So if you have to ask who Adam Savage is it means you never watched [easyazon_link identifier=”B00M0JU3VU” locale=”US” tag=”tvovermind00a-20″]Mythbusters[/easyazon_link] which is kind of sad but still understandable. On top of being the co-host of the show Savage is also a special effects designer and fabricator. In this instance he’s the guy making the aluminum-version of a sword that a lot of young men fell in love with the moment they saw it in the titular movie, [easyazon_link identifier=”B000Q66JXA” locale=”US” tag=”tvovermind00a-20″]Excalibur[/easyazon_link]. The legend of Excalibur is long and detailed but thankfully we’ll just be focusing on Adam and his lifelong dream to finally make his own blade, the exact replica of the sword that he idolized as a boy.
The art of sword-making has a long history in the art of warfare and designs have tended to run from the most utilitarian to the most outlandish and ridiculous designs that have ever been imagined. Excalibur however is one of the few swords that has rarely ever changed that much in its appearance and has been idolized in roughly the same form throughout the many legends in which it has been included. But did you ever think of what went into its creation?
Probably not.
Sword making is quite a demanding process even if you know what you are doing, and nearly impossible if you do not. The precision and measurements that go into the shaping of the blade are far closer to the end product than Adam is showing, as traditionally a sword would need to be forged rather than simply cut and polished. But Adam does put on an impressive showing as he takes his piece of aluminum and grinds, shapes, and polishes his blade to a fine finish. The result is quite impressive and more than a little beautiful.
Every cut has to be precise, every measurement correct, or the sword will be imbalanced and therefore be a failure that just doesn’t look right. While this is for show and not for function, the effort that Adam is making is still quite tremendous as he keeps strictly to his work. He cracks wise for those watching, but when he is at work you can definitely see the concentration in his features and the determination in the set of his jaw. In many scenes he looks no different than the smiths of the old days when they were forging a blade for one of their lords.
The excitement that Adam shows is quite contagious as one can watch the video and feel the rush that he is feeling as he continues to lay out each piece, crowing with delight when each section of the sword begins to take shape and fall into place. Sword making is in some ways like building a puzzle. Everything must fit right or the final picture will not be possible to see. In this manner the swordsmith must be able to see that final picture in his mind, or in this case follow the replica he has lying nearby, to attain the design he desires.
By the end he’s pumped and for good reason. I’m with Adam, let’s go find a dragon.
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