Daedric Sword

blade: 28” / overall: 42”

Straight from the fiery pits of Oblivion…well, not quite, though it did sometimes seem like I was wading through them just to get this thing finished. I started with the intent of making a Daedric short sword as they appear in the Bethesda Studios game Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, but as I was looking at the design, I found I didn’t like it quite as much as I did in the game.

What I eventually decided on was to cobble together a composite weapon using elements from a number of different Daedric swords (Oblivion Short and Long Sword, Morrowind Claymore, etc). Certain details I simply didn’t like or didn’t want to mess with so a few touches are entirely my own, such as the cutouts in the blade. In the end, it might have been inspired by Daedric swords, but it doesn’t really look like any of them.

Made of wood, it’s FAR lighter than the real thing. I used Aspen for this one, which is a bit lighter and easier to work than poplar, but its grain isn’t as dense, so it takes more work to get absolutely smooth. The cutting and carving was the easy part, however. Once I started painting, absolutely nothing turned out the way it was supposed to.

The hammered finish paint I used went one flatter than the smooth finish paints I typically use. The wash I used to accent what little texture I finally got out of the paint wouldn’t stick. The lacquer top coat kept running and absolutely refused to go on smooth. All in all, irritating beyond belief -- especially since I’ve used all these techniques before and have never had a problem with them. It could have turned out better, but I’m so sick of working with it, I’m calling it done. At least I didn’t have any problems with the leather wrapped grip or the inlaid acrylic jewels. Just like all my other weapons [link] , this one comes apart with the removal of a single pin in the pommel, much the same way a real one would.

And if anyone is interested, I'm also available for commissions. See my COMMISSION GUIDELINES [link] for further details!