How Were Viking Swords Made? A Step-by-Step Guide to Viking Forging begins with selecting iron and steel, often pattern-welded for strength and flexibility. Skilled smiths heated and hammer-forged layered metals, shaping the blade and forming a central fuller for balance. The sword was hardened through controlled heating and quenching, then tempered to prevent brittleness. Finally, craftsmen polished the blade, engraved markings, and fitted a wooden hilt with guard and pommel.