Rondel Dagger

[sjaqua]

Hi all! I know it's been awhile since I last graced these forums. My real world job kind of went crazy in November. I haven't had much time for important things like making knives. In any case here is my first offering after a bit of a dry spell. I've just got three more weekends in the shop before I have to be ready for Knife Expo 05.



What we have here, is my latest work inspired by 14th and 15th century Rondel Daggers. The blade is a 33 layer, 3 color ladder pattern weld of 1095, 15N20 and Nickle foil. The billet was made way back on Holloween Evening (we don't get trick-or-treater's on my street. Something about it being all dog kennels)

This is my first attempt at an asymmetrical dagger grind. I really like how the offset bevels show off the ladder pattern in both a single and double edge variant. The handle is Bolivian Rosewood and the fittings are just plain old brasss

I based this peice on elements from several historic knives. The two different sizes of rondels comes from Fighting Knives of Western Europe. The very strongly tapperd blade profile from multible sources. And the asymmetrical blade is from an image in the Museum of Londons Photo Library.

Of course the blade also has modern elements like the riccaso. But the intent was to make a period styled blade that would appeal to a modern knife buyer.