Spalted Walnut Hunter, dagger and seax

[ScottRoush]

I've had this beautiful piece of walnut sitting around and decided on something like this.
A belt knife/hunter with forged 1075 blade, nickel silver bolster and spalted walnut grip. It has a 4″ blade and the overall length is 9″. The blade has been antiqued for a relic look. The sculpted grip is very full, positive and robust and makes the knife seem like a much bigger tool. It would work great for hunting but also a great general use knife around camp.

I will be asking $300 for this and it will include sheath. I take Paypal, check, money order and shipping is included CONUS. Shipping will be calculated for international sale. I can provide further pictures.. just ask.

 

[ScottRoush]

This is a dagger based on one found from the Battle of Castillon and dates to 1453. It is a knighly thrusting style dagger and one of beautiful proportions. In fact.. after seeing it for the first time I was inspired to design my own version of it using the geometric sword design theory as put forth by the Swedish swordsmith Peter Johnsson. This theory involves the observation that some medieval swords may have been designed using the same methods in which Gothic cathedrals were created. It utilizes a beautiful system of interrelated circles, square and triangles to achieve harmony and beauty. It was very exciting for me to apply these ideas to this particular dagger and I was surprised and thrilled to see it come together. Almost every component of the weapon was dictated by geometric relationships.

The 16" blade was forged from shear steel that I made myself using antique wrought iron from the 19th century that I converted to blister steel and then refined to shear steel. This was done by immersing the soft iron in a canister of charcoal and exposing to high heat for several hours. Blades and tools have been made like this using various methods for a very long time. It's possible that the original dagger was made this way. The result is a high carbon steel with beautiful wood-grain character. The cross and pommel are of antique wrought iron and the grip is holly. There is a 24 kt gold inlay for my maker's mark.

I'm asking $900 for this and it includes a simple storage scabbard as well as the geometry design 'scroll'. Further pictures of the shear making steel process and a video of the dagger are on my website: http://www.bigrockforge.com/castillon-dagger-from-shear-steel/

 

[ScottRoush]

I got my inspiration to make this Anglo-Saxon langseax from the novel Hild by Nicola Griffith. The novel is about the life of St. Hilda of Whitby, a central figure in 7th century Britain. At one point, as a young seer, she was gifted a very long, two handed 'slaughter seax'. So I decided to make what I think this long knife was. Her seax had a black grip so mine isn't a copy of hers. Mine is based on the Hurbuck style of seax and has a bird's eye maple grip and ancient fossil mammoth bone/brass bolster. The blade was forged from pure 19th century wrought iron so it shows a grain pattern which would have been much like an original. The total length is 25" and the blade is 16". The blade tapers from 3/16" at the grip/blade junction and then widens as it approaches the break in shape on the spine.. and then tapers again. This geometry was characteristic of the Anglo-Saxon 'broken back seax. The amazing scabbard is by Kyle Jameson of Jameson Leatherworks.

I'm asking $1100 for this very unique piece.

 

[Bmurray]

Very cool