Hand-Forged Pippin Barrow-Blade, Lord of the Rings, Configurable Build

A Hand-Forged Pippin Barrow-Blade from The Lord of the Rings, Built the Way You Want It

Choose the blade finish, the handle, the fittings and the scabbard colour, then add your engraving — and we forge that exact blade. Every selection updates the preview on screen. There are 960 possible builds before personalisation, and each one is a piece our smiths in Kathmandu make routinely.

Underneath every combination is the same blade: 15 inches of hand-forged 5160 spring steel on a full tang running unbroken to the pommel, with a six-inch grip and a wood-core scabbard wrapped in leather. It is our unofficial tribute to the Barrow-blade carried by Peregrin "Pippin" Took in The Lord of the Rings — a long dagger by human measure, a full sword in hobbit hands, and forged here as a working blade rather than a display piece.

A note on Lord of the Rings and the law. We name the films and the character so you know exactly which blade this is. That is descriptive use, and nothing more: this is an unofficial hand-forged interpretation, not a licensed Lord of the Rings replica, and it carries no studio authentication, certificate or serial number. Everest Forge is not affiliated with, endorsed by or licensed by Warner Bros. Discovery, New Line Cinema, MGM, Middle-earth Enterprises, the Saul Zaentz Company or the Tolkien Estate. All character names, film titles and franchise references are used for identification only, and all trademarks remain the property of their respective owners. If an official, licensed replica is what you want, buy one of those instead — we would rather say so here than have you find out after it arrives.

Your Four Choices

Blade length and construction are fixed on this pattern. For a longer blade or anything else outside these options, use our custom forge service.

The Barrow-Blade and the Hobbit Who Carried It

In The Lord of the Rings, the four hobbits are rescued from a barrow-wight by Tom Bombadil, who gives each of them an ancient blade from the mound's hoard — swords made long before by the Men of Westernesse for their war against the Witch-king of Angmar. Sam, Merry and Pippin each carry one for the rest of the journey.

Pippin's is the one with the longest road. He is the youngest and least warlike of the Fellowship when he receives it, and he still has it at his side in Minas Tirith when he swears service to the Steward of Gondor and, later, pulls Faramir off the pyre. The blade does not change; the hobbit does. That is why this one appeals to people who are not otherwise film-replica buyers.

As a shape it belongs to a real family. The broad, slightly leaf-like blade with its short guard and simple grip echoes the seax, the single-edged short sword carried across early medieval northern Europe, which is the tradition Tolkien drew from and which the films' designers followed. At 15 inches it sits exactly where a large seax sits: too long for a knife, too short for a sword, and useful as both.

Which Blade Finish Suits It?

For a display piece, polished or satin. For a blade that should look like it came out of the ground three thousand years later, raw forge or acid wash.

Handle and Fittings

Eight grips are fitted to the same full tang. Rosewood is our standard: dense, dark and warm in the hand. Whitewood is the pale timber and gives the brightest, plainest build. Buffalo horn is glossy black and takes a deep polish. Bone is close to ivory and the most antique-looking of the four, which suits a blade meant to be ancient. The four two-material grips — rosewood + whitewood, rosewood + horn, rosewood + bone and whitewood + horn — band contrasting sections along the handle, and rosewood + bone is the combination that reads most like something out of a barrow hoard.

The fittings are the guard and the pommel. Silver-tone is a bright white metal, the closest to the screen blade, and it stays bright longest. Brass is warm gold and pairs naturally with rosewood. Copper is warmer and darkens fastest into a deep brown, which ages a build quickly. Black is the quietest and the most modern.

Scabbard and Engraving

The scabbard is a carved wooden core wrapped in leather, in six colours. Brown is the most film-like and black the most formal; red, blue and green suit a costume build; white is the most striking and shows wear soonest.

The personalisation field takes a name, initials, a date or a short line of your choosing, engraved before the blade ships, and you can upload a crest, arms, a logo or a photograph for us to reproduce. On a blade bought to mark something — a graduation, a wedding, a milestone, a gift between people who read the books together — the engraving is usually the whole point.

Why This Blade Works

Standard Build Specification

Blade, handle and overall length are fixed in this configurator and do not change with your selections. Because every piece is hand-forged, small variation in weight, dimensions, grain and finish is normal.

An Honest Note on This Blade

An honest note. Three things worth saying plainly. First, it is a tribute, not a licensed replica and not a measured copy of the prop: the proportions and character follow the screen blade, but the fittings, grip and scabbard are yours to choose, so a copper-fitted build with a green scabbard will look nothing like the film while being the same blade underneath. If authentication matters to you, buy a licensed piece. Second, the silver-tone fittings are a bright white metal, not sterling silver. Third, 5160 is not stainless. It will rust if left wet or stored damp in its scabbard; wipe it dry, keep a light film of oil on it, and it will outlast you.

How Your Order Is Made

Caring for Your Barrow-Blade

Wipe the blade dry after handling — skin acid marks carbon steel within days — and keep a light film of oil on it; mineral or camellia oil both work. Do not store it in the scabbard for long periods, because the leather and wooden core hold moisture against steel; a stand or a dry drawer is better. Brass and copper fittings patina with handling and polish back with any metal polish if you prefer them bright. Give a timber, horn or bone grip a little oil once or twice a year, and keep horn and bone away from radiators and direct sun. Light surface rust, if it ever appears, comes off with fine steel wool and a re-oil.

Shipping, Returns and Warranty

Every piece is prepared at the forge in seven to ten days, and shipping adds a further seven to ten days. Orders to the USA and Canada travel with FedEx; everywhere else ships on a DDP service, which means duties and taxes are settled before the parcel moves so there is nothing to pay on delivery. Every piece carries the Everest Forge manufacturer warranty against defects in forging and heat treatment. Because a configured and engraved blade is made to your specification, it falls outside our standard returns window except where the blade is faulty — full terms are on our shipping and returns page. Import rules on edged blades vary by country and are the buyer's responsibility to check before ordering.

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Questions About This Barrow-Blade