Gotland style sheath tutorial

[Will Wilcox 261]

On 11/18/2019 at 8:05 AM, Alan Longmire said:

thread necromancy

 

Arise, thread, long thought dead, and haunt this forum from which thou were bred! 

 

Seriously though, this is an awesome tutorial! I always wondered how chapes were made.

 

Thanks to Petr for posting and Alan for pinning!

 

 

[Paul Rohrbacher 2]

 

This is my Seax imitation sheath, first try. The copper trim is formed over the top.

The question is the copper trim is formed over the top of the sheath traditionally correct.

Or is the trim just on the sheath sides and riveted in place? The leather edge would now be seen between the copper sides.

 

On Youtube one of the better videos has the trim in three pieces. The pieces are soldered together to make the "U" trim over the top and encompass the top and the entire end of the sheath..

 

 

This is the copper trim removed from the sheath. The trim was made using a Bending jig                                .

 

This is the Bending Jig. The top bar is the width of the leather being covered. The copper sheet is center  positioned and the top 3/8" bolts are fully tightened. The copper is soft enough to by finger pressure bend both sides up against the side of the bar. Then, using a piece of leather glued to a flat paint stirring stick the stick is hammered on the bend to make the bend as sharp as possible, both sides. 

 

If both the "U" shape and side only trim are traditional then my approach would be valid. If the trim is only on the sides and riveted in place, then I am wrong with the "U" trim.

The Gotland style shown above and Alan's comments indicated that the correct procedure uses the riveted side trim bent around the tip section and side trim on the remainder. The fill in trim is"U" formed over the top..

[Alan Longmire 2,379]

Yes, only the very short bits are U-shaped.  The rest leaves the leather open on the edges.

[Paul Rohrbacher 2]

From what I have read, Brass wasn't available during the Viking times. Bronze was the metal that they had to use. If the Brass was exposed to Ammonia fumes  it would tarnish in a few hours to look like old Bronze. 

 

I have a good supply of Copper Sheeting and old 1" copper pipe. I think that it could substitute for Bronze if aged with Ammonia fumes. 

 

does anyone have any other comments or ideas for the metal work in the viking Sheaths?