Kriegsmesser

[Bjorn Gylfason 617]

There are small and light messers that are perfect to hang at your side in daily life and then there are dedicated battlefield weapons.

 

The idea behind this build was to make a tool more suited for limb removal than flexing on the peasants at the market square.

 

Therefore I ended up spending way more time getting a uniform filed finish on the hilt parts with progressively finer files than if I had just broken out the sandpaper  followed it with light buffing and a scuff with scotch brite.

 

The blade shape is a elmslie m3e+ starts out just over 7mm thick at the guard, down to 4mm at the first clip and 2,5 a few centimeters behind the tip, the tip itself swells slightly in thickness to reinforce it.

 

It's overall length is 111cm and the blade is 81cm

Cob is 9cm from the guard and the cop is at 53cm

And now for the weight.. it's a whopping 1730grams but the strange thing is just how lively and dynamic it feels in the hand, make no mistake this is definitely a two handed weapon but I've made swords half a kilo lighter that felt clumsy in comparison.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Alan Longmire 3,877]

Nice!

[Jaron Martindale 111]

I really like this one!

Would it be selfish of me to ask for more pictures of the blade...?

[Joshua States 2,563]

On 8/1/2022 at 12:12 PM, Bjorn Gylfason said:

to make a tool more suited for limb removal

Crom, I have never prayed to you before.......

 

This has been a wonderful build and I'm glad I got to watch the process along the way.

 

[Gerhard Gerber 482]

I keep coming back to this thread, JMO, those imperfections on the handle, specifically the pommel somehow completes this knife to my eyes.

[Richard van Dijk 268]

Oooh I like that, nicely done.

 

[Bjorn Gylfason 617]

On 8/3/2022 at 6:55 PM, Jaron Martindale said:

I really like this one!

Would it be selfish of me to ask for more pictures of the blade...?

 

I'll try to take a few more of it before I box it up

 

On 8/5/2022 at 8:51 AM, Gerhard Gerber said:

I keep coming back to this thread, JMO, those imperfections on the handle, specifically the pommel somehow completes this knife to my eyes.

 

It's a constant development and experiments of finding the right fit and finish that feel right. It actually feels like more work to figure out exactly where and what parts of a finish should be left imperfect to give a piece life and character without it just looking sloppy 

 

There are right and wrong kinds of tool and forge marks

[Alan Longmire 3,877]

3 hours ago, Bjorn Gylfason said:

There are right and wrong kinds of tool and forge marks

 

And that is the art in this sort of thing.  You have it exactly right.