Nova: Secrets of the Viking Sword

Too brief on important points
While a good production, I felt the emphasis was too much on some of the showy bits, like the reenactors bashing away. The too brief part by the sword master could have been expanded. The descriptions by the sword smith were great and very illustrative. But for me, crucial technical questions like what the crucible was made of and exactly how they achieved 3000' F when the Romans didn't would have really improved it for me. Also, an explanation of why the katana needed multiple layers of steel and why this Viking didn't would also have been a great comparative analysis.
Worth viewing though, and glad I bought it but it left several questions unanswered.

A tale of two swords.
This DVD, "Secrets Of The Viking Sword", has two currents working simultaneously through it. Firstly, there is the story of Middle Ages swords marked "ULFBERHT" which are made of steel so advanced for the time that modern experts are shocked by their quality. Secondly, there is the story of modern blacksmith Richard Furrer who will attempt to make a sword like the ULFBERHT swords using old technology and methods to discover the secret of how the originals were made.

The DVD covers the Viking age as well as the type of swords used in northern Europe during the time the ULFBERHT swords were made. Compared to the ULFBERHT swords, other swords made during this time period consist of steel that is full of impurities and have little carbon making them brittle and prone to breaking in battle. There are discussions and demonstrations of fighting techniques and weaponry by modern experts of ancient weaponry to explain for the viewer why these swords were so advanced compared to...

Could be better.
This DVD is only about one Viking sword, the Ulfberth.
The narrator states, that the crucible methode used to make that steel, was highly superior to the pattern welding of other Viking swords. I strongly doubt that! The Viking sword, in difference to roman gladius, japanese Katana and crussader swords, had a flexible blade, which I don't think can be achieved by using only one single steel! Modern pattern welded replicas of Viking swords, show their vast superiority to swords of earlier or later periods!

It would have been better to make a program about the different types of Viking swords and different forging technics, and to compare different modern accurate replicas in tests.

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