Do you have any previous blacksmithing or blade smithing skills? Wanting to make a sword without having any previous experience is equivalent to registering for a marathon without having run 1 mile previously. There are a lot of foundational skills to learn before starting a big project like making a blade.

The Steel Yard has a number of classes that could help familiarize you with those skills, but they do have a pretty no weapons’ policy, and when they do offer a knife making class it is an intermediate level class. My suggestion is to take some beginner, skills classes, and then go to a more specialized facility like the New England school of blacksmithing. Good luck, and have fun!