Tristan Dare is a 19-year-old American knife maker who began his journey into the craft at just 12 years old. Despite his young age, his vision and artistic mindset are anything but small. Throughout his sword forging process, he has learned to incorporate precious metals from meteorites into his blades.
Hailing from Idaho, USA, Tristan Dare has utilized pieces of meteorite over 4 billion years old to create a rare and precious sword. After the product was widely reported in the media, forging swords from meteorite has become both an art form and a career ambition for this young artisan.
Design sketch of the “Nebula” sword.
The sword is named Nebula, crafted from one of the oldest meteorites ever recorded, adorned with rare gemstones, and incorporating both gold and ancient mammoth ivory.
At the beginning of 2022, Tristan Dare acquired the meteorite known as “Swiss Sky Iron” (Muonionalusta) from Germany and began forging this stunning blade with a water pattern. The meteorite struck Earth about 1 million years ago, containing a liquid iron core and was cooled by four ice ages before being discovered in 1906. Currently, there are only about 40 fragments worldwide, making them quite expensive.
Intricate water pattern on the sword.
Dare did not disclose the amount he spent to forge the “Nebula” sword, but he mentioned that it cost several thousand dollars to purchase the materials.
The iron crystals within these meteorites exhibit perfect symmetrical octahedral molecular patterns. This natural pattern usually disappears when the forge heats up, but interestingly, Dare has figured out how to preserve them. He stated, “All the octahedral swords I have forged feature those patterns. As far as I know, there are currently fewer than 10 people in the world who can achieve this.“
Dare forging a sword at temperatures near the melting point of steel.
Dare forges swords at temperatures close to the melting point of steel, around 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit (1,200 degrees Celsius), combining black steel with shiny nickel to create a beautiful water-like pattern that captivates onlookers.
The sword blade will be covered in 24-karat gold for added splendor.
Dare also incorporates a 20,000-year-old mammoth ivory handle as a decorative element, with several Ethiopian opals along the blade of the “Nebula” to represent stars in the “Nebula.” Ultimately, the blade will be plated in 24-karat gold to enhance its opulence.
Nebula is set to be auctioned off in October or November of next year. Dare hopes that collectors who acquire this treasure will appreciate the story behind Nebula and its precious materials, “transforming it into a family heirloom to be passed down through generations.“
Here are some other swords forged by Dare:
