Web surfing find

[Guy Thomas]

While surfing for pictures of Viking and Saxon seaxes I found this website that has this cd-rom detailing three knives found in Gotland I believe. Interesting site, haven't had a chance to explore it much, some of you may be familiar with it already. I may have to pick up this cd-rom.

http://www.arkeodok.com/Viking%20KnivesCD.html

[mstu]

Looks like a great resource, I'll add it to my christmas list. I've had trouble finding any reference materials on handles and ferrules/guards but this looks like it has some. Tell us what you think when you get your hands on it.

[Roger Gregory]

Thanks Guy, I've added that link to my collection

Roger

[sjaqua]

I have that CD in my collection. My only complaint is that it limited to very few finds from Gotland. However, it goes into great detail on those finds. The quality of research is very high. It's a very good secondary source for these type of knives. Primary source material is the knives themselves. It's also good in the the sheaths for these finds are mostly intact. So it documents the whole package, knife, sheath and fittings.

[whv]

thanx for the link guy / scott

[Guy Thomas]

Thanks for the review Scott!

[cwp]

I just got this in the mail today. Ordered it after seeing this thread, so very good time from Sweden to Idaho. I really like the CD, with the images and information.

One thing, after looking at the work here, and the re-construction on the disk, I didn't think the re-construction was very good on fit and finish. Since these knives where one of the peoples prize posessions, and looking at the detail and decoration they applied to the originals, I would think the fit and finish would have been much better than what was presented in the re-construction. Scott, do you think this is accurate?

For those that may be wondering, I am glad I spent the money, but then I like this sort of thing, and hope to do one that would feel like this at some point. I may buy some of the other disks they sell, esp. since the money will go for more of this kind of research.

--Carl

[sjaqua]

It would be hard to say what the fit and finish of the period piece would be like. But I tend to agree, that it's likely that a lot of care would have gone into the finished knife. Materials were much more (relatively) expensive at any point prior to the industrial age. And later surviving examples show that costly materials were not wasted on on poor workmanship.

[cwp]

Scott,

Thanks for the reply. I looked at the pictures some more, and noticed that even in some of the older finds, the bronze rivets in the sheath are harder to see than those in the reproduction blade. Very inspiring to see some of this workmanship and have some of those sheaths almost intact.

--Carl

[sjaqua]

But (in reference to my prior post) don't assume they had some secret to great craftsmanship. It just a mater of having more time to do the work right.

In part working with hand tools means you automatically take more time. But also, then time was cheaper and more abundant. In almost all areas of Northern Europe winter was the time to do such work. In an agrarian society, winter was spent very close to hearth and home. You can't farm, make war, travel for trade or even do much hunting during winter. So for many, hand work was the answer to cold days couped up inside.

It's the same sort of thing with scrimshaw. This art flourished at sea during the age of sail. When off duty, sailer's had little do aboard ship. So this type of hand work filled the hours.

[Jake Powning]

I'm gonna have to put this on my to buy list. It's great to see examples of handle carving and decoration, so manny of the seaxes I've seen are just blades. thanks for the link.

[J.Arthur Loose]

I just got the CD and I agree with much of what has been stated already. Great pictures of three or four blades & sheaths. Some of the info contadicts other sources I've come across, and the reconstruction definitely seems to fall short... one of my pet peeves is the idea a lot of re-enactors seems to have that Migration / Viking Age stuff was 'rough,' because these people were barbarians. I also think the damascus pattern on the reconstruction is pretty inaccurate... since most pattern welding was done in low-carbon material and I've never seen a 'maiden's hair,' type pattern on a Viking blade. ANYway...

I'm finishing up my own reconstruction this week.

[AlexI]

Hi guys,

I found an interesting article written by a guy who made a knife inspired by the CD under discussion here. He included some pictures from the CD as well.

http://bjornsson.crosswinds.net/sca/...ife-sheath.htm

The most interesting observation he made (claiming to have contacted prominent archaelogists and obtain metallurgical test results) is that that the various copper alloys used by Viking era craftsmen were closer to brass then bronze, on average. Sounds like the author of the CD described all metal sheath mountings as made of "bronze" just for simplicity, by his own admission. So it may make sense to just use easily obtainable brass for the reproductions...

Alex.

[J.Arthur Loose]

That's a cool project, though it illustrates a couple reasons why I don't generally enter SCA A&S competitions... "...the blade [was] too polished to really be authentic." I've just heard too many judges knock points with unfounded pre-conceptions like that. Hey guys, ya cain't get a pattern-welded pattern to come out good without at least 220 grit... and duh... polished blades resist rusting... and there's accounts of blades "...flashing in the sun," such as in the Vinland Saga and there's certainly polished pieces of untarnished gold & silver and Theophilus Circa 1100 describes polishing with rouge, which is, like 4000 grit and grrrr! The notion that Ancient Europe lacked good craftsmanship when it came to woodworking & metalsmithing just irks me.

[AlexI]

Well... I see the question of polished knife blades in a different perspective.
There is no doubt they COULD polish a blade almost mirror like. And I'm sure swords and valuable weapons in general actually were polished very well.
But, a small knife used for mundane everyday work, cutting food and whatnot? Which implies frequent sharpening on a wetstone by the user him/her self? If I was a knifemaker back then, I would see no point in polishing a knife that is sure to get all scratched up and stained in short order.
Makes sense, what do you think?

Alex.