch (depth) greater to maintain optimum
striking capability while reducing from the 39 inches. The same is true for
taller warriors. If you have a warrior who is slender in the shoulders but tall
you need to flatten the main blade arch and probably lengthen them as
well.
*!*!*!* Never suggest that a sword be made smaller merely because
the warrior is a female - you might end up being fed your own liver. When I
reflect on the warriors that I would have at my side on the final days, the
majority of them are women. A wild eyed Klingon woman with an axe - now that's a
sight that would send shivers up a Jem Hidar's spine
Finally you must consider fighting style. Some warriors are slashers, some
are stabbers, some are punchers etc., etc., etc. It is a plus to observe the
warrior going thru standard bat'leth *stations* to make a determination on how
the weapon will arch in his/her hands. Ideally I like the arch of the weapon to
coincide with the arch along which the warrior swings his/her blade.
I have a plexiglass test bat'leth that I use to fit a warrior to the blade. I
can make grease pencil measurements on it and also have a chance to watch it
being swung . This is a great tool to use prior to drafting the final design.
Remember that in most cases we aren't talking about radical differences in
design here - a few inches at most generally take into account most shoulder
types, and flattening the curve of the blade is not going to involve more than a
few inches at most either. I like to maintain a constant width between primary
and secondary blade points of about 6 to 8 inches. If the arch is flattened then
both blade tips flatten. The overall look is a parallel curve of leading and
trailing edge. Try to maintain a 2.5 to 3 inch width of metal around the
openings as well to prevent torque distortion of the sword.
Final weapon construction deals with handle type/material and placement of
cutting bevels.
In all of the blades used by known warriors a hide wrapping
is used as a handle. I admire anyone who can use such an uncomfortable weapon.
If your blade is truly to be an extension of the warrior then it needs to be
comfortable to hold and the warrior must be able to reposition his hand
frequently without interference. The bat'leth is a very *active* weapon and
multiple positioning of the hands during battle is mandatory. Because of this I
like to use a smooth profile handle that conforms to the grip of the warrior. In
order to maintain strength in both the spine of the blade and in the handle
material itself, I use a full tang (see this months tips section) and solid grip
material. My preference is to use animal horn (Terran water buffalo) because it
can polish to a glass-like finish. This provides an excellent surface on which
to slide your hand while changing grips. I use steel rivets (quarter or eight
inch depending on the tang thickness) and polish these smooth with the handle
surface. You could also use wood, or any number of synthetic materials to
produce the same profile and surface. Using the full tang and riveted handle
allows you to create an oval cross-section in the handle which provides an
effortless form to grip. Flat handles wrapped with hide require constant
gripping because they don't conform to the warrior's hand and the ridges on each
subsequent wrapping act as impediments while fighting.
The cutting edges are usually placed on the leading edges of the primary
blades and the leading and trailing edges of the secondary blades, with a blunt
area in the center of the sword's leading edge for blocking and blunt trailing
edges on the primary blades to allow for hand positioning during certain
movements. This might vary depending on the warrior's preference - the most
common variation is a sharpened trailing edge for warriors who stay within the
boundaries of the grip area and do not *stray* out onto the blade itself.
Excuse the delay of the start of this project due to back-ordered steel. Next
month we'll have a lot more to go over IF the steel has come in by then. In the
meantime, print the design up and reduce and alter the profile until it meets
what you feel is a *do-able* project for you.
Qapla'!
Next month ......... Remember to write with any material you'd like to have discussed or placed in
*mupwI'* .. mupwI' yI'uchtaH !! K'Daq