Introducing: The Gilded Lion Ironworks and Lioncast Hilts

by Jason "Aeston" Rosa 

In an effort to formalize Rhiassa's contributions to the various disciplines of weapon construction, Rhiassa has created the Gilded Lion Ironworks brand. 

Going forward, this will be the parent brand of the Rhiassa Tube and Rhiassa Tube (W) as well as any future blade materials, but in particular I am taking this occasion to introduce a new product to the Realms: Lioncast Hilts.

Lioncast Hilts are a product line of ready-made handle parts for crafting swords. Our offerings include quillons (cross guards) and pommels of different styles. 

Each piece is laser-cut out of two pieces of 1/2” EVA foam which are meant to be glued together over the weapon core material that you are using to make hilt parts that are 1” thick overall. The groove left in the middle assumes the core you are using will be 1/2” in diameter. The groove has been specially designed with textured indentations that will create a snug fit and accommodate adhesive to make an extremely robust connection with the core of the weapon.

The construction of a dagger showing how a Lioncast Hilt is added.

The Realms has shown a consistent desire to have nicer, more realistic looking weapons and for a lot of people a nicely designed hilt can be a part of that. It can be difficult, however, to freehand cutting out the EVA foam to make a hilt and having it come out perfectly symmetrical and cleanly cut. For those of you who want an easy and great looking solution, adding a Lioncast Hilt can immediately elevate the look of your weapon for only a small amount of effort.

Below are the standard designs that we offer for quillons and pommels. The quillons are about 6" in length and the pommels range from 1" to 1.5" in size depending on the style. The outlines and names appear above photos of the actual laser cut pieces.

In addition to Western-style hilts, Lioncast Hilts also incorporate tsuba-style guards for Tang Huanese swords. These are cut out of a single piece of 1/2" EVA foam and are about 3" in diameter. Want to make your popsicle stick instantly feel more IC for almost no extra weight? Just slide one of these tsubas onto the handle and paint it!

Lioncast hilts will make their official debut at the Gilded Lion and Silver Branch Summer Festival in June where they can be found for sale at Rowan's Rarities, our exclusive reseller for this product. We can also work with you to design custom shapes, styles, and sizes for your own weapon-crafting needs. Contact me to get started on that process.

Once final product pitch I want to add to this one is our Lioncast Filigree.

Lioncast filigree is a custom service that creates embellishments to add to your weapons, most often useful for weapons that are being coated with a high-detail material such as spray-rubber and latex. Adding these designs to a sword blade or a shield surface will elevate the quality of your armament in a very significant way.

Because of our precision laser-cutting method, your design is delivered to you with perfect fidelity. We can create stunning levels of detail. All Lioncast Filigree is made to order, there is no standard stock that is created, but think about having your heraldry or other decoration made to add to your weapons or shields. Contact me with questions or to arrange an order.

Adding a Lioncast Filigree to a weapon and painting them.

Rhiassa is proud to offer these products to the Realms through our Gilded Lion Ironworks brand. We hope to be your partner in elevating the aesthetics of your weapons and making your crafting process easier as well. Please reach out with any questions or comments, we value your feedback. Our web page has further details on these services as well: http://rhiassa.com/ironworks/index.html

And remember the Gilded Lion Ironworks motto: We who smelt it, dealt it.

In service,

Jason