Work in Progress, Viking Age Folder

[sjaqua]

Well, I've been saying I was going to attempt this for a while now.

With my wife?s help (she's the carver in the family) I am going to try to reproduce the Viking Age folding knife from Canterbury England. Once again I am sizing the original up by 15% to fit a modern hand size. This will produce a folding knife some between a Cub Scout knife and a Boy Scout knife in size. I am also taking the opportunity to expand my pattern welding. The original documentation I have doesn't show the blade composition. And as the blade is corroded in place, I think that gives me a little room for my own interpretation.

This is one of my source images. It shows some of the carving and the blade profile. I used this image and the notes on size to produce my measured drawings.


Next is my first work in progress photo (well flat bed scan actually). The blade is just over 4.5" from tip to tail. The pattern shown is from the heat-treating process. Once polished and etched, the pattern will of course have greater contrast and detail. This is my first attempt at a composite multi-bar pattern. I used to counter twisted bars and a straight laminate bar. The counter twisted bars are 9 layers 1080 and 15n20. The straight laminate bar is 30 layers of 1095 and 15n20. In forging my bar to size. I didn't narrow it down enough, so very little of the straight laminate bar shows in this blade. But it will appear just fine in the other knife this bar will produce. Still overall I am very pleased with what I am seeing so far of the pattern on this blade.


As always comments and suggestions welcome.

[McAhron]

very cool,keep us updated

[sjaqua]

Ask and you shal receive...........

I polished, etched and marked the blade tonight. And here it is......


The pattern is much clearer now and you can easily see two of the bars in the composite pattern.

[hammerdownnow]

At first, I thought, Wow, what a short little blade. Then I noticed it was a longer blade that was closed. Then I thought it would be cool if it was a two bladed knife. A short little utility and a longer drop point skinner. A sheath could house it when in the utility position to save space.

Anyway, a seax shaped main blade might be cool.


...but it might be a shame to change what you have there. The blade is really nice.

[sjaqua]

Well..... I'm not planning any changes to the blade shape. This is pretty much intended as a working reproduction. The pattern weld is my own thought, because I have no information on the blade composition. And, putting a ricasso in is a pretty big stretch. But other then those design elements, I'm trying to stick to the orginal layout in a slightly up-sized version.

But wait, there is more!

You see I have a pretty good chunk of the bar left. So next up is either a small seax or another Viking Woman's knife based on the Gotland finds.

[hammerdownnow]

Good plan. Most of the time I let my imagination lead me away from the task at hand. I am sure your vision will do the pattern proud. Can't wait to see it.

[Roger Gregory]

What a fantastic project Scott.

I have a little book called "Penknives and other folding knives" by Simon Moore which has everything from Roman and Viking folding knives through to modern American Damascus. I have often looked at the really old designs and wonered what could be done with them. Now I know

I am really looking forward to seeing how this one turns out.

As for the rest of that bar....well there's a picture in this little book of a Viking folder with what looks like a seax-shaped blade....

Roger

[sjaqua]

Roger,

I have that book as well. And while this knife isn't in the book another future project is

There is nice little Roman number. You know the one with the open work bronze handle scales that feature the stylized figures of a hound and a hare......

Figure it's an oportunity to join an old skill set with the new one. Next to the forge, I also have a full set of lost wax casting equipment

[Jeff Pringle]

So how is this knife coming along?

[circlepknives]

Very nice Scott, can't wait to see the finished product er. . . knife ;-) Want to see what you make from the billet end pieces too. Thanks for showing us, this is gonna be a very cool folder!

[sjaqua]

Jeff,

Unfortunately the knife got stalled by a fit of real life. It also got put on the back burners while I finish a project that has had it's deadline moved up (Pattern welded crowns anyone?).
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However back to the knife. The next step is to mock up the handle slabs in something like masonite. That way I can test assemble and check the position of the pins. Then use the masonite pattern to cut, shape and drill the bone, before passing it off to my wife to carve.
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The rest of the bar is going into a reproduction of a knife from the Gotland Viking dig. I'm working on matching the blade profile and and handle shape from the knife found in grave #226.
I finished the heat treat, polish and etch of the blade for this knife as part of a demonstration and classes I'm doing out in Prado park in Corona, CA this weekend. (Even had Channel 9 KCAL news swing by today and do an interview and film us work while we drew down a large billet using a triple strike technigue.) I'm back on site tomorrow for my final class, which will be on general forge welding and pattern welding.

[Jeff Pringle]

Ah yes, that real life thing - and I have noticed that sometimes swords & crowns have hard deadlines - it's difficult to say "put off the coronation while I finish getting this detail just right"
Well I look forward to seeing the finish, you've made a great start!
Have a great demo/class, may your forgewelds be sticky.
Jeff