The Story of Dark Sister’s Sister:

This Hand-and-a-half bastard sword is loosely based upon the work of George R.R. Martin’s, Song of Fire and Ice.  It is said that Dark Sister vanished from the seven kingdoms after Brynden Rivers, known as the Bloodraven, disappeared North of the wall while carrying her. A hundred years later, a little-known princeling, claiming Targaryen ancestry, found the Valyrian Steel blade, Heartsbane, outside some ruins at Winterfell.  The princeling had Heartsbane re-forged into Dark Sister’s Sister and used the blade in his foolish bid to win the throne of the seven kingdoms.  Killed in his first battle, Dark Sister’s Sister now resides deep in the vaults at King’s Landing. 

Actual Design and Construction:

I designed this weapon as a slim hand and a half sword.  The original blade blank was produced by Hanwei forge using 5160 mar quenched spring steel.  I dramatically altered the blade to make reduce its weight and added the ricasso to the top.  Each side on the blade is hand etched with interlocking dragon scale about one-third of the way down the blade.   The guard, spacer, and pommel are all carved from mild steel.  The guard is shaped like dragon’s wings and etched accordingly, and a dragon’s eye is etched into its center with an inset zirconia gem for a pupil.  The spacers are both etched with dragon scales, and the pommel is made to represent a dragon’s egg.  The two-piece wooden handle is carved from African Blackwood.   There are 1/8 in hardened steel lineup pins throughout the handle design.  The pommel is tapped and acts as a nut to secure all the hilt furniture, completing the sword’s takedown design.

Specifications:

Blade length: 33. inches

Overall length: 44.5 inches

Hand grip length: 7.5 inches

Blade width at widest point: 1.5 inches

Guard width: 8.5 inches

Weight: 3 pounds, 5.6 ounces

Balance point: 3 inches in front of the guard

Scabbard Construction: 

The scabbard was made with a poplar core that is fully lined with deer hide to protect the artwork on the blade.  I covered the scabbard in veg tanned leather (hand -stitched up the back) that I tooled completely with individual dragon scales.  The entire scabbard is stained walnut with a black antiquing to highlight the scales.