A Dribble of Ink

This Heron-mark Sword, designed and smithed by Fable Blades is inspired by the famous weapons of the Blademasters from Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, including protagonist Rand al’Thor.

The sword, which measures 45.25″ from tip-to-tip, is made of twice-tempered steel (blade) and ebony (grip) and features beautiful detailing, such as Rand’s iconic heron mark, Aes Sedai-inspired symbols, and an engraving that Wheel of Time fans will recognize: “Death is Lighter Than a Feather, Duty is Heavier Than a Mountain”.

According to a post on Reddit, the sword has been designed with realistic weight, size, and mass production possibility in mind. However, Fable Blades produces only one-of-a-kind pieces on commission only.

“The swords I make are REAL swords,” says creator of the Heron-mark Sword, Australian smith Brendan Olszowy. “Fully functional. Built for durability, and to perform as a live sword for performance cutting. They are not toys, wallhangers, or stage props. They are built to perform to their purpose, with excellent heat treatment qualities and excellent blade geometries.”

Olszowy began crafting swords in 2007, after becoming dissatisfied with many of the replicas that he had purchased. “I guess my love affair with swords started like most peoples’, through popular fiction,” he said. “For me it was He Man as a child, and later the Conan movies, and then Braveheart. More recently I’ve enjoyed the Narnia, and Lord of the Rings film recreations of some of my favourite books. When I realised I could buy a fully functional sword I became engrossed in the study, and it wasn’t long before I started spending looong hours in the workshop.”

Fable Blades is currently taking commissions for new pieces.