New project I want to start

On http://users.stlcc.edu/mfuller/novgorodmetalp.html I finally found the knife Joel once upon a time referred to when he first saw Lúgra - Móros, the moon mare. Here he made some similar ones modelled after some medieval knives found with the St. Thomas Guild. The knives in the picture above, however, are Rus knives from Novgorod, from a late Viking area. I simply love the Kopis lines of the topmost design. I do not know yet whether I will do an exact reconstruction or an interpretation of the knife.


Also on schedule is the topmost knife as a seax replacement. I love the aspect that this design transports a lot of cultural interconnections. For the Kopis form is safe to say to have been introduced by oriental employers of Viking mercenaries or tradesmen from the middle east.



This is another thing I want to have...;-), a Rus folding knife. So much for the "Barbarian" Vikings... even more so however, does this find:



..give testament to the theory that Vikings, and Rus, the Viking founders of Kiew, actually were rather civilized gentlemen, for it is a device carried by male and female "Vikings" carried for a rather sophisticated body care. Second to left is an ear-cleansing spoon, and, owning and using one, I can say it beats a q-tip by far.

I have work to do!!!! Copyright of the pics is with  http://users.stlcc.edu/mfuller/novgorodmetalp.html. If you want to share, please quote correctly. Thank you!

Yule celebration with the weirdos

 Okay, I admit, it´s a bit overdue. Okay, I am a lazy bum.;-D

How swiftly I remember, it was on 20th of December, and each separate dying ember ;-) sprang up anew or so. I had organized a wild pig for the party, booked the place, a beautiful location at the Forest Ranger Station and sustainability centre, and told the weirdos they could come along. We organized some good food and tasty drinks (25 l of home - brewed mead anyone;-)?). Everyone brought some more food and more drinks and a lot of fun along.

Of course it was raining and hailing cats and dogs and wild pigs. So props to Nick, who  kept his composure, even if it was in desperate need of a lot of alcohol that he managed to keep calm;-).

 Let me introduce you to Ingo, the dead pig.

We met at 11 am and first enjoyed a healthy breakfast with sausage, tea, and coffee...

  and bannock, of course.

 We kept the fire roaring but did not realize it was only slightly warm up there for Ingo. We had stuffed him with a filling with maroons, baked plums, celary, carrots, onions, a lot of garlic, honey and wheat. Turned out the filling was a bit English still, but the meat was really excellent.

 Kathrin enjoyed herself, I guess;-). We had spiced hot wine and apple juice with spices and mead and coffee.

 And we had a steady provision of food;-) man, I was that stuffed in the end, I had problems to walk!

 Peter and Olaf dropped by in full Viking attire.

The whole day through we talked and joked and had a watch over Ingo, who was slowly roasting at low temperature. You know what that meant...;-)

Chatting, cooking and eating...

 It was a friendly atmosphere the whole day through, with aload of different people.

 Levin and Manu, Nick and Irmy then brought out the instruments and had a session.

Then we had a feast on roast wild pig and drank and chatted the night away. Of course the numbers did not add up when payment arose, but the great day and company made up for it. It was well in the night, when Nick, Kathrin and I made for the long hike home.

And I will thrive on the memory for years to come.

Oh the loot-a weekend of viking shopping and gifts from my lovely magic troll!

 Now this is a geardo post. I am not above some fit of manic shopping from time to time, and I actually do not ven have to forage for food this month because of money shortage... feels good for a change. I travelled to my love´s home in Marburg to meet with her and her father, Erich the viking;-) to go to Münzenberg medieval fair. All in all, the fair was a great one with meetings with Jonny, the mad harpist, and his wife, with great conversations and meetings with great people, and I got me some material. Clockwise: Ram´s horn scales from the Solingen expo still, elk antler, roe antler for a pendant, roe antler, a nice tomahawk, roe antler, a beautiful pieve of flint, more elk antler, and reindeer antler from the Solingen expo.

 And these goodies I got from my lovely lovely love, the magic troll. A skull cap in Naalbindning technique, new viking shoes that could do well even at work, and some hand-knitted socks. She makes them for you,too, if you´d ask her nicely enough or have something equally nice;-) to trade. Look here for her blog!

 I really like those shoes, handmade and all.

 Brass shoe nails, nice. I´ll put some rubber on, though, the soles would be a bit slippery on the grass.

And, finally, I got me some handmade glass jewellry to go on knife lanyards. Beautiful, and awesomely made-and authentical in the bargain!

Erich´s new lovelies;-)

 When I was down South in Prichsenstadt at Erich´s place for the weekend, I had the privilege to peruse his new lovelies, a new damascus knife and some blades. Seems the Da´ s got the bug bad,*ggg* and is now into knifemaking. I plead innocent!;-). This is a blade from the Vikingr - Kontor, a shop in Northern Germany. The blade is made from 100Cr6 ball bearing steel and tank bearing steel, 100x3mm, PHEW!

 ...and I really like the scrimshaw on the handle, reindeer antler, of course!

 And two blades... and mind you, they are bargain. Prices start at 90 € each, and they are handmade!

I think I´ll take a closer look at that shop;-) myself...

For want of a shoe....

...a shoe was made... needed some shoes for reenactment, so I made myself some;-). Modelled after shoes from the Iron age / Vendel / viking age. Those are stitched from the wrong side up and then turned upside down, from 4 mm soles and 3 mm oiled upper leather, and I am really, really fond of them. In fact, I built an outer sole out of Latex and wear them in the woods. Can do with some fine-tuning, but comfy they are, and that´s what counts... ;-)

New Birka kitchen knife by Kai

Kai mailed me to show me his new Birka kitchen knife he made from a railroad spring clip. Blade length 19 cm, overall 32 cm. The spine is 3,8 mm thick, 2 mm at the tip, and 30 mm wide. He made a  presentation stand from oak. That knife stood up to most severe tests. He let it drop on concrete from 3 m height, whacked it with a sledge hammer, carved mild steel rods with it and did a load of things to it to void any warranty. It came out begging for more! I especially like the wood stand. Great work!!!




I really have to strain myself to keep up, but I am proud to have laid some groundwork for him taking up bladesmithing. His works are improving so fast you can almost watch him get better from day to day!

My deep respect to you, Kai!

Progress on the little Hadseax blade

One step at a time;-). I now polished the blade a bit and did some etching. Towards the tip you can see that I only forged the tip moderately to obtain the straight lines of the pattern. I like the effect on the topmost picture, near the tang there´s a structure that looks like a dragonship vessel on sea to me...;-)

I am still about it which handle it shall get. I would very much like some wood from an old dragonship, as Jake Powning once did with a sword (Vidhirhrafn). But I think I have some esoteric materials lying around still...;-)

Or maybe it will just be the old stag antler...I am still contemplating;-).