Bilbo draws the Elven blade for the first time in “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”. Photo credit: Warner Bros, New Line.
Tony Swatton has been a master blacksmith and armorer for more than 30 years. In an episode of his Man at Arms series, Tony had a request from YouTuber Kevin Lieber of Vsauce2 to make a “real life” version of Bilbo Baggins’ sword, Sting, that glows blue.
Tony took up this challenge, and set out to make his take on Sting, using a United Cutlery licensed version of the sword as a template. The blade was forged from SAE 5160 steel, the grip was crafted from cocobolo wood, and the pommel was made from a cast bronze ingot. An artist replicated the artwork on the blade of the United Cutlery sword and the design was etched into the blade of the new sword. The intricate vine pattern on the grip was painstakingly replicated in aluminum tape and applied to the grip. Tony came up with an ingenious way to make the sword’s blade appear to glow blue. To top it off, Tony gave his version of the sword an edge suited to battling the nastiest giant spiders and goblins. Be sure to watch the video to see each step of the fabrication of Tony’s beautiful rendition of Sting.
Video: Man at Arms, Bilbo’s Sting (‘The Hobbit’) Feat
You can find all sorts of magnificent items at Tony’s store, Sword and the Stone, in Burbank, California, and online at www.swordinstone.com. Episodes of Man at Arms are available on YouTube on the AWE Me channel, or the Man at Arms Complete Series playlist.
