HI Scramsax/Seax/Saex Design Thread

[Ferrous Wheel]

Very clean work.
Couldn't help but notice the similarity between the camp/survial knife and the HI Bowie:

They're quite comparable in scale and use.

Right up my alley!

Keith

 

[Bill Martino]

BirGorkha tells me there are a few in the air. Maybe!!!!

 

[Ferrous Wheel]

Hey, we'll take em a few at a time, if thats how we get em. Gives me time to spread the etch work out a bit. what with about 130 runes to etch...

Woohoo!

Keith

 

[Daniel Koster]

Keith,

If only a few come, put me on the bottom of the list. I don't mind waiting.

 

[Sylvrfalcn]

Me too Keith, still no word on coming home.

Sarge

 

[Ferrous Wheel]

Pen and Sarge. Thanks.

Keith

 

[Ferrous Wheel]

Interesting description and crest for Essex. Note the description and pix kind resemble khukuris, or sossun patta:

"An introduction to SEAX
SEAX is the name that we have given to the computer system designed and written for the Essex Record Office. Unlike some other system names, SEAX is not an acronym: the letters do not represent words. A seax is a curved Saxon sword, and a row of three seaxes is the symbol of the county of Essex. So the name SEAX identifies our new archive computer system with Essex."

another seax, by Jody Samson:

Note the khuk bolster type grinds on the antler...

For an unbelievable 85 quid, you could have this:

Keith

 

[Aardvark]

That antler-handled one pictured with the sheath sure has nice lines.

Essex said

A seax is a curved Saxon sword

. Is that correct? None of the ones that I've seen are very sword-like. Or for that matter, very curved. But, I don't get out much.

 

[Ferrous Wheel]

Yep, some seaxes have a pronouunced curve, not as much as a Khuk, but more like a yangatan. Similar to modern hawkbill bladed knives. The curved ones are generally later period models from the mainland, (France, Sacandinavia) while the angular style is more typical in the earlier periods in Britain.

Sword length seaxes are often called scramaseax or langseax. they are raree than the knife sided ones, and rarely reach over 30 inches in total length. The bottom pic of the horn handled seaxes shows what a langseax (the middle one) would look like. The top and bottom ones are well over a foot in length, and the big one is 24 inches overall. Note the silver inlayed runes on that one!

Keith

 

[Ferrous Wheel]

in the AK bowie mod thread that the 8 seaxes are on the way to me for rune etch. He mentions the scabbards are ont too good...

My reply:

Excellent, Bill! I'll keep an eye on the post fer them. 8 fills the orders for the "Takers+runes" list.

Scabbards--I'm okay with that. It'll give TSisco some work, or a buncha forumite are gonna have fun designing their own...

All: When I receive them, I'll get my bro's digi cam out so I can sed some "bare blade pix" ahead of shipping them. I know we're all dying ot see howe they turned out...

Keith

 

[Sylvrfalcn]

Huzzah! Scabbards aren't a problem, I'd already planned to make my own period correct scabbards complete with decorative tooling and a riveted brass edge strip. My scrams will only see duty when I'm in garb for medieval reenactment. Got khuks and kardas for everything else.

Sarge

 

[Ferrous Wheel]

me too, Sarge. That'll be half the fun!

I don't have any JKM1s or Kumar Kardas, so this will fill the niche in between my EDC folders and my HI AK Bowie.

Can't wait to go to a Moot or Althing with it, I'll stack it up against any seax in performance.

I just may drum up enuf interest to warrant another production run...

Oh, and Sarge,I could hear you going "WooHoo!" from here in Indy, yer voice carries that much.

Keith

 

[Daniel Koster]

Great to hear they made it!

I feel kinda bad that the scabbards didn't turn out well. But, we knew there would be a risk introducing a new scabbard. Took a year to get some other scabbards correct.

Keith - post the pics when you get 'em!

 

[Ferrous Wheel]

Hey, Pen: Email sent with pix. 8 of them.

There are a few differences in the desingn: The handle's are all chiruwa style. don't know if that was the spec.

Scabbards will hold the seax securely if you jam it in there good. Scabbards a leather-lined leather, with a snap at the throat of the sheath. Snap isn't very period, but does the job.

The buttcap is steel. The bolsters and chapes are silver. Handles are a nice size, and will fit the biggest of hands nicely.

The fullers are tiny, so the runes my need to come a bit further down, not much tho. All were made by Sher (S.B., and rising sun mark), and have a convex edge, almost flat ground. The blade is about 1/4 inch thick at the bolster, and there is a bit of a distal taper to the blade. the point is well reinforced with steel, and yet the very point of each is needle sharp. All look quite similar, very consistent work from Sher. Total length is between 14" and 14.75". Point of balance is kinda close to the bolster, if not right under it. I attribute this to the chiruwa handle style, which adds a few ounces of weight to the handle. This gives the seax a "neutral" balance feel, which makes the knife feel light and agile. Might hafta hold your hand further back on the handle for chopping, though.

More when Pen can post pix.

Keith

Keith

 

[Rusty]

Might get me involved after all!

 

[Ferrous Wheel]

Raghorn
Ruel
Pendentive
Sweet
Beoram
Sylvrfalcon

It;ll be a race to see who posts them first! There's 8 to choose from.

Keith

 

[Sylvrfalcn]

"The handle's are all chiruwa style. don't know if that was the spec."

Scale tang handles didn't start fully coming into vogue in Europe until the 14th century, about three to five hundred years after scramaseaxes would have been in widespread useage. Still, I won't tell if y'all wont, after all this is the Himalayan Imports version of the scram. We knew some "artistic license" would be involved

Besides, most folks don't bother digging around in reference volumes like J. Cowgill's; "Knives and Scabbards: Medieval Finds from Excavations in London", or Ewart Oakeshott's; "Archeology of Arms and Armor", like some of us reenactment nuts, so they'll never know the difference. A good knife is a good knife, simple as that, so bring on the "Himalayan Imports Chiruwa Scramaseax".

Sarge

 

[sweet]

wait wait...they did not have that snap on the scabbard back then? *g*

 

[Ferrous Wheel]

may not have started until the 14th or 15th c. in europe, buth there is ample evidence to suggest that they did see use in the bronze age mediterranean. Most ancient Kopis (500-1500bc) had full tangs and rivet holes, but the scales have deteriorated (most likely because they were wood, bone, or another organic matrial).

Some egyptian sword-daggers may also have had scales, but these were more inset since the tang was flanged all around to provide a shallow (1/4 inch or less) recess on either side of the handle. No rivet holes tho. The Khopesh (remember Manhoucher's golden Sword? It is this type)had the same style handle.

So, I guess the Greeks & Egyptians lost it, Romans forgot about it, and no one really picked up the style again intil 2K-3K years later.

But as you say, I won't tell if you folks don't tell...

Keith

 

[Daniel Koster]

Originally posted by Sylvrfalcn
"Himalayan Imports Chiruwa Scramaseax"

HICS?

Pics as promised...

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