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Joshua States
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6 hours ago, Joshua States said:

Do you agree that the bolster/guard plate originally extended below the edge, or was the blade actually wider at that point?

I think the bolster extended very slightly, just on the top. The only seax of this type that I know where the edge is below the bolster is the Ford Laverstock seax. It makes sense, as if the edge extends below the grip, you cut your finger more easily. 

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Jeroen Zuiderwijk

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  • 2 weeks later...

Where was I? It's been crazy lately, but I did get to work on a few items in the shop this weekend. I made a lot of adjustments to the handle  and started thinking about embellishments. There's something about large smooth faces that irks me.  So, I decided to do some Vendel period oculi carvings in that ivory.

After making a little tool out of a scrap piece of 3/16" round rod, I laid out the positions and cut them with the tool in a hand rill.

 

Oculi Process 1.jpg

 

Smeared over the blue tape with some Fiebing's antique finish

 

Oculi Process 2.jpg

 

And removed the tape.

 

Oculi Process 3.jpg

 

 

 

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“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

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I did finish the peen block, but today I totally screwed up the bronze brazed rod in the tang and need to make another one. 

Here is the handle with ornamentation dry fit on the blade.

Side one

 

Dry fit 1.jpg

 

Side 2

 

 

Dry Fit 2.jpg

 

I wish I had noticed the fly swatter when taking these pics........

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“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

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https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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  • 2 weeks later...

Josh,

I’m enjoying this thread… Fly swatter and all……. That made me laugh….. I took a photography class at Peters Valley from a guy named Bobby Hanson…… He did professional craft photos… He taught me the value of a tri pod…. And putting hands behind your back …..and then study the shot you are taking….. checking for fly swatters  and such… he was a fun and talked about holding the camera and “shooting hot” and showed examples of  objects showing up in photos he had taken quickly…..

 

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On 12/6/2022 at 11:59 AM, Dick Sexstone said:

He taught me the value of a tri pod….

The truth is, I have a mic stand in my shop that comes in handy for all sorts of stuff, not least of which is holding the phone to take pics & videos. I just forget about it sometimes....

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

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https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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Well, this is sharpened and assembled. Just a few teaser shots before I start on the sheath.

Some mid-blade shots of the PW.

 

Blade 1.jpg

 

Blade 2.jpg

 

A close-up of the guard texture.

 

Guard.jpg

 

And the pomell. It didn't hide the pin as well as I had hoped.

 

Pomell.jpg

Edited by Joshua States
  • Like 5

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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  • 4 weeks later...

Finally back at this one. Time to make the sheath. Now there isn't much to go by in terms of period sheaths, but the blade isn't period at all, so why bother? :P I'm going to try a Gotlandic style deal.

 

Clamping yesterday. There were a couple more in this at the very end. I had to dig around to find them.....

 

1-Clamping.jpg

 

I removed the clamps tonight. It still needs a little dry-time

 

2-Drying.jpg

Edited by Joshua States
  • Like 4

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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I got the main bronze pieces worked out. I screwed up and only bought one piece of 6x12 bronze sheet and there are no more available at my typical suppliers.

This is going to be tight.

 

Templates

3-Templates.jpg

 

Drilled and decorated

4-Main pieces.jpg

 

I soldered the two top pieces together  and dry-fit them to the sheath.

First fit.JPG

Edited by Joshua States
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“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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3 hours ago, Dick Sexstone said:

Josh, Is this vegetable tanned leather?

Yes. Oak tanned shoulder. like 8/9 oz. Doubled over it's almost 3/8" thick.

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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Tooling done on one side.

 

Tooling (5).jpg

 

Tooling (4).jpg

 

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“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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I'm one of those lucky people who got today off, so I had the time to finish this project.I got the tooling a little off, but that's the way she goes sometimes....

I also fell slightly short of the dimensions when compared to the original.

Stats: Blade length is 422 mm. OAL 460 mm. Blade width at base is 33 mm. Thickness at spine is 6 mm. Bronze fittings and the handle is walrus ivory and stabilized walnut burl. Gotlandic style sheath with bronze hardware.

Sorry about the cheesy back drop, but it's been raining for two days straight and I don't know when I'll be able to get some good pics. For now, it's the cell phone and a terricloth.

Here's the package.

 

Final (3).jpg

 

The handle

 

Final (5).jpg

 

The blade.

 

Final (6).jpg

 

Oh yeah. I decided to peen the top of the peen block and erase the visible pin.

 

Final (4).jpg

Edited by Joshua States
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“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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Very nice!  The tooling has a kind of medieval-meets-Western vibe to it, I love the peened peen block, and those bronze sheet thingies are a pain, aren't they?  B)

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The sheet thingies aren’t the problem. It’s making rivets that’s a problem. 
 

I have to admit. I borrowed the leather tooling idea from Petr F. He did something very similar engraved in the iron on one of his knives recently. 

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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Awesome choice of materials for the handle. It really makes it pop. and the etch turned out really nice. Nice work!

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The brazing rod I used for the rivets was really difficult to peen. I probably should have tried to anneal it before I started, but I didn't.

So, I embraced the dents. I learned to love them and cherish them for as long as I live. 

 

3 hours ago, Chase Hayner said:

Awesome choice of materials for the handle. It really makes it pop. and the etch turned out really nice. Nice work!

I wanted to use materials that were probably used for Seax handles throughout the Vendel and Viking eras. Most of my research led me to believe that these were likely candidates.

 

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“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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I like the damascus ….. what is the reason for the small sections in the center of the brass fittings?  

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4 hours ago, Dick Sexstone said:

what is the reason for the small sections in the center of the brass fittings?

All the metal is bronze. The knife fittings are silicon bronze, the sheath has tin-bronze.

Are you referring to the rivets that hold the bronze sheet on the sheath?

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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There are the two end pieces of bronze that look to be  3 or 4 inches long and then there are 5 separate short peices of bronze in between the two larger ones …. one of which a lather strap is attached to…. 

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2 hours ago, Dick Sexstone said:

There are the two end pieces of bronze that look to be  3 or 4 inches long and then there are 5 separate short peices of bronze in between the two larger ones …. one of which a lather strap is attached to…. 

There is no stitching in the sheath. All the bronze pieces are folded around it and riveted to each side to sandwich the seam together. The leather straps are belt loops.

I can post more pics later tonight when I get home.

 

This post, and this one too, show the process for making these sheaths.

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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I am wondering why you didn’t use a continuous piece of bronze in the center and instead used 5 separate ones? 

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8 hours ago, Dick Sexstone said:

I am wondering why you didn’t use a continuous piece of bronze in the center and instead used 5 separate ones? 

 

7 hours ago, Alan Longmire said:

Style!  B)

 

And lack of adequate materials......see previous post:

 

On 1/14/2023 at 9:47 PM, Joshua States said:

I screwed up and only bought one piece of 6x12 bronze sheet and there are no more available at my typical suppliers.

This is going to be tight.

 

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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