Hallo everyone!
Here're some pictures of my last work, a "medieval" longsword. To tell the truth, it's more a fantasy one, but the design is Medieval, and so...
This because I've got two projects - the first is the serious one, as some of you may know: to study Iron Age ironsmithing techniques by recreating them. And the second one is.... the "Compagnia del Bodio", a fantasy group involved in Medieval-style parties, which are common in the small country villages of Central and Northern Italy.
 
I love Iron Age, but am even fascinated by Middle Age. But I already spend a lot of energies on the first project, so I just want to have fun with the second one. This leaded me to produce a huge variety of fantasy items, such as bows and crossbows, leather and lamellar armors, clothes, accessories, daggers, and so on... by recycling unused raw materials, and by applying fantasy more than historical accuracy in my works!
This way I'm very satisfied when I succeed in my Iron Age researches, and even enjoy a lot having fun with my fantasy group (just know that the Bodio is a popular, cheap Italian wine...).
 
By the way, enough talking, here's the pictures - sorry for the bad quality, but I took them with my mom's mobile!
 

 

 

(this's my "trademark", which I put on every item I make: the shape of Tito, my dog  )
 

...and this shows how I fixed the handle, should anybody want to know it. It's not the most effective way, because I'd have heat up the tang and hammered it on the pommel, as I've done on another shortsword. But as I said, the motto is "more fun less labor", and the sword is strong enough, so the rivet is good for me!
Greetings,
Mauro.

Nope, I've found it on the ground, even if it sounds incredible  
 
It once must have been a two-handed sword, but the edge of the tang broke. They tried to weld it but it broke again. So they took the cross-guard and the pommel and left the blade. Which I found, 3 years ago.  
To test its strength, I hit hard my anvil, hitting it with the sword's edge first, and then with the plate. The sword didn't broke, and the next test was the one used by Roman ironsmiths: to bend the sword on my head.  
It passed the test and a further confirm of its strength came when I had to cut some of the blade, to obtain a longer tang: I wasted two electric wheel's discs  
It has been used in combats, as confirmed by many notches on its edges.
Greetings,
Mauro.

Yeah, we could open a topic about swords! (or modify this one's title)  
Show us your work!!
Mauro.

Yeah, I didn't believe to my eyes as I saw the blade on the grass!
I mean, it was still good for use! It seems that the group that abandoned it had enough swords...
Greetings,
Mauro.

Thank you jlasud!
And thank for your offer, but I've got crossbows and bows, too - made by myself of course   For the crossbows, I use the simple "button" mechanism - a lever pushing up a wood cylinder, that forces the string out of a small step excavated in the crossbow's handle. Which mechanism do you use?
By the way, I'm going to make other swords, and I'd like to give you the next one - for free, of course!  
It would be amazing if one of my swords would reach the New World  
Greetings,
Mauro.

No, there's no need for that, really!
By the way, I've found another blade, but has a more recent design: it's long and thin, and is more a piercing blade than a slashing one.
It's from Toledo, so I believe it's a good steel too; it has its harness but I'm going to change them - after having tested the blade's strength against my anvil  
Stay tuned!
Mauro.

Hallo!
The blade didn't pass the test - it bended easily on my anvil, but can't return to its proper straightness.
It didn't broke, but the tang blends easily.
Since I want to give you an efficient sword, I'll look for another blade, or make one myself  
Greetings,
Mauro.

 I love it Mauro!  I wonder why they used that shape?  It reminds me of a straight razor or a katana, but what purpose would that have against armor?  Usually you want something slim and pointy as a knife to get into the chinks of the armor to finish your opponent, perhaps the end was used like a can opener? haha!