A NEW STATE SWORD OF SCOTLAND - THE SWORD THAT WAS DESTINED TO BE

It has been particularly special to have played a part in the crafting of an important piece of the Honours of Scotland.

The sword traditionally used for over 500 years in this role was crafted in 1506 by Italian goldsmith Domenico da Sutri, one of three swords commissioned by the "Warrior Pope" Julius II.

That sword was presented to King James IV of Scotland in 1507 and has been used for state ceremonial occasions since. It was damaged during concealment and escape from Cromwell's forces in 1651, locked away and sealed up in Edinburgh Castle in 1707 following the Union and rediscovered by Sir Walter Scott in 1818, when it was repaired and refurbished.

Sadly, lead mixed into the silver alloy for the hilt has crystalised over time, leaving the hilt too brittle for continued handling in ceremony.

A new state sword was required and a whole new design was approved by the Scottish Government on the initiative of the Lord Lyon King of Arms.

The new sword was designed by Mark Dennis, Advocate, of St. Andrews, then Ormond Pursuivant of Arms and is inspired by the dimensions and proportions or the original Papal sword.

Seven different craftsmen were involved in its creation, starting from the pommel end with Professor Godfrey Fitton and Dr. Mairghread Ellis, both of the Scottish Mineralogy and Lapidary Society in Edinburgh.

The pommel is a stunning 70mm polished sphere of Lewisian gneiss, being some 400 million years old from the sacred historic Isle of Iona. It is a dark green with paler green, russet and cream veins running through it.

The hilt was crafted by prominent Borders-based Scots sculptor Alan Herriot, cast in bronze and in the form of a central thistle which flourishes from the Pictish spiral roots by the pommel to full bloom and extended hilt leaves to form the impressive guard.

What appear at first to be spiky projections of leaf spurs are formed and placed to serve as ergonomic supports to bear the sword weight when carried in the scabbard point upwards.

The carbon steel blade blank was forged fully to profile with two different damascus patterns by top quality blade-smith Mick Maxen of Essex using 15N20 and EN42J steels.

The central, broader pattern is representative of Scotland's topography and the edges of finer, more wavy pattern of our surrounding seas.

Paul Macdonald of Macdonald Armouries in the Scottish Borders hand-ground and sanded this blank to full distal taper, fullered and edged to diamond section form.

The challenge involved here for myself was ensuring the fuller/edges transition line matched exactly the damascus pattern transition lines on all sides, resulting in a broad, tapering concave fuller being aesthetically aligned with the contrasting damascus patterns.

The blade was then turned over to Dane Vogelpohl at Vogie Forge in Crieff, who by hand etched and gilded the classical lettering within the fullers, reading the motto of the Royal arms of Scotland (IN MY DEFENS GOD ME DEFEND) on one side and the motto of the Kingdom of Scotland and of the Order of the Thistle (NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT) on the other.

Dane also fully crafted the impressive scabbard, crafted in Perthshire oak, covered in a regal purple velvet (stitched by Dane's wife, Angelyn and the colour reflective of thistle blossom). The scabbard mounts were forged in copper, forming Scottish saltires and Celtic knot patterns, each hand-chased to outline form and gilded in 24k gold.

The mounts at either end also feature pierced heart forms, which reflect the hearts often found in Scottish basket-hilted broadswords of the C17th and C18th.

Gilding of the scabbard mounts and the thistle hilt and grip along with Pictish roots pommel cap was done by Colin Morrison-Ignatieff at his silversmith workshop in Glasgow.

Fitting of hilt, blade and pommel/top cap elements and final assembly was conducted at Macdonald Armouries workshop by both myself and Alan Herriot.

Upon final assembly, we brought the sword out into natural light for the first time in full form, where she was rested against a tree for some images and there, the setting evening sun gave the scabbard saltires a mystical golden glow, almost as though the elements themselves smiled in harmony with this newly-born creation of national significance.

A private gathering of the craftsmen involved was subsequently arranged where she was revealed in completed form to all.

The entire process of crafting the sword from the journey to Iona to select the stone for the pommel to final assembly and gathering has been professionally filmed by videographer Pete Waugh, with the score composed jointly by Pete Waugh and Alan Herriot. This should be completed later this Summer.

On the 3rd July, all craftsmen enjoyed an exclusive lunch with Lord Lyon and Mark Dennis and were then received at Holyrood Palace for a private audience with His Majesty where he was introduced to the sword for the first time.

As an artist himself, he was genuinely interested in the sword and our respective roles and the materials and craftsmanship involved.

The Elizabeth, the new State Sword of Scotland shall play its first role in public service tomorrow at the National Service at Edinburgh's St. Giles Cathedral.

She has been crafted to become a part of Scotland's history going forward and play a part in the ceremonial Life of our Nation for at least the next 500 years.