HBO Series Weapons? Valyrian Steel?

[Sword of the Morning]

We KNOW that there are going to be collectibles generated from HBO's Song of Ice and Fire series.

Valyrian Steel is the officially licensed company making collectibles from the weapons and armor of the BOOK SERIES. Will they also be licensed to sell the versions from the movies?

They has some pictures of the actress playing Arya practicing with a their version of Needle so it seems like a natural transition for their designs (approved by Martin I might add) to be used as well for the miniseries.

I just don't want to spent 600 dollars or more for a Longclaw and Ice to find another fully authentic, licensed version from the miniseries being sold by another company.

Thoughts?

Dennis

[Brude]

HBO is making its own weapons for the show. I suppose it's possible Valyrian Steel will get the license to do those weapons, too, but I've not yet heard a thing either way on that but the weapons they've made so far will not be appearing in the show. HBO did have a look at Valyrian Steel's work, I know, since they are GRRM-approved designs, but apparently they decided to go another direction with the weapons for the show.

Here's the planned Valyrian Steel's version of Ice.

Here's HBO's version of Ice in Ned's hand.

As for which one you should get? I don't know. Maybe wait to see which one you like the look of better, or maybe decide for yourself if you want a GRRM approved design or an HBO approved design.

[Myrddin]

I tend to look for actual historical replicas when buying swords and stuff for my study, though I did pick up a Gandalf sword for $40. ;) So, I'll likely not be buying either licensed brand.

But just buy looking at the linked photos, I'd probably lean toward HBO's vision more than VS. GRRM approved or not, the VS Ice just never looked like what I pictured while reading.

Buy which ever one matches your own vision from the books. For some people, VS nailed it with their Long Claw, Needle, and the forth coming Ice. For others, HBO's version might be a better match. Right now, I award Ice to HBO, but VS's Needle looks just right in Masie's hands. I wonder how the show version will look.

I guess a true collector will buy both versions. :bowdown: Oh, disposible income. Where did you go?

[Mara Jade]

I just wish Ice was a little closer to the description in the books: wide as a man's hand, 6 feet tall, & dark as smoke. After seeing that sword in Bean's hands I've been wondering if HBO is going to keep Valyrian steel at all or if they've cut it.

[Ran]

It's quite clear that they've pattern-welded or made it look pattern-welded from that picture, so I think they're keeping it.

[Mara Jade]

I thought the pattern welding was decorative, do you mean that you think the pattern imitates the folds of Valyrian steel?

Edited: Looking at the pictures I see what you mean.

[Brude]

I'm pretty sure the Valyrian steel blades in the show will be real pattern welded steel. That's certainly well within the budget for something like this show. Ice looks like real pattern welded to me in the photo of Ned.

To keep the idea of Valyrian steel in the show after that is just a matter of explaining what it is and its significance within the context of a scene or two, somewhere. I think it'd be a shame to lose that motif. It makes it more special when things actually happen to the swords, gives it more meaning when somebody loses one, it gets destroyed or given to someone else. I think that's very necessary for a story like this.

[Romulocks]

I think the HBO version looks ten times better than the VS version.

Actually I think Needle is the only sword VS has made that even looks half decent. Longclaw could've looked "OK" if they hadn't put that retarded plastic looking wolf head on the hilt, but Ice would be the worst one yet, mainly because of the inscribed Winter is Coming on the hilt...I just don't think that was there at all. When you say it to your children every single day I really don't think it needs to be on your family heirloom to remind you.

But I might be a bit brutal to the Valyrian Steel guys. At least they tried...at a time when the community was really looking for a replica sword. They just needed to do another 10-12 concept drawings first.

Honestly if HBO's Needle/Longclaw/Dawn look as good as Ice does, I'll probably end up getting them all.

[Ran]

GRRM has said that the only thing HBO has the rights to would be the sort of swords you find in toystores: cheaper plastic things.

I rather liked the "Winter is Coming" touch, and can only presume George was okay with it. Just because you say a family motto a lot doesn't mean you refuse to write it down or place it in a prominent place. In fact, it's rather weird that there's no mention of it outside of it being said. It probably ought to be blazoned somewhere. On the sword's hilt is as good a place as any.

[Brude]

I think the Valyrian Steel guys had the right idea in their description that Ice doubles as a sort of scepter for the Starks, it is their symbol of power and so it should be a little more special than just having a basic looking hilt and pommel. I don't know if that came out of their conversations with GRRM or if that was their take on it from the beginning, but it's a compelling statement.

I do like the HBO version of Ice, still, I don't have a problem with it - it's clearly a part of the very rough aesthetic they are going for with the Northmen (pulling Ice from a wolf maw scabbard and such, which is awesome). I just think there would be at least SOME ornamentation on Ice, or at least an attempt for some simple, severe beauty. It's not like Vikings were incapable of crafting gorgeous items in our world and they were very fond of them, too.

[Brandon Stark]

They both look like gorgeous blades, but I suppose I'm literally in the middle on what I pictured for Ice. Not quite as fantastical as the VS version, but a bit more gussied up than the HBO. For HBO, though, I have a feeling that there's a fear that they're a few over-the-top props or images from alienating some potential viewers, so I'd guess that they're going to play things as gritty and historical as possible to trick some Tudors fans into watching a few episodes.

[Brude]

For HBO, though, I have a feeling that there's a fear that they're a few over-the-top props or images from alienating some potential viewers, so I'd guess that they're going to play things as gritty and historical as possible to trick some Tudors fans into watching a few episodes.

According to one report from a while back, the weapons master had a discussion with the producers early on about the Lannister style of weaponry. They wanted something more fantastical for their style of weapons and armor and stuff, things that didn't really fit the milieu (or maybe they wanted Asian influences, more like a katana or something). Anyway, the weapons master explained they'd alienate a lot of fans with that sort of thing as it wasn't in keeping with the setting and that they should stick to more traditional, and realistic styles for them, too.

[Stego]

HBO stuff looks a lot better, and I'm glad. Valyrian Steel is not making a great product.

[cfmrfrpfmsf]

I'm a little disapointed that they aren't going with the size described in the books. Six feet tall and roughly 4-6 inches across would be quite a lot of sword. I don't see how they will be able to "get" both Oathkeeper and Widow's Wail out of the HBO sword, it looks barely larger than a normal sword.

[Jacen]

I rather liked the "Winter is Coming" touch, and can only presume George was okay with it. Just because you say a family motto a lot doesn't mean you refuse to write it down or place it in a prominent place. In fact, it's rather weird that there's no mention of it outside of it being said. It probably ought to be blazoned somewhere. On the sword's hilt is as good a place as any.

I don't like it because:

A. It looks hokey being there on the crossguard

and

B. The Valyrians forged it 400 years ago from the current time, and they probably had no idea the sword would end up in the hands of House Stark. Assuming that the cross-guard is Valyrian steel as well as the blade, a later day smith wouldn't have easily been able to etch in the words either.

Maybe I'm being nitpicky, but I definitely like the HBO version better. It looks more like a proto-typical greatsword than the VS one does.

[Ran]

Oh, it definitely is not a Valyrian steel hilt, from their design, as I think you can tell from the design drawing and this. Only the blade is given that "Valyrian steel" texture. It's just a sort of brushed steel for the hilt. So that's not a problem.

[MightilyOats]

I imagine a 6 foot sword would be absurdly hard to actually wield, even just a prop one.

That's probably why it's not quite so massive in the practical design.

Plus Bean himself is a shade under 6 feet, and...you can't really dramatically lean on a sword if it's taller than you are.

I mean, 6 feet for the blade alone, AT LEAST another foot for the hilt...this is a 7 foot long piece of weaponry, it'd look terrible.

[Master of Coin]

Having made several dozens of swords myself, I can well imagine the problems of making a sword six feet long. The longest blade I ever made was 39 inches (one meter) hilt to point... and it was a monster! Something nearly twice that length would have to be VERY thin in order to make the weight manageable... like a very long chef's knife, but with stiffening ribs (like a scythe blade) to keep it from being floppy. But grinding a blade of that size to a profile of that type would be very difficult and therefore very expensive.

I do agree that the Valyrians 400 years past would not have known to put WINTER IS COMING on the hilt of the sword. But it's difficult for us (in our comfortable modern non-sword culture) to remember that for people in a sword culture the sword is not an object but an assemblage. A broken blade can be shortened and reground. Handles and guards and pommels are all changeable! So it would be not uncommon to take a valuable old sword blade... perhaps captured in battle or retrieved from the field... and have it sent to the blademaster to be rehafted for the new owner... including the addition of his motto or sigils etc.

Be well!

Tom

PS... here are my blade archives Maringer Swords

[Sir Tobi]

I imagine a 6 foot sword would be absurdly hard to actually wield, even just a prop one.

There is absolutely no problem in fighting with a sword, that as big as you.

[Rakka]

Yeah, having the pommel and crossguard changed wouldn't be that hard. BUT it's already grating enough to have all the pseudo-English names in a fantasy novel, having them write in Latin alphabet and in English is just bullshit.