tsterling Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 Well, now for something a bit different. I came up with this idea watching the Lord of the Rings movies, and was picturing the head Nazgul (the Witch King) hanging around the Black Tower playing poker with his minions. I wondered what sort of weaponry such a gambler might employ to deal with a minion who was winning too frequently. I don’t picture a Nazgul as being a very good loser. Here’s the result of that muse…..Oh, yes, it's 8 inches long and made from 1/4 inch square W1 carbon steel and 24k gold. I’ve (loosely) based the sheath on the Bell Dirks. For those few of us not familiar with them, Bell Dirks are contemporaries of of the famous Bowie knives, and were highly decorated, long slim daggers typically carried by gamblers and other “gentlemen.” The sheaths had a “frog” (button) that was intended to be worn by slipping the dagger inside the waistband of the trousers, and the “frog” buttoned into a vest buttonhole, thus keeping the handle of the dagger easily at hand. You can see an ad nauseum, 5-part blow-by-blow description of the process at my blog starting here: http://sterlingsculptures.com/wp/?p=2374 Thanks for looking! Tom Tom SterlingTom's Instagram Tom's FacebookSterling Sculptures Web Site Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Bocker Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 Oh, this is awesome! The dark side is as great a source of inspiration as any for some really creative stuff, and this is top notch craftsmanship! I have and unrelated project from the dark side, in the works, as well... I am just doing some research at the Miskatonic University library, getting my grasp on a few artifacts for inspiration Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Mercier Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 Impressive, I've never had a cube twist look good at 1/4" but yours looks great. I think i see the trick now too, at that small scale i kept trying to keep my cube twist with 'cubes' and I was making too many small 1/8" cuts, your longer not totally square ones look a lot better at that scale. I love your carving!! --- Justin "Tharkis" Mercier www.tharkis.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Ullrich Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 Coolest thing I've seen here in a while. This goes on my list of knives to make....never heard of a bell dirk. I have always thought that one man of tolerable abilities may work great changes, and accomplish great affairs among mankind, if he first forms a good plan.... - Benjamin Franklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miles Hebbard Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 That's just amazing! I've got to learn a lot more about that handle! Superb... To become old and wise... You first have to survive being young and foolish! Ikisu.blogsot.com. Email; milesikisu@gmail.com mobile: +27784653651 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Toneguzzo Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 Wow..very cool "Old dogs care about you even when you make mistakes" - Tom HALL - Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon wine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owen bush Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 Its really wonderful to see the mix of forging and high quality carving. thats quite a piece . good work. forging soul in to steel owenbush.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Furrer Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 Well done Tom...good concept and execution. Having just spent some days with Bob Weinstock and now seeing your work makes me wish to carve a bit...I'll sit down till the feeling passed of course, but... Ric Richard Furrer Door County Forgeworks Sturgeon Bay, WI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Longmire Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 What Owen and Ric said. Too cool! Of course, Bell's sheaths were coin silver... I bet a blackened and polished silver sheath would look REALLY good with that, hint hint... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.Arthur Loose Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 Yup. Cool. jloose.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Helm Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 That's a darn sweet little poker poker. James Helm - Helm Enterprises, Forging Division Come see me at the Blade Show! Table 26R. Proud to be a Neo-Tribal Metalsmith scavenging the wreckage of civilization. My blog dedicated to the metalwork I make and sell: http://helmforge.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Page Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 Wicked! That is an incredible cube twist, it looks so natural to the flow of the metal with the non cube corner left in tact. Awesome project all around John Not all those who wander are lost. -J.R.R. Tolkien-Shards of the Dark Age- my blog-Nine Worlds Workshop--Last Apocalypse Forge- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard van Dijk Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 That is a little stunner, great stuff. Richard Richard van Dijk My link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Makin Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 perfect little stinger , I've been thinking about doing a poker like that for a while Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Colwell Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 that is a great piece. Just love the inspiration and design. please visit my website http://www.professorsforge.com/ “Years ago I recognized my kinship with all living things, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on the earth. I said then and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” E. V. Debs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEzell Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 I've been watching this come to life on your blog, good to see it done.... darkly beautiful. George Ezell, bladesmith" How much useful knowledge is lost by the scattered forms in which it is ushered to the world! How many solitary students spend half their lives in making discoveries which had been perfected a century before their time, for want of a condensed exhibition of what is known."Buffonview some of my work RelicForge on facebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David D. Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 So incredibly executed. Love it Thanks for sharing! I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend" J.R.R. Tolkien www.CedarloreForge.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsterling Posted November 12, 2013 Author Share Posted November 12, 2013 Thanks, guys! I'm stunned by your responses, and humbled by the number of really excellent bladesmiths who have chosen to comment on this tiny thing. I really appreciate the feedback! Thanks, Tom Tom SterlingTom's Instagram Tom's FacebookSterling Sculptures Web Site Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cook Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 @tsterling,That's awesome work you did,I would really like to see how you did all of that. I only hope to be half as good as you are one day Cook Danner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsterling Posted November 13, 2013 Author Share Posted November 13, 2013 I would really like to see how you did all of that. Hi Cook, Thanks for the kind words. You can see sort of a step by step here: http://sterlingsculptures.com/wp/?p=2374 This one was a lot of fun, and a little bit of a headache. I did discover W1 doesn't like to be bent while cold - my first try at the cube twist went really well, but there was a tiny little unstraight place at the pommel end. It just needed the tiniest of bends, and after all, the steel had been heated quite hot for the twisting and should have been soft...snap! I suspect W1 does a little bit of air-hardening, so it was on to the second try..... Tom Tom SterlingTom's Instagram Tom's FacebookSterling Sculptures Web Site Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Langston Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 wow your carving work is wicked Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karter Schuster Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 Sick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiaan Burger Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 Once in a while something wicked this way comes. I see a lot of knives and blades and 99.9% just make me go "Meh". This is one in a thousand, I had to follow the link to see how you did the twist and now I am going back to the first post to take a second look. Tom, very well done. @tiaan_burger_knives on Instagram My Facebook page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsterling Posted November 15, 2013 Author Share Posted November 15, 2013 Thanks, guys! Tiaan, I was just admiring your little bark friction kozuka, very nicely done. Here's a link to a nice Youtube video about the cube twist that got me started: Tom Tom SterlingTom's Instagram Tom's FacebookSterling Sculptures Web Site Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cook Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 @tsterling,that was a awesome video, thanks for sharing that. And thank you for the links on your site as well I look forward to warm weather so I can try some of this stuff out Cook Danner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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