Making a complex hilt.

Here are some of the steps used in constructing a complex hilt.  If you have a background in traditional blacksmithing it will be relatively simple.  Also bear in mind that  the actual alloy content of the steel will have an effect on the whole process.  The closer to a pure carbon steel or iron, the easier it will weld.

The components are forged individually and the end thickened and tapered (scarfed).  This will allow you to tap the pieces together at welding heat and blend them as far as needed without worrying about the component thinning too much.

The fit of the loop guard is tested untill it leaves no gaps when in the proper position.  When working with such fine pieces you only need to tap the contacting surfaces together, hit too hard and you will end up shearing off the weld or just causing unwanted deformation.  The hammer in the foreground is one I made for this kind hilt work.  The long faces allow me to get into those awkward spots when doing the last of the welds.

The pieces are brought up to welding heat and fluxed with anhydrous borax.  I find it convenient to place the pieces in position while in the forge as soon as they are both at welding heat and then press them together with the appropriate tongs to create the innitial weld that will hold them together.  Then I move them out of the forge to finish up the weld.  This means that the flux is not exposed to the oxygen rich environment outside of the forge for too long and thus won't get saturated as you work.  To be safe I tend to reheat the joint to welding heat at least once more to a consolidate the weld, perhaps twice more if I'm a bit paranoid.  It is very important to give the forge just enough air to weld an nothing more, otherwise you will burn steel away everytime you weld, making repeated heats impossible without messing up your workpiece.

Now it's all about bending and shaping the guard.  The contact points are brought in as snug as possible and the fact that both surfaces to be joined are convex will help squirt flux out as they are forged together.

Now for the filing and polishing.  This is where sourcing your own water stones comes in handy, especially for those nasty tight corners and hard to reach spaces.
The best I have used for years come from the Cederberg mountain.