I recently got one of these swords, partly after watching your brilliant review. Lovely blade and I hope u do some more sword stuff in the future, as well as the firearms.
Pretty nice review. I might find yet another set of items to start acquiring. I'm not a good collector, because I don't have the focus...or funds, but it's fun to get a few of this and a couple of that. thanks for helping me spend money. I hope I don't cut anything off.
There's a good documentary on one of the originals and also had a sword builder build one. He started by making the steel ingot. That part I remember was how hard it was for him to hammer out the ingot into a sword. The ingot was unforgiving to his hammer blows. Thanks for your videos.
That was truely nice review and explanation. Only the thing with steelmaking in Solingen was to my knowledge not so close. In medival times steel and iron were produced where the ore is found. And for solingen that was the area of Siegen or Siegerland ( my coutryside 😁 ) only 60 km away from Solingen. It was because it was very hard to transport ore at that times so it is better to process the material at the place. You can see the scars from mining and smelting in the landscape up to today if you know were to search. The oldes finds from mining and smelting iron are up to 2500 years old from the celts. The area of Solingen is very famos for forging and grinding blades with a a swell very old tradition and the place was chosen in cause of a good energy source. Lots of litle rivers running grinding mills there up to today. So thanks a lot for the nice video and I would love to see more of it. Roger S.
It is etched, not inlaid. I know of only one "new" Ulfberht made the way the real swords were made, using a home made batch of crucible steel. You couldn't afford it, as it is museum quality, made by a blacksmith named Ric Furrer.
"made the way the real swords were made" Are you suggesting that the "real" Ulfberhts were made from crucible steel, while the pattern welded ones are "fake"? How does that make sense, when the pattern welded ones are actually older than the ones who aren't pattern welded?
@@leung9401 I am entirely unsure of how you can make that assertion. The genuine article was a high quality, high status heirloom weapon, made of crucible steel, probably imported from the middle east. The dating of the iron copies do not support you assertion. They were poor copies of a superior sword, and logically, their creation post dated the original U+LFBERHT+. Copies were carried as status symbols as well, just like folks who buy cheap Chinese copies of Porsches.
@@boydgrandy5769 Exactly. What made the Ulfberht swords so special, was that their steel quality was ahead of its time. The original Ulfberht swords were actually inlaid with +VLFBERH+T. The way you write it and as it is written on the sword in the video would indicated that it is a forgery. Newer tests of original Ulfberht swords actually show that the steel couldn't have been from the Middle East due to its manganese content. Most likely they were forged in a monastery in or near Fulda in Austrasia, the homeland of the Germanic tribe of the Franks in today's Germany. Which would make sense since the Franks were known to make the best weapons and armors at the time. They had the right quality of iron in this region and a monastery could have provided room and funds for the huge medieval blast furnace needed to generate enough heat to create crucible steel. And at the same time kept the forge hidden behind its walls. Since the secret of how these superior swords were made never got out. Also the lead used to decorate a hilt found on a Ulfberht sword comes from the same region. And Fulda was one of the important cities in Austrasia, the heartland of the Frankish empire. Which would have made money and raw materials available due to trade and offerings at the monastery. Also the most Ulfberht swords found outside of Viking graves were around this region of Northern Germany, so it seems they have spread over Europe from there.
@@benitofranklyn4237 You are providing information not available to me before, at least. The sources I have read indicate that these swords were made from crucible steel, and that process was not widely known in Europe until the 18th century. That they were forged in the Frankish Empire is not disputed; there are records that indicate that the export of these swords was restricted to keep them out the hands of 9th and 10th century Vikings. What is not clear is the source of the high grade crucible steel used in the forging of these high status weapons. The V in latin is the equivalent of U these days, so +ULFBERH+T is a modern interpretation of the original inlaid marking on the swords.
@@boydgrandy5769 Finally someone who looked into this bit at least. Most people don't know about the "export ban" or that they were produced by the Franks. Yes absolutely it is pronounced Ulfberht. I'm from Switzerland, the German speaking part. It was long after latin that this changed, in old German texts V still means U. Also Ulfberht sounds very German, while pronouncing it Vlfberht wouldn't make sense at all😂 I was just using the "correct" spelling since I saw you had both of the crosses at the wrong place and I wanted to help you with your research. I've read somewhere Charlamagne the Great himself outlawed the export of Ulfberht swords in 805. Yes it is said that crucible steel was only produced in Europe after Benjamin Huntsman discovered the process in 1740. That's what made the Ulfberth swords so overpowered and such a mystery. You are correct when you say the sources indicate they were made from crucible steel. They keep repeating everywhere that it was crucible steel from the Middle East. This stems from a study in 2009 by Alan Williams from the UK, but he only examined the carbon content of the steel. But he Williams did proof that the original Ulfberht swords all had a higher carbon content and were made of full steel, which made them much better than all the other swords already. All the other ones were made with iron cores and the edges were a lower quality of steel. In 2015 a working group led by chemist Robert Lehmann tested a Sword at the University of Hanover and really examined all the properties of the steel. They found the manganese content and also the slag inclusions were too high for it to be crucible steel from the Middle East. But there are iron ore mines in Germany with the right manganese content corresponding to the examined Ulfberht sword. The lead used on the hilt of the sword is also from the same region. The iron ore mines, the lead deposits and the monastery in Fulda with the forge are all in the same region, the Rhineland. And taxes were payed in iron to the monastery. Also Aachen the capital of the Frankish Empire is right there as well. So Charlamgane the Great could have overseen all of this. All these places being so close together would explain how the secret of the Ulfberht sword was kept. It was all mined and produced "in house". They must have had some special technique to melt and process iron they kept secret and passed on inside the monastery. The reason why you have never heard of this, or why people claim the source of the steel is not known, is because it was all published in German. How deep do you want to go into this? Williams study is 63 pages and the German one by Lehman is very detailed and scientific. I can tell you all about it and my theory how this all worked. But it will be quite a read for you.
Hi mike, I’ve been following your content for years due to my love of cap and ball revolvers but hema and historical swords are my main squeeze. You seem to know to wipe fruit juices and such off blades in a hurry because if they sit they like to leave frightening stains on the blade. I can send you something from my collection to borrow for a video. I have everything from a reproduction of a 2,000 year old chu jian to several albion longswords, but one thing of note is my 1796 light cavalry saber as that one is particularly fun to cut with.
Springheel Jack I try to hustle right to the bench for a wipe down immediately after every cutting scene. Thanks for the offer to review swords from your collection. I’ll hit you up in the future. My email is mike.beliveau@hotmail.com. Thanks!
Hey duelist, do you have any muzzleloader shotguns? I have an old one in great condition and want to know more about different loads people have had success with.
That's a very impressive sword. It takes about 10 foot pounds of energy to penetrate through a thin plastic gallon water jug. My diana model 34 classic .22 air rifle shooting 16 grain H&N hornet pellets penetrates through 2 of them and it's putting out about 13 to 15 foot pounds of energy so with that sword and your strength you're putting out at least 10 foot pounds of energy. Seeing how you penetrate through the water melon it's probably more like 20 foot pounds of energy so that sword with your strength could easily cut through bone or fracture a skull because it only takes about 7 foot pounds of energy to do that so those swords are still effective self defense weapons for ppl like in NJ where they can't even get air guns like mine shipped there or have them without a permit
Greetings from Ireland. As a guy who comes from an ancient heritage, as I do, I find this sort of thing fascinating. I love the black powder stuff also.
Bloody sucks, my friend. Sounds like you are no better off from being out from under British rule (assuming you're not in N. Ireland). Tyranny truly sucks.
I feel for you. My wife and I visited Lea Castle in 2017, being the last extant one of the O'Dempsey clan. Beautiful country, but I couldn't live there under leftist rule.
Don't bet that it doesn't happen, a guy in my area used a halbard to stop an home invader who was armed with a knife. Yes please do a video on the Bayoux tapestry, for me that's family history.
I'm fascinated by the battle of Hastings ever since I read the book 'Wulf the Saxon' by G.A. Henty. A really fun story of the events of the time. The Bayeux tapestry is likewise an amazing thing to behold. Like a piece of political propaganda and a comic book all rolled into one. I look forward to seeing your video on the subject.
What you are holding is maybe the first example of international trademark infringement, lol. It is posited that the blades marked +Ulfberht+ are inferior copies of the +Ulrberh+t swords...ie, that "+ULFBERH+T" was the original trademark. It is also posited that it is the other way around. The "+Ulfberht+"'s are made of lower quality steel. The "+Ulfberh+t"'s are made with crucible (kroo·suh·bl...not kroo-shu-bul) steel. So, because one uses better steel, it is said that the ones with inferior steel are copies. The alternate theory states that the ones with lower quality steel were actually made earlier in time and the crucible steel ones were made later....so that, even though they use BETTER steel, the later swords are actually counterfeits.
Your first reference is correct. The swords inlaid with +VLFBERH+T are made from crucible steel and of better quality. And those are also the oldest one's found. The famous originals. The ones marked with +VLFBERTH+ or even only +VLFBERTH are all on the newer side and made from the regular quality of steel and with the usual techniques of the time. So those are the counterfeits. That's what made the original Ulfberht swords so highly sought-after and mystical, nobody could reproduce their quality. It was a mystery to everybody else how to produced crucible steel until much later. Tests done on found swords have shown that the original swords marked +Ulfberh+t are made with continuous improvement of forging technology. So blacksmith Ulfberht and his team or the blacksmiths who worked for bishop Ulfberht were still learning and constantly improving on their ability to work with this newly producible miracle metal they now had access too. While the fake ones just used the regular materials and techniques of the time. But all Frankish swords (what "Viking Swords" were called back then) were some of the best of its time and spread through all of Europe. But the Ulfberht swords were just by far the best ones. Back then Charlemagne the Great, who was king of the Franks, ushered in the Carolingian era by uniting all the Germanic tribes under the Frankish Empire. The Franks were a Germanic tribe, their homeland was Austrasia in today's Germany. Austrasia became the core of the Frankish Empire. That's where the "Viking swords" were produced. That's why people back then referred to this type of sword as Frankish Swords, since the came from the Frankish Empire and nobody knew historians in the future would call it the Carolingian Era or the Viking Age (800-1050). That's why today they're called Carolingian Swords or Viking Age Swords. But actually those swords came from today's Germany. But nobody calls them Frankish or Germanic swords today, since these would be just too wide of a term. If you google Austrasia you can see the map on the wikipedia page. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austrasia#/media/File:Frankish_Empire_481_to_814-en.svg Most likely the Ulfberht swords were forged in a monastery in or near Fulda in Austrasia. Which would make sense since the Franks were known to make the best weapons and armors at the time. They had the right quality of iron in this region and a monastery could have provided room and funds for the huge medieval blast furnace needed to generate enough heat to create crucible steel. And at the same time kept the forge hidden behind its walls. Which explains why the secret of how these superior swords were made never got out. Also the lead used to decorate a hilt found on a Ulfberht sword comes from the same region. And Fulda was one of the important cities in Austrasia, the heartland of the Frankish empire. Which would have made money and raw materials available due to trade and offerings at the monastery. Also the most Ulfberht swords found outside of Viking graves were around this region of Northern Germany, so it seems the swords have spread over Europe from there. The signature +Ulfberh+t could either have been from the blacksmith who invented the technique. Ulfberht was a typical German name used by many Franks at the time. Or from the Bishop or the Abbot of the monastery, since they usually signed with a cross in front of their name. The term Viking Sword was only introduced by modern archeologist. Since the Vikings loved these Frankish swords, especially the Ulfberht swords so much, all of them had one and got buried with it. The archeologist found these superior blades in all these Viking graves and originally thought those must have been the reason for the Vikings' success in battles and raids. But nowadays it seems to be the opposite, when Charlemagne the Great outlawed the export of Ulfberht swords in 805, and later on even the sale of any Frankish weapons and armor to non-frankish individuals was forbidden, the Vikings were forced to start raiding to still get their weapons and armor, which could have ultimately lead to the start of the Viking Age (800-1050), which was about the same time the Ulfberht swords were produced. (775-1025). Only 167 original Ulfberht swords have been found until today. Most of them in Viking graves, only about 20 outside, since the Germanic tribes were all converted to Christianity by Charlemagne the Great and stopped with the practice of grave goods. Most swords were handed down in the family for a couple of hundred years and once they were outdated they got melted back down to make a new sword up to the new standards. So even if the term Viking Sword is technically not correct, most historians call them Viking Age Swords today (or Carolingian swords). We have to thank the Vikings that so many of them were preserved until today so we can study them. The fact that Ulfberht swords were produced for over 200 years is another mystery, since no blacksmith, bishop or abbot lives that long. To me this is another indication that they were produced in a monastery, since then the whole enterprise would have been just part of the monastery's income and would have been kept afloat as daily business. A blacksmith working in a monastery would have had food and lodging and there for enough time and enough assistants to find one who is talented and also find the time to teach him his craft.
The origin of the crucible steel used in Ulfberht swords is believed to have been obtained via trading with those that made made it in various parts of Asia. Supposedly no one in western europe, or least outside of muslim ruled lands knew how to make it. It is known that Swedish viking groups, known as the Rus folk, used the river systems of what became Russia to travel to the south via the Volga, Don, Dnieper rivers. Map at upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Kaubateed_varjaagide_juurest_kreeklasteni.gif It is proposed that Vikings brought back the crucible steel obtained in trade. Is there any evidence that crucible steel was made in northern europe in those days?
At 14:46 I specifically say, "maybe the Franks figured out how to make crucible steel, or maybe the information came up the trade routes because they were making it in India"
@@duelist1954 You said information came from elsewhere implying that someone was actually making crucible steel in europe. It seems if they were making crucible steel, that the methodology was then lost. Some think the steel ingots came from else where. India was also famous for Wootz steel that is a crucible steel beginning with a specific ore that was also produced from ore in Saladin's mine. They could also have purchased a non-Wootz steel from india. Wootz steel to my understanding was not used in the Viking swords. Are saying it was wootz.
Hello, I’ve been Hearing a lot of people say that if I were to get a cylinder conversion for my colt 1851 navy, I would be able to shoot smokeless powder .38 out of it as long as if was after the same pressure as if it were loaded with black powder. People are also saying that it would be better to use a steel frame Remington, as they have the top strap which makes the gun stronger. And some say I should just stick with the black powder. I just came here to ask your opinion about this whole thing. Maybe you could do a video talking about this topic to clear it up some people? Btw I absolutely love your vids!
the grips of Norse swords are typically short since they are tight fitting restrictive hilt designs just like later period Indo Persian / central Asian designs
an investment in a fine grade knife sharpening oil stone, with light passes will keep a blade razor sharp for a long time. with a length of pig or cow leather strop. does wonders. Another way of protecting is boil bluing. boil in distilled water for 15 minutes polish with fine steel wool or wool pad until it becomes shiney.
I've never really been into swords, I'm a gun guy too but I can see them as a work of art both in how they're made and the skill and technique involved in using them. They can be beautiful too. I really like the cruciform type sword, I don't know exactly what they're called. Similar to the one on this video. I do love history as well. Everything from the beginning of the Viking age thru the late 19th century. European history, the wars and times involved are fascinating to me.
Ulfberht was a Viking sword. Not surprising they have been found all over Europe, the Vikings were well travelled. It is unclear to historians as to whether it was someones name, or a kind of trade mark name. After first learning about the sword I was privileged to actually view a real one from antiquity.
Ulfberth was a Frankish. German. They issued a Law wich had forbidden the export of this Swords. A frankish Law, so Ulfberth has been a frankish Swordsmith.
I know your comment is old..but there were 2 handed Viking Swords. They were rare, but they did exist, in the later years mostly. But, more importantly, there are a few companies that make reproductions. Kult of Athena sells a few, I believe Depeeka is the name of one of the companies that produce them.
duelist1954 Thanks for the reply! I’m a huge fan, and love all your videos. Your videos on percussion revolvers have been a huge help and inspiration. You’re the man!
The original Ulfberht swords were inlaid with +VLBERH+T. The one you have +VLFBERHT+ would indicated that it is a knock-off. Which were produced at the time, once the original one's got really famous. The real one's were forged in today's Germany. In Austrasia, the homeland of the Franks and heartland of the Frankish Empire. They started appearing in the Carolingian Era under Charlemagne the Great.
Another Vid says these swords were so popular 1000 years ago that they were copied in Northern territories of Europe, ( with the name ULFBERHT ) and of course the copies were inferior to the originals, reminds me of how modern pocket and flipper knives are cloned (copied) in todays world...
Ulfbehrt is not known to be a man, possibly yes,,, but possibly a small town or a forge group. it is not known.... also they way its spelled on your sword is the imitations that were made when they were being produced.. they have found about 45 of these swords,,,, 30+ were low quality forgeries..... and about 12-13 of them have the high crucible steel of the original.. they are spelled +Ulfberh+t all the forgeries they have found are spelled +Ulfberht+
I was triggered by your violence towards that melon(gourd?) Stress relief should come from contemplative meditation 🧘♂️ Male aggression on veggies will not be tolerated. (HEAVY SARCASM) 😉 I also have sword for backyard fun
Here's a "Nova" special on the Ulfberht sword: ruclips.net/video/ueHKulCzBbQ/видео.html Fittingly, this one has the counterfeit inscription of +ULFBERHT+ instead of the genuine +ULFBERH+T.
I don't get why this sword exists. The Ulfberht was only really special because of the next-level metalurgy involved. Making a type 10 out of 1060 steel and tacking on some acid-etched runes is just...missing the point. 🤦♂️
Windlass are the WORST SWORDS MADE. They are Too heavy , not enough distal taper. Too ling of a grip for a viking sword. DON"T WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!!!!!!!!
Here I am enjoying your black powder content when I discover you're into Euro swords as well. Makes me happy. Keep up the varied content!
Love the change of pace! In was searching Windlass reviews and yours came up! In the market for a new sword
"And this is P .H .E .N .O .M .E. N .A .L !!! Stress relief." Perfect.
Mike
Your videos are always interesting and informative. Keep them coming!
I recently got one of these swords, partly after watching your brilliant review.
Lovely blade and I hope u do some more sword stuff in the future, as well as the firearms.
I enjoy all your videos...the tapestry sounds interesting...keep up the great work...👍👍👍
Your sword videos are terrific. Really interesting.
A comparison of the swords found in a tapestry would be very interesting. Looks like I may finally purchase a sword. Thanks for the videos.
A good history lesson. A video about the tapestry would be great!
History of the medieval sword and Bayeux Tapestry videos sound like great ideas, I'd watch them.
Good accurate information that shows you know what you’re talking about, thanks for the review
Pretty nice review. I might find yet another set of items to start acquiring. I'm not a good collector, because I don't have the focus...or funds, but it's fun to get a few of this and a couple of that. thanks for helping me spend money. I hope I don't cut anything off.
I just got the Ulfbert tattooed on my forearm for my first tattoo. Thank you for the history lesson sir.
I hope it's written correctly +VLFBERH+T. The producers of these swords actually got it wrong.
Interesting video. I like the sword content. I never had much interest in swords, but the history lessons are much appreciated.
There's a good documentary on one of the originals and also had a sword builder build one. He started by making the steel ingot. That part I remember was how hard it was for him to hammer out the ingot into a sword. The ingot was unforgiving to his hammer blows. Thanks for your videos.
Love the outfit, Mike. You're rocking it.
Just needs a quarterstaff ( or a buck and a quarter quarterstaff for Daffy Duck fans).
That was truely nice review and explanation. Only the thing with steelmaking in Solingen was to my knowledge not so close. In medival times steel and iron were produced where the ore is found. And for solingen that was the area of Siegen or Siegerland ( my coutryside 😁 ) only 60 km away from Solingen. It was because it was very hard to transport ore at that times so it is better to process the material at the place. You can see the scars from mining and smelting in the landscape up to today if you know were to search. The oldes finds from mining and smelting iron are up to 2500 years old from the celts. The area of Solingen is very famos for forging and grinding blades with a a swell very old tradition and the place was chosen in cause of a good energy source. Lots of litle rivers running grinding mills there up to today.
So thanks a lot for the nice video and I would love to see more of it. Roger S.
Cool comment.
Great video, great knowledge and enthusiasm. Will be purchasing one of these on your recommendation.. thank you.😊
It is etched, not inlaid.
I know of only one "new" Ulfberht made the way the real swords were made, using a home made batch of crucible steel.
You couldn't afford it, as it is museum quality, made by a blacksmith named
Ric Furrer.
"made the way the real swords were made" Are you suggesting that the "real" Ulfberhts were made from crucible steel, while the pattern welded ones are "fake"? How does that make sense, when the pattern welded ones are actually older than the ones who aren't pattern welded?
@@leung9401 I am entirely unsure of how you can make that assertion. The genuine article was a high quality, high status heirloom weapon, made of crucible steel, probably imported from the middle east. The dating of the iron copies do not support you assertion. They were poor copies of a superior sword, and logically, their creation post dated the original U+LFBERHT+. Copies were carried as status symbols as well, just like folks who buy cheap Chinese copies of Porsches.
@@boydgrandy5769 Exactly. What made the Ulfberht swords so special, was that their steel quality was ahead of its time. The original Ulfberht swords were actually inlaid with +VLFBERH+T. The way you write it and as it is written on the sword in the video would indicated that it is a forgery.
Newer tests of original Ulfberht swords actually show that the steel couldn't have been from the Middle East due to its manganese content. Most likely they were forged in a monastery in or near Fulda in Austrasia, the homeland of the Germanic tribe of the Franks in today's Germany. Which would make sense since the Franks were known to make the best weapons and armors at the time. They had the right quality of iron in this region and a monastery could have provided room and funds for the huge medieval blast furnace needed to generate enough heat to create crucible steel. And at the same time kept the forge hidden behind its walls. Since the secret of how these superior swords were made never got out. Also the lead used to decorate a hilt found on a Ulfberht sword comes from the same region. And Fulda was one of the important cities in Austrasia, the heartland of the Frankish empire. Which would have made money and raw materials available due to trade and offerings at the monastery. Also the most Ulfberht swords found outside of Viking graves were around this region of Northern Germany, so it seems they have spread over Europe from there.
@@benitofranklyn4237 You are providing information not available to me before, at least. The sources I have read indicate that these swords were made from crucible steel, and that process was not widely known in Europe until the 18th century. That they were forged in the Frankish Empire is not disputed; there are records that indicate that the export of these swords was restricted to keep them out the hands of 9th and 10th century Vikings. What is not clear is the source of the high grade crucible steel used in the forging of these high status weapons.
The V in latin is the equivalent of U these days, so +ULFBERH+T is a modern interpretation of the original inlaid marking on the swords.
@@boydgrandy5769 Finally someone who looked into this bit at least. Most people don't know about the "export ban" or that they were produced by the Franks.
Yes absolutely it is pronounced Ulfberht. I'm from Switzerland, the German speaking part. It was long after latin that this changed, in old German texts V still means U. Also Ulfberht sounds very German, while pronouncing it Vlfberht wouldn't make sense at all😂 I was just using the "correct" spelling since I saw you had both of the crosses at the wrong place and I wanted to help you with your research.
I've read somewhere Charlamagne the Great himself outlawed the export of Ulfberht swords in 805.
Yes it is said that crucible steel was only produced in Europe after Benjamin Huntsman discovered the process in 1740. That's what made the Ulfberth swords so overpowered and such a mystery.
You are correct when you say the sources indicate they were made from crucible steel. They keep repeating everywhere that it was crucible steel from the Middle East. This stems from a study in 2009 by Alan Williams from the UK, but he only examined the carbon content of the steel.
But he Williams did proof that the original Ulfberht swords all had a higher carbon content and were made of full steel, which made them much better than all the other swords already. All the other ones were made with iron cores and the edges were a lower quality of steel.
In 2015 a working group led by chemist Robert Lehmann tested a Sword at the University of Hanover and really examined all the properties of the steel. They found the manganese content and also the slag inclusions were too high for it to be crucible steel from the Middle East. But there are iron ore mines in Germany with the right manganese content corresponding to the examined Ulfberht sword. The lead used on the hilt of the sword is also from the same region. The iron ore mines, the lead deposits and the monastery in Fulda with the forge are all in the same region, the Rhineland. And taxes were payed in iron to the monastery. Also Aachen the capital of the Frankish Empire is right there as well. So Charlamgane the Great could have overseen all of this. All these places being so close together would explain how the secret of the Ulfberht sword was kept. It was all mined and produced "in house". They must have had some special technique to melt and process iron they kept secret and passed on inside the monastery.
The reason why you have never heard of this, or why people claim the source of the steel is not known, is because it was all published in German.
How deep do you want to go into this? Williams study is 63 pages and the German one by Lehman is very detailed and scientific. I can tell you all about it and my theory how this all worked. But it will be quite a read for you.
I own this sword and I love it. It's easy to hold and swing.
I'm not that into swords but you do a great job of making them interesting.
Very cool video. I enjoyed this. I keep meaning to look for a good copy of the ulfberht sword to buy. Hi from Northworthy!
Love this channel, well done Sir
Thank for testing it on the sapling. I like to see how tough a sword actually is. Make sure it can stand up to punishment.
Thanks Mike, great video as usual.
Amazon has them for $249.00
That's pretty impressive Mike. Thanks
Cool sword, Mike. I would be interested in early colonial American blades (pre-Revolutionary). Swords, knives, tomahawks, etc.
Hi mike, I’ve been following your content for years due to my love of cap and ball revolvers but hema and historical swords are my main squeeze. You seem to know to wipe fruit juices and such off blades in a hurry because if they sit they like to leave frightening stains on the blade. I can send you something from my collection to borrow for a video. I have everything from a reproduction of a 2,000 year old chu jian to several albion longswords, but one thing of note is my 1796 light cavalry saber as that one is particularly fun to cut with.
Springheel Jack I try to hustle right to the bench for a wipe down immediately after every cutting scene. Thanks for the offer to review swords from your collection. I’ll hit you up in the future. My email is mike.beliveau@hotmail.com. Thanks!
duelist1954 no problem let me know if there’s a specific historical sword you’d be interested in making a video of.
Hey duelist, do you have any muzzleloader shotguns? I have an old one in great condition and want to know more about different loads people have had success with.
Hey Mike, I would truly be interest in your thoughts about the tapastry and use of the swords and other weapons.
I agonized over buying this sword, but your review convinced me to get it.
Fantastic craftsmanship
That's a very impressive sword. It takes about 10 foot pounds of energy to penetrate through a thin plastic gallon water jug. My diana model 34 classic .22 air rifle shooting 16 grain H&N hornet pellets penetrates through 2 of them and it's putting out about 13 to 15 foot pounds of energy so with that sword and your strength you're putting out at least 10 foot pounds of energy. Seeing how you penetrate through the water melon it's probably more like 20 foot pounds of energy so that sword with your strength could easily cut through bone or fracture a skull because it only takes about 7 foot pounds of energy to do that so those swords are still effective self defense weapons for ppl like in NJ where they can't even get air guns like mine shipped there or have them without a permit
Greetings from Ireland. As a guy who comes from an ancient heritage, as I do, I find this sort of thing fascinating. I love the black powder stuff also.
Can you own and shoot cap and ball revolvers in the old country? My Irish ancestors came to America before it was and fought for independence.
@@bedeodempsey5007 Sadly, no. Gun's are very restricted over here.
Bloody sucks, my friend. Sounds like you are no better off from being out from under British rule (assuming you're not in N. Ireland). Tyranny truly sucks.
@@bedeodempsey5007 I'm in the south. Now that you mention it, Northern Ireland has more freedom when it comes to firearm's
I feel for you. My wife and I visited Lea Castle in 2017, being the last extant one of the O'Dempsey clan. Beautiful country, but I couldn't live there under leftist rule.
Would you recommend this one additionally? Something you could use to defend yourself? I swear that’s not sarcasm I am 100% serious
Absolutely
Don't bet that it doesn't happen, a guy in my area used a halbard to stop an home invader who was armed with a knife.
Yes please do a video on the Bayoux tapestry, for me that's family history.
I keep a cutlass nearby just incase
The military musket sounds like a fun couple of videos as long as people don’t get upset that you only loaded up with one
Funny!
I'm fascinated by the battle of Hastings ever since I read the book 'Wulf the Saxon' by G.A. Henty. A really fun story of the events of the time. The Bayeux tapestry is likewise an amazing thing to behold. Like a piece of political propaganda and a comic book all rolled into one. I look forward to seeing your video on the subject.
That's a great book. One I have fond memories of reading many years ago.
Thanks! I enjoy your sideline in fine steel.
What you are holding is maybe the first example of international trademark infringement, lol. It is posited that the blades marked +Ulfberht+ are inferior copies of the +Ulrberh+t swords...ie, that "+ULFBERH+T" was the original trademark. It is also posited that it is the other way around. The "+Ulfberht+"'s are made of lower quality steel. The "+Ulfberh+t"'s are made with crucible (kroo·suh·bl...not kroo-shu-bul) steel. So, because one uses better steel, it is said that the ones with inferior steel are copies. The alternate theory states that the ones with lower quality steel were actually made earlier in time and the crucible steel ones were made later....so that, even though they use BETTER steel, the later swords are actually counterfeits.
Your first reference is correct. The swords inlaid with +VLFBERH+T are made from crucible steel and of better quality. And those are also the oldest one's found. The famous originals.
The ones marked with +VLFBERTH+ or even only +VLFBERTH are all on the newer side and made from the regular quality of steel and with the usual techniques of the time. So those are the counterfeits.
That's what made the original Ulfberht swords so highly sought-after and mystical, nobody could reproduce their quality. It was a mystery to everybody else how to produced crucible steel until much later.
Tests done on found swords have shown that the original swords marked +Ulfberh+t are made with continuous improvement of forging technology. So blacksmith Ulfberht and his team or the blacksmiths who worked for bishop Ulfberht were still learning and constantly improving on their ability to work with this newly producible miracle metal they now had access too. While the fake ones just used the regular materials and techniques of the time.
But all Frankish swords (what "Viking Swords" were called back then) were some of the best of its time and spread through all of Europe. But the Ulfberht swords were just by far the best ones.
Back then Charlemagne the Great, who was king of the Franks, ushered in the Carolingian era by uniting all the Germanic tribes under the Frankish Empire. The Franks were a Germanic tribe, their homeland was Austrasia in today's Germany. Austrasia became the core of the Frankish Empire. That's where the "Viking swords" were produced.
That's why people back then referred to this type of sword as Frankish Swords, since the came from the Frankish Empire and nobody knew historians in the future would call it the Carolingian Era or the Viking Age (800-1050). That's why today they're called Carolingian Swords or Viking Age Swords. But actually those swords came from today's Germany. But nobody calls them Frankish or Germanic swords today, since these would be just too wide of a term.
If you google Austrasia you can see the map on the wikipedia page.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austrasia#/media/File:Frankish_Empire_481_to_814-en.svg
Most likely the Ulfberht swords were forged in a monastery in or near Fulda in Austrasia.
Which would make sense since the Franks were known to make the best weapons and armors at the time. They had the right quality of iron in this region and a monastery could have provided room and funds for the huge medieval blast furnace needed to generate enough heat to create crucible steel. And at the same time kept the forge hidden behind its walls. Which explains why the secret of how these superior swords were made never got out. Also the lead used to decorate a hilt found on a Ulfberht sword comes from the same region. And Fulda was one of the important cities in Austrasia, the heartland of the Frankish empire. Which would have made money and raw materials available due to trade and offerings at the monastery. Also the most Ulfberht swords found outside of Viking graves were around this region of Northern Germany, so it seems the swords have spread over Europe from there.
The signature +Ulfberh+t could either have been from the blacksmith who invented the technique. Ulfberht was a typical German name used by many Franks at the time. Or from the Bishop or the Abbot of the monastery, since they usually signed with a cross in front of their name.
The term Viking Sword was only introduced by modern archeologist. Since the Vikings loved these Frankish swords, especially the Ulfberht swords so much, all of them had one and got buried with it. The archeologist found these superior blades in all these Viking graves and originally thought those must have been the reason for the Vikings' success in battles and raids.
But nowadays it seems to be the opposite, when Charlemagne the Great outlawed the export of Ulfberht swords in 805, and later on even the sale of any Frankish weapons and armor to non-frankish individuals was forbidden, the Vikings were forced to start raiding to still get their weapons and armor, which could have ultimately lead to the start of the Viking Age (800-1050), which was about the same time the Ulfberht swords were produced. (775-1025).
Only 167 original Ulfberht swords have been found until today. Most of them in Viking graves, only about 20 outside, since the Germanic tribes were all converted to Christianity by Charlemagne the Great and stopped with the practice of grave goods. Most swords were handed down in the family for a couple of hundred years and once they were outdated they got melted back down to make a new sword up to the new standards. So even if the term Viking Sword is technically not correct, most historians call them Viking Age Swords today (or Carolingian swords). We have to thank the Vikings that so many of them were preserved until today so we can study them.
The fact that Ulfberht swords were produced for over 200 years is another mystery, since no blacksmith, bishop or abbot lives that long. To me this is another indication that they were produced in a monastery, since then the whole enterprise would have been just part of the monastery's income and would have been kept afloat as daily business. A blacksmith working in a monastery would have had food and lodging and there for enough time and enough assistants to find one who is talented and also find the time to teach him his craft.
Thanks for the video!
The origin of the crucible steel used in Ulfberht swords is believed to have been obtained via trading with those that made made it in various parts of Asia. Supposedly no one in western europe, or least outside of muslim ruled lands knew how to make it.
It is known that Swedish viking groups, known as the Rus folk, used the river systems of what became Russia to travel to the south via the Volga, Don, Dnieper rivers. Map at upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Kaubateed_varjaagide_juurest_kreeklasteni.gif It is proposed that Vikings brought back the crucible steel obtained in trade.
Is there any evidence that crucible steel was made in northern europe in those days?
At 14:46 I specifically say, "maybe the Franks figured out how to make crucible steel, or maybe the information came up the trade routes because they were making it in India"
@@duelist1954 You said information came from elsewhere implying that someone was actually making crucible steel in europe. It seems if they were making crucible steel, that the methodology was then lost. Some think the steel ingots came from else where. India was also famous for Wootz steel that is a crucible steel beginning with a specific ore that was also produced from ore in Saladin's mine. They could also have purchased a non-Wootz steel from india. Wootz steel to my understanding was not used in the Viking swords. Are saying it was wootz.
Hello, I’ve been Hearing a lot of people say that if I were to get a cylinder conversion for my colt 1851 navy, I would be able to shoot smokeless powder .38 out of it as long as if was after the same pressure as if it were loaded with black powder. People are also saying that it would be better to use a steel frame Remington, as they have the top strap which makes the gun stronger. And some say I should just stick with the black powder. I just came here to ask your opinion about this whole thing. Maybe you could do a video talking about this topic to clear it up some people?
Btw I absolutely love your vids!
Cowboy loads are weak
great video, good history.
Thank you for your knowledge. I see you as a teacher and not as a RUclipsr keep up the good work sir and keep your powder dry.
Are you doing a calendar this year?
Richard barefoot No. sorry
the grips of Norse swords are typically short since they are tight fitting restrictive hilt designs just like later period Indo Persian / central Asian designs
The metallurgy was a thousand years ahead of its time.
thanks Mike,from a old man just a few miles from senlack hill (battle) more swords and powder.
I have always wanted a ufberet.
an investment in a fine grade knife sharpening oil stone, with light passes will keep a blade razor sharp for a long time. with a length of pig or cow leather strop. does wonders. Another way of protecting is boil bluing. boil in distilled water for 15 minutes polish with fine steel wool or wool pad until it becomes shiney.
Cool sword! I have a Coldsteel Norman sword I believe it has a distilled taper, I should make a video of my sword.
"Distilled taper"?!? ummm... That's distal taper.
@@magnusjohansson295 lol oops bad spelling 😅
"It will keel!"
And you've read Dies The Fire, awesome!
HAKKAA PAALLE!
A vote for a bayeux tapestry video.
I've never really been into swords, I'm a gun guy too but I can see them as a work of art both in how they're made and the skill and technique involved in using them. They can be beautiful too. I really like the cruciform type sword, I don't know exactly what they're called. Similar to the one on this video. I do love history as well. Everything from the beginning of the Viking age thru the late 19th century. European history, the wars and times involved are fascinating to me.
Ulfberht was a Viking sword. Not surprising they have been found all over Europe, the Vikings were well travelled. It is unclear to historians as to whether it was someones name, or a kind of trade mark name. After first learning about the sword I was privileged to actually view a real one from antiquity.
Ulfberth was a Frankish. German. They issued a Law wich had forbidden the export of this Swords. A frankish Law, so Ulfberth has been a frankish Swordsmith.
Fantastic video more even saying more them I exported
I've always wanted one of those swords the price is promising...
Yes every sword should be very sharp
Good video and good morning Mike keep up the good work!
I've always wanted someone to make a sword that never existed, a 2 hand Viking sword.
I know your comment is old..but there were 2 handed Viking Swords. They were rare, but they did exist, in the later years mostly. But, more importantly, there are a few companies that make reproductions. Kult of Athena sells a few, I believe Depeeka is the name of one of the companies that produce them.
@@billyhodges4200 Thanks, I'll go look them up.
Sweet!!
very nice. 😀
I seen this or something similar on the history channel
Very nice, just for future references, the pronunciation for the sword name is
“Oolf-bear-t”
Also it means “Bright wolf”
OK. Thanks
duelist1954 Thanks for the reply! I’m a huge fan, and love all your videos. Your videos on percussion revolvers have been a huge help and inspiration. You’re the man!
The original Ulfberht swords were inlaid with +VLBERH+T. The one you have +VLFBERHT+ would indicated that it is a
knock-off. Which were produced at the time, once the original one's got really famous.
The real one's were forged in today's Germany. In Austrasia, the homeland of the Franks and heartland of the Frankish Empire. They started appearing in the Carolingian Era under Charlemagne the Great.
No matter how I fantasize the Viking Ulfberht and Japanese Kantana swords, I fear the brutal British Naval Saber.
I have the exact same sword
Another Vid says these swords were so popular 1000 years ago that they were copied in Northern territories of Europe, ( with the name ULFBERHT ) and of course the copies were inferior to the originals, reminds me of how modern pocket and flipper knives are cloned (copied) in todays world...
Ulfbehrt is not known to be a man, possibly yes,,, but possibly a small town or a forge group. it is not known.... also they way its spelled on your sword is the imitations that were made when they were being produced.. they have found about 45 of these swords,,,, 30+ were low quality forgeries..... and about 12-13 of them have the high crucible steel of the original.. they are spelled +Ulfberh+t all the forgeries they have found are spelled +Ulfberht+
Here for 19:14
Ulfberth? ... Ancestors of the Krupp family?
I was triggered by your violence towards that melon(gourd?) Stress relief should come from contemplative meditation 🧘♂️ Male aggression on veggies will not be tolerated. (HEAVY SARCASM) 😉 I also have sword for backyard fun
The point and the hilt are off for a viking period sword.
Not for a late Viking Age sword...late 10th through early 11th century. Generally 1066 is considered the end of the Viking Age.
What is “crucible steel”?
Take THAT you Saxon watermelon!
HAIL ODIN
Der arme Baum... 🌳
Schreib englisch du loser
Here's a "Nova" special on the Ulfberht sword:
ruclips.net/video/ueHKulCzBbQ/видео.html
Fittingly, this one has the counterfeit inscription of +ULFBERHT+ instead of the genuine +ULFBERH+T.
First view! Haha!
It's the Viking Age not era. It's been called the Viking Age for over 100 years.
OK
I don't get why this sword exists. The Ulfberht was only really special because of the next-level metalurgy involved. Making a type 10 out of 1060 steel and tacking on some acid-etched runes is just...missing the point. 🤦♂️
It should be +ULFBERH+T
And many people would copy that sword, and added the same name to there swords.... fake ULFBERTH SWORDS.
The blade shouldn't be as stiff tho
Windlass are the WORST SWORDS MADE. They are Too heavy , not enough distal taper. Too ling of a grip for a viking sword. DON"T WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!!!!!!!!