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A Man, a Hammer, and the Rain

Sunday, April 15th, 2012

Sometimes on rainy days like today, I turn off the stereo in the shop and just listen to the rain falling on the leaves of the oak, birch, and aspen trees outside my shop while I smith. There is a sort of tranquility and peace about it. A feeling of the deeper connection between man and nature. It satisfies a yearning in my soul for times long distant when the wonders of technology of the modern age weren’t even yet on the horizon of human thought. It gets me to thinking about this connection between humanity and the earth and our history together.

Inevitably I think back to my childhood memories of camping and hiking with my brother and parents. We were pretty serious about it too. Mostly boat-in camping on the islands of the Boundary Waters of Northern Minnesota and Canada. Two weeks with only what you brought in and your skills to sustain you.

Back then the closest “civilization” was the little gas station/restaurant about 50 miles away. You could go the entire two weeks without seeing another human being. The breathtaking landscape and flora and fauna were your companions. The wolves would serenade you every night; the bear would wander through the camp in the wee hours of the morning, and all day the deer, squirrels, eagles, ducks, and other forest denizens would keep you company. Fresh caught fish cooked over the fire in a cast iron fry pan. Foil-wrapped packs of sliced onions, potatoes, garlic and of course butter, sizzling away. In the morning, reindeer moss crushed into flour for pancakes with bacon and eggs.

Naturally my thoughts drift to the tools for survival. A knife; flint and steel; an axe. With these tools and some knowledge, mankind can survive and thrive. With these tools one can create shelter, fire, clothing and secure food. These pictures show what my personal minimal survival kit has consisted of for the past 12+ years. Naturally I carry a dagger instead of a knife and any of you that know me or have followed my other posts will understand my obsession.

So please, take a moment on a rainy day to enjoy the simple beauty and pleasure that can be had from feeling the connection between humanity and nature.

Tags: dagger, hand forged, handmade dagger, medieval dagger
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Antler-handled Handmade Dagger

Sunday, October 10th, 2010

Here is a dagger I finished recently. I wanted to do something that would fit with both American Rev War/Fur Trade history as well as late 15th century European history. I studied quite a few designs from both periods and decided on a combination of features that were found in both time periods. The straight brass guard with a brass ring above was a very popular design. The brass wheel pommel is one of the most common design throughout history. The dagger blade I forged from a bar of M2 tool steel. It is 8.1 inches long, 1.5 inches wide and 0.24 inches thick at the guard with a nice distal taper. The grip I was originally considering was some beautifully figured black walnut I got from a friend in New Jersey. Then I remembered a piece of nice straight sambar stag that I have been saving for eight years or so. Yep that was it! The overall length is 13.75 inches and it weighs a stout one pound and one ounce. Not a lightweight but it balances very nicely with a very solid and sturdy feel. I did some chopping, slicing, and stabbing this past weekend and it performed beautifully.

Tags: blade, hand forged dagger, handmade dagger, m2 tool steel, sambar stag, stag
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More Medieval Daggers

Saturday, September 18th, 2010

The medieval dagger was a tool and weapon carried by low and high alike. There is a great deal of evidence that it was more popular than we may have thought.

Daggers were an excellent alternative to a larger and more cumbersome weapon such as a sword and in some places swords were illegal to carry unless you were a member of the nobility. A well made dagger was a viable alternative. Kept within easy reach, it could easily and quickly be brought into play if the occasion called for it. The highways and alleys of medieval Europe were no safer than today.

The cost of acquiring a sword was also a factor in the apparent popularity of daggers. Some daggers could be quite large, in some cases with blade lengths reaching 18 inches. Indeed a blade of this size held in a competent hand could be quite fearsome. Cinquidea daggers were often very large with blade widths of 3 to 5 inches and lengths of 12 to 18 inches. Even though less threatening than a sword, a well made dagger on your hip announced to one and all your intention to defend yourself if necessary.

Some daggers were quite ornate, especially those belonging to the nobility or royalty. Sometimes worn more as deadly jewelry, the finest examples are truly exquisite works of art. In contrast some daggers are quite basic and barely more than a blade and handle wedged together.

At best a dagger is a durable well made tool and weapon of last resort. Having two edges rather than one allows you twice the cutting ability and a good strong point let’s you punctuate any opinion with no uncertainty.

Tags: blade, cinquidea, hand forged, handmade, medieval dagger
Posted in Daggers | 2 Comments »

Handmade Medieval Daggers

Saturday, September 11th, 2010

In my opinion there are few blades more useful and more interesting than a classic hand forged medieval handmade dagger! Two edges for greater cutting versatility, a perfect point for puncturing, well balanced and with a functional guard. My most recent dagger is the one pictured here. I’m calling it the Warder. Warder means to protect or protector and it seems to me quite appropriate in this case.

The hand forged D2 blade is 8.2 inches long, 1.25 inches wide, 0.187 inches thick at the guard with a slight distal taper, and a 0.25″ wide fuller that runs to just within 1.5 inches of the tip. The overall length is 13.5 inches, the grip is 4 inches long and crafted from nicely figured ash with an oil finish. The guard is 3.5 inches wide and made of brass. The pommel is a brass wheel that is 1.25 inches in diameter and 7/8 of an inch thick. The scabbard is designed to be strapped to your calf and is made from 9 ounce vegetable tanned leather dyed black with handmade copper buckles and a snap for safety. The dagger weighs 13 ounces.

As with most of my blades, this one has been honed to what we refer to around the shop as “Ben Sharp”, that is to say, extremely razor sharp. The edge has been stropped to a super clean and super fine sharpness. I find that this medieval dagger sits well in my hand and I have already started using it on everything I can think of. Paper, cardboard, hard plastic, jute and sisal rope, various seasoned hardwoods, thick leather, aluminum sheet. I’ve chopped a tamarack 2×6 in half across the width and then it still slices (not tears) 20 layers of wet newspaper. I found out that it slices skin quite well too (nothing serious thankfully, but I was cut before I even realized it). This is one of my first fullered dagger blades and I must say, I like it!

Daggers are an intriguing item of cutlery. It seems that they have been carried throughout history, often in a military capacity but not always, and there are numerous surviving historical examples. Years ago before I started making swords, daggers and knives I bought alot of daggers from various sources. From cheapo junk to well made pieces by reputable makers and companies. None of them ever satisfied what I wanted in a dagger. Most had edge bevels that were too thick. Often they were poorly balanced. The overall dimensions often made them a bit clunky or unsuitable for more utilitarian applications. Those that were small enough had way too obtuse bevels and wouldn’t cut and slice worth a darn.

So now I make my own and I make them with an eye towards utility as well as combat properties. Top quality steel, hand forged, proper bevels, well balanced with comfortable hilts and razor sharp. I’ve always been fascinated by the medieval period so it follows that most of my daggers are styled in that manner.

Tags: blade, d2, dagger, hand forged, hand forged dagger, handmade, handmade dagger, medieval dagger
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Daggers!

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

Daggers have most often been considered a secondary or even tertiary weapon and they have traditionally been used primarily for combat. However, there have been periods where the dagger was looked upon more as a tool and a weapon rather than as just a weapon. I must admit a personal bias here: I love daggers! I use daggers like knives. I’ve even field dressed and butchered game with them. I craft my daggers with an eye towards utility as well as combat usefulness. I make my dagger blades just a little wider and the bevels just a little more acute so that there is a pair of useful slicing and chopping edges as well as the very deadly point for thrusting. I carry my dagger almost everywhere with me. The symbolism of the dagger has traditionally been either that of surreptitious and scandalous assassination or courageous and brave desire for close combat with the enemy. Their carry has also symbolized rank much like a handgun worn by officers in the military in more modern times. In use they are usually thought of as primarily stabbing weapons having two edges as opposed to knives which are thought of as cutting tools with a single edge. In practical application however the lines of what makes a dagger and a knife separate are often blurred. To me, two edges means that I have a ready backup if one edge gets dull or damaged. Most of my personal dagger blades are about 8 inches in length and about 1 ¼” inches wide with a thickness of 3/16” to ¼”. This seems to be about ideal for me combining moderate length with utilitarian edges and plenty of strength. I admittedly beat the snot out of my personal stuff on a virtual daily basis. This does however show me what my stuff can do, and that is quite alot!