The Helhound Germanic Sword: A Blade Born Between Worlds
In the heart of Frankenmuth Michigan where our shop reside’s; we’re honored to offer more than mere affordable experiences, but now are thrilled to be bringing true high-value CLASSES where you truly test your metal at the forge to craft a literal museum-worthy heirloom artifact in the form of;
THE HELHOUND GERMANIC SWORD
In our smithy you’ll be greeted by the rhythmic sounds of clanging hammers filling the air, and you’ll find that when you choose an ambitious project to make with us like one of these swords that we’ve poured our hearts and souls into designing for you; that this place and this particular project is NOT for timid or the half-hearted.
You don't just craft a sword with us; you are bringing to life a one-of-a-kind modern artifact that is almost a character unto itself formed out of living steel that will become an extension of your will and imagination! If you set out on the journey and dedicate a few hours to forging one of these swords with us; then it will stand as a testament to your bravery and boldness as a person willing to step out of their comfort zone and try something incredible that you can cherish as a memory you’ll take with pride to your grave some day! The Helhound Germanic Sword was designed with love and care by us so that YOU can forge your own version that is unlike any other.
Designed in collaboration by the master swordsmiths Josh Weston and David DelaGardelle, is a culmination of their 40+ years of dedication to the art of swordsmithing. Their expertise ensures that every hammer strike, the heat-treatment and quench, the meticulous fit-up of it’s hilt; all culminates as a step towards creating a masterpiece that will stand the test of time.
But what’s the historical and narrative inspiration for this sword? Beyond looking cool and bad-ass, what does it MEAN and stand for as a symbol? And what symbolism can YOU bring to it as the smith that can forge it to life?
The inspiration for the Helhound is drawn from the often overlooked and misunderstood mystical elements of Biblical tradition, Germanic folklore, and Norse mythology. In the Bible wolves are not mere animals; they are symbols of judgment and destruction, creatures of the dark that test the unprepared. A blade forged under this lens is a weapon of trial, a reminder that not all threats come from the visible world or things we can easily rationalize with our modern-minds that are disconnected from nature and human history.
The Germanic roots tie the sword to “the Wild Hunt” and explore the untamed spaces where human control fades. Because it’s within THAT space where the wolf is a boundary creature, moving between order and chaos as a functional tool in the beauty and terror of the Creature’s art through the natural world which we barely understand as a species in it’s narrative depth and meaning. The Norse influence, with its tales of Sköll, Hati, Odin's companions, and Fenrir, all presents the wolf as an inevitable symbol of absolute fate and judgement.With all of that in-mind this sword is a “Mythopoetic” blend of historical artifacts we’ve held and studied at museums like the Royal Armouries in Leeds England, AND is a modern mythic celebration of human stories that have lasted for millennia.
The process of forging the Helhound is a dance with the base elements, a battle between the smith and the steel. The steel blanks, the intricately cast handle parts, and custom fittings are prepared before you even enter the shop. As you work the hot iron, you'll feel the primal rhythm of the craft, shaping your steel blade with hundreds of hammer-blows guided by our smiths. You could choose to make it an efficient Viking-era Single-Edge “seat” sword. Or you could take it a step further and craft it into a rune-carved, textured double-edged traditional “Viking” sword evocative of many of the “Peterson Typology” blades you’ll see documented through-out Europe and the British Isles in different museums as artifacts on display today.One of the most crucial steps in the process is the heat-treatment of your sword leading to the final quench which hardens your blade. The martensite that forms is not just a layer of hardness; it's a functional step that takes this from a mere piece of steel into a fully-functional sword.
By the time you fit the intricately cast grips, lock down the crossguard by hammering it tight, and peen the final stainless steel pommel cap, you're not just holding a sword; you're holding a piece of your soul, a myth waiting to be told. The figure in the pommel might be a king, a warrior, or a forgotten ancestor of yours, but the ambiguity is the point. The Helhound is a blank canvas, waiting for YOUR imagination to fill in the misty and murky parts with your own bright and clearly-defined personal legend.
The entire experience is designed to take even a brand new smiths only a couple hours to forge, at least one hour for our smiths to grind and polish for you and then another 30-40 minutes of assembly with YOUR hands making the final fit-up completion. The guidance from our smiths ensures that you'll leave with a newfound confidence in your craftsmanship, a skill that will last a lifetime, along with the heirloom of the sword itself that you can pass down for generations. Each sword comes complete with a leather-sheath and can either be sharpened or blunt to your liking.
So wee hope you’ll join us in this journey that you can partake in with us in just ONE day!While most swords of this caliber literally sell for well over a couple thousand dollars; we are honored to offer this sword forging class/experience at an insanely affordable rate to make it available to AS MANY people as possible when they visit our workshop in Frankenmuth Michigan
We hope to help YOU forge yours soon…
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