Haldir's Sword

[IronHills Dwarf]

Are there any good pictures of Haldir's sword? I find it one of the more interesting blades as it has a short enough handle to be carried at the belt (similar to Elrond's but with longer handle). Also it unfortunately does not get that much screen time in the movies.

[Orc]

I think Haldir's sword is similar, if not identical to the swords wielded by the elven warriors in both the opening shots of FotR as well as the battle at Helm's Deep. Here are a link to an image of at least the Elven Warrior sword.

http://www.empiremovies.com/gallery/ttexhibit_11.shtml

[IronHills Dwarf]

It is not the same. IF you look at this pic you will see that the handle is very much shorter. I'm interested in seeing the blade design.

http://www.spaceports.com/~albion/haldir2LG.jpg

[Aratorë]

I think that it's a combination of a slightly shorter handle and a longer blade that makes his sword different from the prologue elves and the other Lorien elves' weapons.

[IronHills Dwarf]

Hmm now that you mention it I would agree on the longer blade. The Lorien swords (the big long things) did have a rather short blade, but were still not feasible for wearing at the belt because of the super long handle. I'm hoping that the extended DVD of TTT will have a gallery of Haldir that will include his sword.

[Aratorë]

If you look at the scenes in the extended edition of FotR in Lorien, you get a good look at his sword(in scabbard of course), and it looks like it's got a really long blade and an equally long handle. It looks to me like it would be a little unwieldly for access from the belt like he wears it, like you said IronHills Dwarf.

I'll go see if I can find some screens that show it...

[IronHills Dwarf]

yes, I've got the extended edition. But I still mantain that if you look closely and compare with other elves like the standard lorien warriors/guards you will see that the handle is shorter (though I admitt it still would be a bit unweildy). Also the capping on the pomel is different and the tracery is differrent.

[Voroturiön]

Supposedly, Haldir's sword is a hybrid of the Elven Warrior Sword and Hadhafang.

Here take a look at a friend's website:
http://groups.msn.com/MiddleearthArmoury/haldir.msnw?Page=3

[Winyaél Greenleaf]

It's pretty difficult to see the shape of the blade, but I'd say it does adopt that distinctive curve as seen in most elven blades.

[Finrod Felagund]

It looks like they are using two different swords. the hilt of the screnecaps in Lorien look like tho long two handers of the Elven infantry in the Prolog, and the ones from TT looks like a shorter different version all together. Since he was a minor character, PJ and co might not have been so particular about his weapon staying the same. With its long hilt, the Elven infantry sword may not be so "swordlike" in up close shots, they may have changed his sword for TT.
I'd like to see a repo of the one he used at Helm's Deep

[Ereinion]

I hope it helps....

http://www.decipher.com/lordoftherings/cardlists/twotowers/images/LOTR-EN04084.jpg

[IronHills Dwarf]

Originally posted by Finrod Felagund
It looks like they are using two different swords. the hilt of the screnecaps in Lorien look like tho long two handers of the Elven infantry in the Prolog, and the ones from TT looks like a shorter different version all together. Since he was a minor character, PJ and co might not have been so particular about his weapon staying the same. With its long hilt, the Elven infantry sword may not be so "swordlike" in up close shots, they may have changed his sword for TT.
I'd like to see a repo of the one he used at Helm's Deep

Actually they are one in the same. The sword carried in FOTR and TTT. However a major disapointment for me in the TTT Extended was that no design gallery for Haldir was avialable.

[IronHills Dwarf]

As I've mentioned elsewere the new book on LOTR weapons and Warfare mentions Haldir's sword as different and as a combination of Hadfahng and the standard elf-sword. However it only shows a sketch of the weapon. However the sketch is accurate in terms of what was actually made for the actor.

Here is a few link that show the blade decently.

http://craig-parker.net/index.php4?view=gallery_wrap&gallery=ttt

The sword (though it is hard to tell this from the photos) does not have any inscription but a sort of flower bud design that becomes the fuller after the hook on the lower edge of the blade.

[Nilion Elentano]

Sorry about this, I haven't read all of the posts, but I can only talk from my point of view as a Bladesmith and a Practitioner of the arts of the sword.

When I went to the Exhibition in London I had a very good chance to look at it from extremely close range, and would be able to state that the aforementioned sword indeed has the same template of the Elven infantry sword in the handle, just a 7 or 8 inches shorter according to what I can remember...

As for the blade of the sword, the only ressemblance of it with Hadhafang is the Sabre-like line of the blade (nothing else at all in my opinion), but Haldir's is much broader and the sword tends to acquire a line similar to a Shobu Sukuri all along the spine of the sword (slightly curved line getting straighter as it reaches the hilt) and the tip of the sword is very much constructed like a Yokote ( the line that separates the edges on the tip of a katana), the blade must be around 29 to 32 inches long ( the last calculation might not be accurate since I didn't hold it in my hands) but the sword makes a difference when it comes to the compound of both blade and handle... I ought to say that it seemed a bit long the blade when you think about the use of it, but then again you have to try such a sword yourself and then bear in mind that the same blade can be wielded by many people in different ways.


I will put up the sketch I made of the sword (to forge a similar one) on a link as soon as I have the chance to help illustrate the sword more clearly, especially since the links given here don't seem to be working.

:thumbs:

[IronHills Dwarf]

Good comments. I'd love to see if anyone took a picture of it at the exhibit.

My last link should work, the long hand should help somewhat with the heavy blade. One handed it looks a tad ackward. Even in the film footage it looks ackward when wielded one handed. I'd interested to see your sketch. I've been working on a few drawings myself of various LoTR inspired weapons.

[Nilion Elentano]

IronHills Dwarf here the promised sketch, it's a copy from the original design for the sword, and even tho in the making it changed slightly I think it illustrates what I said before, tho in the photo of the sword at the exhibition the curve looks a lot more exaggerated because of the angle of the photo.

Haldir's Sword (sketch)
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/beleriel/Nurtanore/Miscellanous/Haldir's%20Sword%20Sketch.jpgHaldir's Sword (sketch)

And here the photo at the London exhibition

Haldir's Sword at the London Exhibition
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/beleriel/Nurtanore/Miscellanous/Haldir's%20Sword%20angle.jpg
Hope you enjoy them now :thumbs:

P.s Maybe Iluvatar can add them to the gallery if they aren't there yet :thumbs:

[IronHills Dwarf]

Great sketches Nilion! I wish I had the dexterity for that... I'm still trying to get mine onto my server, I'll certainly post them when I do.

[Nilion Elentano]

No don't get me wrong, these are sketches off the weaponry and warfare book, the one I made is basically the same, just thought that since I got hold of the actual original sketch then it would have been a better source.

Looking forward to your sketches, and I certainly think that you should add them to your wonderful essay about elven swords.:thumbs:

[IronHills Dwarf]

http://www.jedielfqueen.com/elvenwarriors/weapons/haldirsword/haldirsword.htm

good look at the thing.