"A Witcher may forget to eat to drink to breathe even, but a Witcher never forgets to care for his sword". Especially as Tod made such a beauty. Edited to the correct quote
I really liked how realistic the swords were in Witcher, makes sense now that i know you made them. I hope more movies and shows start using realistic swords like this.
As cool as this is (I had no idea my man Tod crafted these "tools of the trade"), I would like a follow up video to Tod's medieval myth busting for war bows vs plate armour. I found that video fascinating. It absolutely changed my perception of how archers could have such a devastating effect against 15 century armour. I had never considered how splinters from the arrow shafts might be more lethal in finding gaps between the plate or just how well evolved armourers had become in protecting against long range weapons. You did say you would do a part II Tod.....why wait mate? Give the people (me) what they want!!!! Please.
Never tried making it, but once came up with a concept for a back-scabbard where the blade is perpendicular to the body, not parallel to it, and the last 8-9 inches at the top of the scabbard is open on one edge to allow for the blade tip to exit early as the arm comes down. Think it might work?
@@tods_workshop About the backscabbard, Tod... have you seen already seen Shad's backscabbard? What do you think of it? th-cam.com/video/0EWi2DnDoaI/w-d-xo.html
@@mariobenedicto3582 You could probably make Geralt's back scabbard more functional (for the steel sword at least), if you stole the magnet idea from Shad's design. If it's strong enough you'd also avoid the need for the band it has, which would make it easier to sheathe into.
@@tods_workshop Have seen when it came out, subscribed since your 1000lbs crossbow-vids. I had worked in in a (big) theater, at a short film projekt and also done some medival/viking-reenactment as hobby, so there is a lot i can relate.
There's certainly a match there. Other than Henry's most likely overloaded agenda getting in the way, we'd have two (three) extremely talented and humble-hearted fellows here.
It's always nice to hear people explicitly say without any prompting that a bigshot actor like Henry is a polite person. It's just heartwarming to know a person who could very easily be a scumbag is actually a sweetheart.
@@thomastheisman1751 the good old school of fame, be polite, careful and unintrusive, you're an actor not an omniscient being around which world revolves with a mission to fix everything and everyone. It's a real shame that nowadays this approach is so rare, that we feel the need to endlessly praise people who represent it
I didn't know Tod made the swords for the Witcher, that is so cool. and did I hear that season two is being filmed! You can clearly see the difference with the silver, Tod you almost blinded us there :P
@@tods_workshop the detail on the swords is amazing. And I whole heatedly agree with using actual silver plating for the silver sword. Some people may look at it as an unnecessary expense but for show with as much CGI as the witcher has in it. Having a legitimate prop to properly do light reflection and color tones is a godsend for any visual effects artist. You're helping those poor overworked souls more than you'll ever know I guarantee!
Now, I fully understand what they mean when they say “the real sword” or “the real chain” (being opposed to the rubber versions), but each time they said it, I had to stifle the thought, ‘oh! that’s the *real* chain that the *real* Geralt of Rivia used!’ Like I’m watching Forgotten Weapons or something.
This seems like a really good scabbard for pulling out the blade thanks to the hinge mechanism, but awful at putting it back, which is probably why we didn't see it in a show.
@@SneakyBadAssOG yeah. Whilst it is doable it would look incredibly clumsy, which is fine from a practical point but not a production point - you don't really care how long it can take to put your weapon away as you're probably safe when doing it.
@@stephen9894 i guess even if you were in safe situation, like anything that takes a long time to do; putting it away in real life would eventually become a pain in the arse. I expect eventually once the novelty had worn off you would be thinking why am I bothering when I could just use a normal one.
@@Straightfromthehorsesmouth Oh yeah. I just mean if it takes like 20 seconds to do instead of the regular 5 but the rest of it is more convenient then you would consider it. If it is taking around 5 minutes to put your sword away then you're just not going to carry it like that except on rare occasions.
Nick was really interesting, to hear another side of how weapons are deployed in film making opened my eyes to how much thought and skill goes into a convincing chop chop. Many thanks guys
Wonderful stuff, Tod! Tremendously interesting to hear the what and why explained behind film props, and the masses of research that go into this. It's very easy for the public to criticize the look of a prop, but it isn't at all easy for a prop to fit the bill on all accounts. Excellent work!
@@tods_workshop Well, doesn't this mean this design is not functionally practical? If it's not usable after a few uses by actors with rubber and blunt swords how short would it serve a soldier let alone a witcher?
Nick Jeffries: If you chop enough pieces off I'm sure it will get close to killing it. King Arthur: Who are you, who are so knowledge in the ways of science?
The Nilfgaard armour has started to make a modicum of sense to me seeing it up close the second time around. It looks like leather was hastily wrapped over ¿steel? armour (probably as to make the armour black, not for armour value). With how rapidly Nilfgaard's army is expanding during the show, this would make sense. *Except for how much leather is needed for such an endeavour.* A bit of pre-industrial mass production.
@@HellYeahCorp The leather armor sort of exists in history. The crumpled ridges provide extra protection. The amount of leather wasn't a problem. Armies need to eat and armies would often travel with live stock since live stock can make food out of grass and a living cow doesn't spoil... Eat the cow, make armor from the skin. The armor looked bad though and really didn't make all that sense given the context, so I'm glad it's gone in season 2.
Why is on a DVD/BR, in the behind the scenes section, only blah blah about "it was so nice working with this director/actor/..." and never interesting stuff like that?
IKR...I feel like this video is the kind of content you would expect on the 2nd disc of a special limited edition box set, director's cut, or something. And we get to see it for free on youtube.
Great video, wonderful creations. I love the philosophy of making them real weapons. just like your other reproductions. "This is just from a history that never existed" Brilliant.
About the weapons being similar, I imagine it would be the case in real life too: you would probably always want to have your next weapon as similar as possible in balance and profile to the old one. A very interesting point.
What are your (and his) opinions about the Nilfguard armor? Among all the realistic weaponry and incredible detailing in props and set design, those guys look like power ranger villains.
As someone who studied Theatre Design at uni, I truly appreciate the level of effort you have put into balancing all requirements of realism and the practical needs of filming, staging, and safety. I think I will watch the series now, just because of this video. Knowing the amount of care that went into the production makes the show much more interesting to me.
Holy sh*t i had no idea! Lets watch Edit: yea, I just watched it and I must say that the backscabbard design is pretty genius with this hinge attached to it. Great work gentlemen
After watching several of Tod's videos, as you guys surely have as well, where it doesn't happen, I'm positive that in this case it was done on purpose. Helps with a couple different types of issues: with Tod on the left and Nick on the right, you don't have any doubts about who's talking when the camera shows the table or a particular prop. Cheers gents, may you have a great day!
It's muffled too and I've come to acknowledge that is the way things are being produced for now, like it's a style of audio. I hate it but even vloggers showing how to edit sound with a DAW will many times have crap sound.
@@yarugatyger1603 Betcha a surprise, that Geralt's name is inspired by a Soviet-era translation of an Irish legend about Gearóid Iarla (Earl Gerald mac Geralt).
It was really clear that they gave a good second thought to all the props and damn it payed of. The Aesthetic was great, the only thing to question was the casting but who cares really, great outfits and swords are a big +
Seeing the backscabbard i always think about shadversitys design. If you make the "slide in slot" smaller then he did would look sick. Was that kind of design ever on the table?
Shad made a completely functional and better designed (IMO) back scabbard. Maybe use something similar for future seasons! th-cam.com/video/-8YAT4KDSNs/w-d-xo.html
I really hope Henry Cavill sees this, I"m sure he probably already knows, but it's so cool and hes such a Witcher nerd :) Edit: Fixed missing spaces and caps
Geralt only kills monsters with his swords, it's just that some of them come in human form. Also, kinda surprised that Tod did the show's swords. Pleasantly so.
I just want to know who approved the Nilfgaardian armour, maybe there was a reason behind its design. But it does look like scrotum armour unfortunately.
Marvellous, now as insiders with whom do I have to have a talk about the Nilfgardian armour? Oh, please just ignore the barrel of tar and the feathery pillows, just kindly answer the question.
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Very cool that Tod is part of this very good production. Looking forward to see more of his work on the show.
The collapsible rod method is good for another reason, it gives resistance and feed back to the actor doing the stabbing. The less the actor has to work on imagining the physical aspects of their work, the more they can concentrate on character work. Todd any chance you can get them to stop cutting through plate like it was cheese? (I kid) Glad to see more of the world is seeing the quality in your work we've all come to enjoy.
I mean it's all great! Awesome explanations and presentation. However, please, can someone explain the scrotum armors for Nilfgaard? All of this work and thought coming into Geralt's kit only makes the atrocious Nilfgaard armor design stand out more.
The Witcher is the worst example of Netflix 'netflixing' a franchise. It saddens me so many peoples hard work are associated with such a show, but this allows those of us who refuse to consume Netflix's propaganda to appreciate Tod's hard work, I like it!
actually you'll notice in the show that Geralt carries his swords in a baldric, which it is possible to draw from the back since it only actually covers the end of the blade
That's cool that you helped make the Witcher swords! It's actually not too especially hard to make a functional back scabbard, though; Shadiversity made a much nicer one in his backyard 😉. That being said, it was interesting to see how much ingenuity went into yours! I'd just love to see a full scabbard covering the whole sword with the slit in the side like Shad's 😉. Well, covered in leather, of course 😅.
I think I like Shad's version of the back scabbard better, from a strictly functional point of view. This one looks better, and still functions, just not as well. Would like to see them compared someday.
@Tod's Workshop is there a possibility that we see Shadiversity's version of the back scabbard in the series? Was that ever a option and if it was, why did you prefer to design another one ? I love your work :)
Awesome! Thanks Tod. May I suggest you make a video just showing long,slow footage of a selection of your work set to your usual,excellent music choices, I know I for one would watch it repeatedly, I mean who does not love Sword Porn!
Wow, I don't know why this video did it, but I just figured out something. I've always been confused by your intro when you say, "Hi, it's Tod of Tod's Workshop and Tod Cutler here..." because it sounds like you're introducing yourself twice, but I just made the connection that "Tod Cutler" is one of your brands, not just your name. Heh.
When I noticed that the blades in the witcher series looked more grounded in reality (and had neat unmentioned world building like the amulet from blaviken being worked into the crossguard) I wondered if Tod had something to do with it
Of course they had such a talented artist like yourself on such a great show. Thank you for these videos but also on the work you do on all these great shows
you can really tell how much these guys where dedicated to making the props both as high quality as possible but in making them as workable for film as possible.
@@tods_workshop As an "expert" in playfighting with sticks, I have always found that my favourite weapons was a 4' sword with a 1' handle and 3' blade. It just gives more flexibility in how to use your weapon. Perhaps expert training teaches superior techniques that make long handles unnecessary?
@@tods_workshop @LRX After some improvised drunken experimenting just now I'm going to answer; "leverage". I've got riot stick (or whatever it's name is in english) from my army days as a short sword analog with ~40cm "blade" and just enough grip to fit both hands, so I gave it a few swings and I can confidently say that it's lot easier to control with one hand than with two. Trying to apply force to the "blade" that is so close to my hands using both hands just feels clumsy and ineffective, but trying the same with my (hi-tec experimental archeology) mop handle it was lot easier to apply force to the end of a long shaft especially if I gave my hands more "grip" to work with. Using it like a polearm was even easier and felt like it had more force behind it. TL;DR: I think that short sword isn't long enough to make use of the extra leverage you get with two hands, you're just left with the inconvenience of a longer grip.
The main reason would probably be that it's sort of superfluous in many circumstances and often an inconvenience. On the battle field, the people carrying one handed swords throughout history would generally have a shield in the other hand( although this isn't always the case as even people in full plate armor often went for 1 handed swords) or a buckler in the other hand. A two handed grip can be a massive annoyance when the sword is in the scabbard, especially if you're fighting with a shield and a primary weapon as it bumps into the shield constantly; and even in civilian usage, it can be a bit of a pain to wear and walk around in. Another thing to note, perhaps the biggest reason is that there are advantages to having a short grip to a one handed sword. With a short grip, you can guarantee that the sword's not going anywhere, which results in a lot of control and security in the grip. In Britain, when the 1899 pattern cavalry trooper's sword came out, one of the biggest complaints was that the grip was too long and the user's hand consequently fell too far down towards the pommel( although the grip was only about 16cm long). Finally, short grips can often dictate a substantial part in how you use the sword, the most notable examples being Viking era and Indian swords, wherein having even a slightly longer grip would make the sword feel wrong and change the dynamic of the sword, especially when the pommel digs into the hand as in poor reproductions. Hope this helps!
Why does Henry Cavill keep saying that "real swords, real-weighted swords, are extremely heavy" in the YT video "Exercise Scientist Critiques Henry Cavill's Hollywood Workout" when Henry is talking about weight training for the sword fights etc., I have a hard time believing that Tod made prop swords that were extremely heavy and/or poorly balanced... Guessing, maybe Henry was just not used to sword work so he had to build those muscles groups? I mean, hardly anyone who does HEMA is built like Henry but can fight multiple bouts (like film takes) with a well-balanced, properly-weighted sword.
If Henry says it is heavy, then it is heavy. In any sence he ment🙄 cause Henry doesnt lack muscles and is an onion farmer. He had been swinging the sword for three years now, so I dont think he is rusty. His vocabulary might be, though.😉
real swords aren't that heavy, but they're still heavier a plastic or wood prop, and even a few pounds feels very heavy when you're swinging it for hours on set. Add to that the fact that metal props are often heavier than sharp swords as the edges are thicker.
nice video! btw, Tod you should really think of making a collab with Alec Steele now that hes back in GB again! i bet he´d love to get some insights on medieval Weapons and crafts
You know as much as I love the tv series my whole complaint was that he never used a "longsword" as a fan of the games it was kind of an odd thing,my thinking was if they could get narsil in a shot for lord of the Rings why not make a sword that long for the witcher? Idk either way it's still cool to see the thinking behind it and some of the movie magic going on behind the scenes. Next time o. Todd's workshop we find out that he built all the bows used in game of thrones lol
It strikes me as weird hearing word 'Strzyga' from British gentlemen, while they talk about film production. To be fair Strzyga wasn't a well known word in Poland (outside of Witcher) as Slavic mythology is a thing that very few people learn, so I'm not expecting many people sharing my experience. PS: That's a nice silver chain. I like the idea of casting silver links.
1:02 use of meteorite swords according to books was more or less a marketing trick on the side of witchers. The man with an expensive weapon may charge more money. What bothers me about Witcher TV swords is how small they are. Yes, not all historical longswords were really big or something, but, hell, Henry Cavill is a tall and a strong man, he can handle a bigger longsword. Making the operator's work more tiresome due to changing angles, distance, etc - I don't think that those arguments are good enough to explain the small size of the Cavill's sword.
Bravo Tod!! Take a (lockdown) bow for the work. Now I am inspired to go back and re-watch the show knowing you created Geralt's tools of the trade. Thanks also to Nick for his insights into the movie making world.
I feel like the beard should return, or even just the sideburns. A completely bare head makes you look a lot older. A moustache would probably make do also.
You suprise me more and more. I love your educational content and you earn your breads in interesting ways. Nice to see someone with a good knowledge beeing reponsible for the props. Except for the Armors and costumes XD bit i guess you are not to name for it. Really not a big fan of the series, except Henries performance as Geralt. It fits very good. I d love to see more :)
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I actually didn't know Tod did the witcher swords. Awesome show and tell.
He did say it once in a earlier video
Me neither 🤯
Yeah same here- I love the witcher series though- games and the show. it's all great. and I think they have done a great job on the show
Ya, I was this old when I found out
The Netflix tv-series is absolutely terrible in general but at least some of the fighting scenes are really good.
"A Witcher may forget to eat to drink to breathe even, but a Witcher never forgets to care for his sword". Especially as Tod made such a beauty. Edited to the correct quote
Amazing work! I am hoping for a Shad response to the back scabbard.
I really liked how realistic the swords were in Witcher, makes sense now that i know you made them. I hope more movies and shows start using realistic swords like this.
Thanks and so do I - its good for business
Toss a coin to your Witcher sword maker
I like the Design of the silversword. Especially the Blade Design its very nice! The sleek part near the Crossguard is really cool!
As cool as this is (I had no idea my man Tod crafted these "tools of the trade"), I would like a follow up video to Tod's medieval myth busting for war bows vs plate armour. I found that video fascinating. It absolutely changed my perception of how archers could have such a devastating effect against 15 century armour. I had never considered how splinters from the arrow shafts might be more lethal in finding gaps between the plate or just how well evolved armourers had become in protecting against long range weapons. You did say you would do a part II Tod.....why wait mate? Give the people (me) what they want!!!! Please.
Excellent content. That was riveting. More please !
Immediate grimmace when Todd pronounced Geralt's name :).
Wait a second the dude on the right isn't running scholagladiatoria. I've been had!
It appears that Nick Jeffries is Nick Jeffries and Matt Easton is not Nick Jeffries....
Never tried making it, but once came up with a concept for a back-scabbard where the blade is perpendicular to the body, not parallel to it, and the last 8-9 inches at the top of the scabbard is open on one edge to allow for the blade tip to exit early as the arm comes down. Think it might work?
Damn i want the silver sword so bad
There better be a Tod Cameo in the next witcher. Working a forge in the background or something like that
Some crossbow man in the Background XD or a smith in the rear of a scene doing his business.
@@Trollvolk credit him as a longbowman, but he has a cross bow
Someone should write a mail to cdpr
With a lockdown longbow!
@@RaphYkun Brilliant! :D
Fascinating! Thanks for sharing.
In what context?
Thanks Matt; appreciated and hopefully more to come
Always great to get an inside view into what happens behind the scene's.
Also, love your work Matt!
@@tods_workshop About the backscabbard, Tod... have you seen already seen Shad's backscabbard? What do you think of it?
th-cam.com/video/0EWi2DnDoaI/w-d-xo.html
@@mariobenedicto3582 You could probably make Geralt's back scabbard more functional (for the steel sword at least), if you stole the magnet idea from Shad's design. If it's strong enough you'd also avoid the need for the band it has, which would make it easier to sheathe into.
As an interrested person in cinema and history. this is the 'behind the scene' content i want to watch.
Awesome work and thanks for sharing this!
Thanks and check this out as well th-cam.com/video/mF1VFlCnLQ4/w-d-xo.html
@@tods_workshop Have seen when it came out, subscribed since your 1000lbs crossbow-vids.
I had worked in in a (big) theater, at a short film projekt and also done some medival/viking-reenactment as hobby, so there is a lot i can relate.
I had a suspicion Tod made these props as I'm pretty sure I saw one of his folding knives in the show
You did
What episode?
I'll be damned props for recognising
@@Visitingwombat lol...props
Absolutely Amazing, Tod!
I really want to see Tod in a bit part as a village smith....
Thanks and that would be fun, but no one knocking down my door yet
Hey, if there was a petition to put Ian McCallum in a bond movie I'm sure we can do one to put Tod in the witcher :)
@@raics101 it was about Ian in a Wick movie
@@Seelenschmiede So it was, thanks.
I thought the title meant you recreated swords from the Witcher, I didn’t know you were the guy who actually did them. Congrats and well done!
I would really like a "collab" with you and Henry Cavill, I would not be surprised if he does that.
There's certainly a match there. Other than Henry's most likely overloaded agenda getting in the way, we'd have two (three) extremely talented and humble-hearted fellows here.
It's always nice to hear people explicitly say without any prompting that a bigshot actor like Henry is a polite person. It's just heartwarming to know a person who could very easily be a scumbag is actually a sweetheart.
Based off everything I've seen of him, Henry Cavil just seems like a nice, down to earth guy.
I've never seen anything bad about him.
Being a sweetheart and being polite are two different things, you can be very rude sweetheart and a polite peace of shit ;)
@@thomastheisman1751 the good old school of fame, be polite, careful and unintrusive, you're an actor not an omniscient being around which world revolves with a mission to fix everything and everyone. It's a real shame that nowadays this approach is so rare, that we feel the need to endlessly praise people who represent it
I don't doubt them, but if you want future gigs, it's pretty much the only way forward.
I didn't know Tod made the swords for the Witcher, that is so cool. and did I hear that season two is being filmed!
You can clearly see the difference with the silver, Tod you almost blinded us there :P
Yes Tod accidentally slipped and told us some time ago that he was making the weapons for season 2 before season 2 had been announced.
Actually I thought I had and had to check, but the news was already out there but it had me worried for a moment
@@tods_workshop the detail on the swords is amazing. And I whole heatedly agree with using actual silver plating for the silver sword. Some people may look at it as an unnecessary expense but for show with as much CGI as the witcher has in it. Having a legitimate prop to properly do light reflection and color tones is a godsend for any visual effects artist. You're helping those poor overworked souls more than you'll ever know I guarantee!
This guy has a fantastic accent to be talking about witcher-ing with.
witchow worwd
Now, I fully understand what they mean when they say “the real sword” or “the real chain” (being opposed to the rubber versions), but each time they said it, I had to stifle the thought, ‘oh! that’s the *real* chain that the *real* Geralt of Rivia used!’ Like I’m watching Forgotten Weapons or something.
I would very much like to see more of this behind the scenes prop talk. Please keep going, very interesting!
There may be more coming.....
Waiting for Shad to compare this back scabbard design to his own ...
Ya, that would be cool to see!
This seems like a really good scabbard for pulling out the blade thanks to the hinge mechanism, but awful at putting it back, which is probably why we didn't see it in a show.
@@SneakyBadAssOG yeah. Whilst it is doable it would look incredibly clumsy, which is fine from a practical point but not a production point - you don't really care how long it can take to put your weapon away as you're probably safe when doing it.
@@stephen9894 i guess even if you were in safe situation, like anything that takes a long time to do; putting it away in real life would eventually become a pain in the arse. I expect eventually once the novelty had worn off you would be thinking why am I bothering when I could just use a normal one.
@@Straightfromthehorsesmouth Oh yeah. I just mean if it takes like 20 seconds to do instead of the regular 5 but the rest of it is more convenient then you would consider it. If it is taking around 5 minutes to put your sword away then you're just not going to carry it like that except on rare occasions.
I saw the daggers, I instantly thought *bottle opener*
Blade stopper at day, bottle opener at night! It is daggerman!
I‘ll be honest this kind of blew my mind
Nick was really interesting, to hear another side of how weapons are deployed in film making opened my eyes to how much thought and skill goes into a convincing chop chop. Many thanks guys
Wonderful stuff, Tod! Tremendously interesting to hear the what and why explained behind film props, and the masses of research that go into this. It's very easy for the public to criticize the look of a prop, but it isn't at all easy for a prop to fit the bill on all accounts. Excellent work!
Thank you and very well said.
I had no idea you were the smith that made those swords Tod, fantastic work as always.
"The Youth of Rivia"
I can't help but imagine an early 90s tv show in the vein of Beverly Hills, 92010. :))
Awesome insight! Would have liked to see the backscabbard in action though...
Yes please!
That one was too beaten up and not sure any of them survived season 1 intact , but we will try
@@tods_workshop Demo with the man himself? Henry would probably make a few of your followers faint just by showing up. Would be amazing!
@@arthanor9631 let's take it slowly at first. What happens on this channel is a revolution and she is unfolding just right.
@@tods_workshop Well, doesn't this mean this design is not functionally practical? If it's not usable after a few uses by actors with rubber and blunt swords how short would it serve a soldier let alone a witcher?
Nick Jeffries: If you chop enough pieces off I'm sure it will get close to killing it.
King Arthur: Who are you, who are so knowledge in the ways of science?
So, when are we getting Henry on the show?
If only they had also put you to work on the nilfgaard armors
what you dont think recycled tires make good armor?
The Nilfgaard armour has started to make a modicum of sense to me seeing it up close the second time around. It looks like leather was hastily wrapped over ¿steel? armour (probably as to make the armour black, not for armour value). With how rapidly Nilfgaard's army is expanding during the show, this would make sense. *Except for how much leather is needed for such an endeavour.* A bit of pre-industrial mass production.
@@HellYeahCorp And it looks like a p*nis...
@@janmikule582 That's pareidolia.
@@HellYeahCorp The leather armor sort of exists in history. The crumpled ridges provide extra protection. The amount of leather wasn't a problem. Armies need to eat and armies would often travel with live stock since live stock can make food out of grass and a living cow doesn't spoil... Eat the cow, make armor from the skin.
The armor looked bad though and really didn't make all that sense given the context, so I'm glad it's gone in season 2.
Why is on a DVD/BR, in the behind the scenes section, only blah blah about "it was so nice working with this director/actor/..." and never interesting stuff like that?
IKR...I feel like this video is the kind of content you would expect on the 2nd disc of a special limited edition box set, director's cut, or something. And we get to see it for free on youtube.
Watch LOTR Extended Edition making-of documentaries for a fantastic insight into a big budget fantasy production. I really can´t recomnd those enough.
Great video, wonderful creations. I love the philosophy of making them real weapons. just like your other reproductions. "This is just from a history that never existed" Brilliant.
Thank you and that is genuinely what we try on do.
Anytime a TH-camr unjustly complains about movie swords I will link this video
And this one th-cam.com/video/mF1VFlCnLQ4/w-d-xo.html
Oh hell yes! this is absolutely amazing. And damn that dudes voice
Great video! Also got my Dirk I ordered from you today and it is spectacular! Keep it up
Thank you
About the weapons being similar, I imagine it would be the case in real life too: you would probably always want to have your next weapon as similar as possible in balance and profile to the old one. A very interesting point.
Both swords are for monsters
The silver and the steel
What are your (and his) opinions about the Nilfguard armor? Among all the realistic weaponry and incredible detailing in props and set design, those guys look like power ranger villains.
have you seen costume designer for the series? Have a look, listen to his musing on "playing with textures" and try not to get angry :)
As someone who studied Theatre Design at uni, I truly appreciate the level of effort you have put into balancing all requirements of realism and the practical needs of filming, staging, and safety. I think I will watch the series now, just because of this video. Knowing the amount of care that went into the production makes the show much more interesting to me.
Thanks and I hope you enjoy it - stick with it, it can be construing to get into but once you are at about episode 4 it all starts to fall into place
Holy sh*t i had no idea! Lets watch
Edit: yea, I just watched it and I must say that the backscabbard design is pretty genius with this hinge attached to it. Great work gentlemen
Well this answers a few things that Shadiversity brought up in his Witcher armor/weapon review. Can’t wait to see more!
The audio is really strongly divided to the left and right ears, but that's just a minor complaint from me. Great video otherwise.
Yes. Had only 1 earphone on ear and it made video really hard to understand. Had to crank up audio really high and it was uncomfortable.
After watching several of Tod's videos, as you guys surely have as well, where it doesn't happen, I'm positive that in this case it was done on purpose. Helps with a couple different types of issues: with Tod on the left and Nick on the right, you don't have any doubts about who's talking when the camera shows the table or a particular prop. Cheers gents, may you have a great day!
It's muffled too and I've come to acknowledge that is the way things are being produced for now, like it's a style of audio. I hate it but even vloggers showing how to edit sound with a DAW will many times have crap sound.
Tod has the permission to say Jerald's name any way he likes.
RyanRyzzo lol
Geralt is correct as he says it. You have been saying it wrongly, the setting of this show is like Eastern European, and that's how we say it.
He pronounces it correctly, it's just not as you'd say it in English but it's pretty accurate for the region that Geralt actually comes from.
@@yarugatyger1603 Betcha a surprise, that Geralt's name is inspired by a Soviet-era translation of an Irish legend about Gearóid Iarla (Earl Gerald mac Geralt).
His friends call him Geraldo.
Behind his back.
Quietly.
When he's a long way away.
I KNEW IT! I had a hunch you had a hand in those pieces.
Fabián Riquelme liar, liar pants on fire! How could you just "know", eh?
It was really clear that they gave a good second thought to all the props and damn it payed of. The Aesthetic was great, the only thing to question was the casting but who cares really, great outfits and swords are a big +
Seeing the backscabbard i always think about shadversitys design.
If you make the "slide in slot" smaller then he did would look sick.
Was that kind of design ever on the table?
Functionally great but it’s a big thing to look at on your hero’s back....
The witcher is gonna visit Tod's workshop to buy a sword in season 2 episode 3
Shad made a completely functional and better designed (IMO) back scabbard. Maybe use something similar for future seasons! th-cam.com/video/-8YAT4KDSNs/w-d-xo.html
I really hope Henry Cavill sees this, I"m sure he probably already knows, but it's so cool and hes such a Witcher nerd :)
Edit: Fixed missing spaces and caps
Cheers tod, really enjoyed that, very interesting to learn how things are done on sets, and how problems are solved
Thanks
Shad from Shadiversity is going to have a fit over this video....
Like why the longsword handle on an arming sword blade
I’m sure I saw some Tod Cutler daggers in the Witcher as well
Geralt only kills monsters with his swords, it's just that some of them come in human form.
Also, kinda surprised that Tod did the show's swords. Pleasantly so.
Fantastic work ....no wonder why the swords in the show look so good.
I just want to know who approved the Nilfgaardian armour, maybe there was a reason behind its design. But it does look like scrotum armour unfortunately.
Marvellous, now as insiders with whom do I have to have a talk about the Nilfgardian armour? Oh, please just ignore the barrel of tar and the feathery pillows, just kindly answer the question.
Very cool that Tod is part of this very good production. Looking forward to see more of his work on the show.
These swords are masterpieces Tod as always, you can definitely see why they look so perfect in the show!
The collapsible rod method is good for another reason, it gives resistance and feed back to the actor doing the stabbing. The less the actor has to work on imagining the physical aspects of their work, the more they can concentrate on character work.
Todd any chance you can get them to stop cutting through plate like it was cheese? (I kid)
Glad to see more of the world is seeing the quality in your work we've all come to enjoy.
Thanks for the comment and yes that is another reason
I mean it's all great! Awesome explanations and presentation. However, please, can someone explain the scrotum armors for Nilfgaard? All of this work and thought coming into Geralt's kit only makes the atrocious Nilfgaard armor design stand out more.
Tod's a coin to your witcher...
The Witcher is the worst example of Netflix 'netflixing' a franchise. It saddens me so many peoples hard work are associated with such a show, but this allows those of us who refuse to consume Netflix's propaganda to appreciate Tod's hard work, I like it!
My Geek Meter has officially been pegged I mean Tod you have such an interesting Job, I Envy that my friend.
The best Geralt's power is putting out a sword from a back scabbard.
actually you'll notice in the show that Geralt carries his swords in a baldric, which it is possible to draw from the back since it only actually covers the end of the blade
I hope you also get to work on series 2 as well Tod.
Currently am thanks
Todd why is the Bloody Baron talking to you about witcher swords?
This is really cool! Didn't know Tod made all that! I gotta say though, whenever someone mentions back scabbards, I just think of Shad's design :)
I really like the discussion going on here. You can hear the passion in their work.
great video. But, please, never do the left-right-stereo thing again
Mr. Panthro, you're my favourite Thundercat already, but now my admiration increases by knowing you created the Witcher's weapons.
That's cool that you helped make the Witcher swords! It's actually not too especially hard to make a functional back scabbard, though; Shadiversity made a much nicer one in his backyard 😉. That being said, it was interesting to see how much ingenuity went into yours! I'd just love to see a full scabbard covering the whole sword with the slit in the side like Shad's 😉. Well, covered in leather, of course 😅.
Head of the department for armoury you say? I have a few questions about the nilfgardian armour then:
1. Why?
2. ....
No, that's it.
That's another guy, who is a fashion designer. Probably some overruling going on there.
Tim Aslam* is his name.
I think I like Shad's version of the back scabbard better, from a strictly functional point of view. This one looks better, and still functions, just not as well. Would like to see them compared someday.
I second that suggestion.
@Tod's Workshop is there a possibility that we see Shadiversity's version of the back scabbard in the series? Was that ever a option and if it was, why did you prefer to design another one ?
I love your work :)
I don't watch the series, and this was STILL fascinating.
Awesome! Thanks Tod. May I suggest you make a video just showing long,slow footage of a selection of your work set to your usual,excellent music choices, I know I for one would watch it repeatedly, I mean who does not love Sword Porn!
Thank you, I just need to assemble a lot in one place
Wow, I don't know why this video did it, but I just figured out something. I've always been confused by your intro when you say, "Hi, it's Tod of Tod's Workshop and Tod Cutler here..." because it sounds like you're introducing yourself twice, but I just made the connection that "Tod Cutler" is one of your brands, not just your name. Heh.
His real name is Leo Todeschini I think.
Fantasic work (and video)! I can't wait to see more of your creations in Season 2!!
When I noticed that the blades in the witcher series looked more grounded in reality (and had neat unmentioned world building like the amulet from blaviken being worked into the crossguard) I wondered if Tod had something to do with it
Of course they had such a talented artist like yourself on such a great show. Thank you for these videos but also on the work you do on all these great shows
you can really tell how much these guys where dedicated to making the props both as high quality as possible but in making them as workable for film as possible.
Damn, I didn't know that Todd actually worked for the serie, that's awesome !
Amazing!
Why were historical shortish swords not equipped with two handed grips?
A good question and my answer is “ I am not sure”
Thoughts?
maybe when you're making a shortish sword, you want to save space, so making the handle longer would be counterproductive
@@tods_workshop As an "expert" in playfighting with sticks, I have always found that my favourite weapons was a 4' sword with a 1' handle and 3' blade. It just gives more flexibility in how to use your weapon. Perhaps expert training teaches superior techniques that make long handles unnecessary?
@@tods_workshop @LRX After some improvised drunken experimenting just now I'm going to answer; "leverage".
I've got riot stick (or whatever it's name is in english) from my army days as a short sword analog with ~40cm "blade" and just enough grip to fit both hands, so I gave it a few swings and I can confidently say that it's lot easier to control with one hand than with two. Trying to apply force to the "blade" that is so close to my hands using both hands just feels clumsy and ineffective, but trying the same with my (hi-tec experimental archeology) mop handle it was lot easier to apply force to the end of a long shaft especially if I gave my hands more "grip" to work with. Using it like a polearm was even easier and felt like it had more force behind it.
TL;DR: I think that short sword isn't long enough to make use of the extra leverage you get with two hands, you're just left with the inconvenience of a longer grip.
The main reason would probably be that it's sort of superfluous in many circumstances and often an inconvenience. On the battle field, the people carrying one handed swords throughout history would generally have a shield in the other hand( although this isn't always the case as even people in full plate armor often went for 1 handed swords) or a buckler in the other hand.
A two handed grip can be a massive annoyance when the sword is in the scabbard, especially if you're fighting with a shield and a primary weapon as it bumps into the shield constantly; and even in civilian usage, it can be a bit of a pain to wear and walk around in.
Another thing to note, perhaps the biggest reason is that there are advantages to having a short grip to a one handed sword. With a short grip, you can guarantee that the sword's not going anywhere, which results in a lot of control and security in the grip. In Britain, when the 1899 pattern cavalry trooper's sword came out, one of the biggest complaints was that the grip was too long and the user's hand consequently fell too far down towards the pommel( although the grip was only about 16cm long).
Finally, short grips can often dictate a substantial part in how you use the sword, the most notable examples being Viking era and Indian swords, wherein having even a slightly longer grip would make the sword feel wrong and change the dynamic of the sword, especially when the pommel digs into the hand as in poor reproductions.
Hope this helps!
Tod I need you ask Nick if he would consider voice acting in an anime. That would be epic! Great video keep up the good work. 👍
Why does Henry Cavill keep saying that "real swords, real-weighted swords, are extremely heavy" in the YT video "Exercise Scientist Critiques Henry Cavill's Hollywood Workout" when Henry is talking about weight training for the sword fights etc.,
I have a hard time believing that Tod made prop swords that were extremely heavy and/or poorly balanced...
Guessing, maybe Henry was just not used to sword work so he had to build those muscles groups? I mean, hardly anyone who does HEMA is built like Henry but can fight multiple bouts (like film takes) with a well-balanced, properly-weighted sword.
If Henry says it is heavy, then it is heavy. In any sence he ment🙄 cause Henry doesnt lack muscles and is an onion farmer. He had been swinging the sword for three years now, so I dont think he is rusty. His vocabulary might be, though.😉
real swords aren't that heavy, but they're still heavier a plastic or wood prop, and even a few pounds feels very heavy when you're swinging it for hours on set. Add to that the fact that metal props are often heavier than sharp swords as the edges are thicker.
What about those Nilfgaard helmets?
nice video! btw, Tod you should really think of making a collab with Alec Steele now that hes back in GB again! i bet he´d love to get some insights on medieval Weapons and crafts
I am genuinely surprised and simultaneously proud as the effort had clearly paid off!
You know as much as I love the tv series my whole complaint was that he never used a "longsword" as a fan of the games it was kind of an odd thing,my thinking was if they could get narsil in a shot for lord of the Rings why not make a sword that long for the witcher? Idk either way it's still cool to see the thinking behind it and some of the movie magic going on behind the scenes. Next time o. Todd's workshop we find out that he built all the bows used in game of thrones lol
It strikes me as weird hearing word 'Strzyga' from British gentlemen, while they talk about film production.
To be fair Strzyga wasn't a well known word in Poland (outside of Witcher) as Slavic mythology is a thing that very few people learn, so I'm not expecting many people sharing my experience.
PS: That's a nice silver chain. I like the idea of casting silver links.
Well, neither of them said "strzyga". They used the anglicized version "striga". I doubt they would be able to pronounce the Polish word correctly.
Geralt needs a "Shabbard".
1:02 use of meteorite swords according to books was more or less a marketing trick on the side of witchers. The man with an expensive weapon may charge more money.
What bothers me about Witcher TV swords is how small they are. Yes, not all historical longswords were really big or something, but, hell, Henry Cavill is a tall and a strong man, he can handle a bigger longsword. Making the operator's work more tiresome due to changing angles, distance, etc - I don't think that those arguments are good enough to explain the small size of the Cavill's sword.
Bravo Tod!! Take a (lockdown) bow for the work. Now I am inspired to go back and re-watch the show knowing you created Geralt's tools of the trade. Thanks also to Nick for his insights into the movie making world.
I feel like the beard should return, or even just the sideburns. A completely bare head makes you look a lot older. A moustache would probably make do also.
You suprise me more and more. I love your educational content and you earn your breads in interesting ways. Nice to see someone with a good knowledge beeing reponsible for the props. Except for the Armors and costumes XD bit i guess you are not to name for it.
Really not a big fan of the series, except Henries performance as Geralt. It fits very good.
I d love to see more :)
I love this channel so much, it always brightens my day!
This is awesome stuff. Thanks for the video, gents!
funnily enough, the books mention the measurements and proportionately they do have very long handles 12” relative to blades 28” so that’s spot on