3rd Age longsword scabbard

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Ursus
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3rd Age longsword scabbard

Post by Ursus »

Right on the heels of a similar project by Greg I’ve finally managed to wrap up my own ranger scabbard project.

The by-knife is still a WIP as I am not quite happy with the handle and the blade still needs some finishing work done, but its functional for now. The blade was made from a broken piece of an old butchers cleaver that I’ve had lying around for years. Overall its around 10 inches and is intended to be my main camp and work knife.

The core is poplar slats steamed and fitted around the blade and lined with lanolin oiled felt. The wrapping is a heavy goat hide initially dyed green then overlayed with brown, then green again before wiping it down with an alcohol dampened rag to expose both shades and then heavily rubbed with dubbin.

The by-knife scabbard is wet molded harness weight leather underneath the goat hide. Looking back I wish that I had smoothed the knife scabbards edges better to blend it more seamlessly to the core. I think I’m going to mask it by laying in a border of Numenorean design. While the knife does fit quite snuggly I did go ahead and add a leather tie as a safety precaution, as I carry no other knife on my belt at present Id hate to loose one of my main work tools while on the move.

The chape is from The Printed Armory and is bronzed steel.
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Last edited by Ursus on Sun Jul 29, 2018 1:49 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Harper
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Re: 3rd Age longsword scabbard

Post by Harper »

Nice work.
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Iodo
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Re: 3rd Age longsword scabbard

Post by Iodo »

Like the finish and color of the leather, great work :P
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Elleth
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Re: 3rd Age longsword scabbard

Post by Elleth »

Oh....

that's fantastic. Magical!

It looks perfectly amazing!!
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Greg
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Re: 3rd Age longsword scabbard

Post by Greg »

Very nice work on that, Ursus. Came together beautifully.

I'm curious what your complaints are with the byknife handle. It looks pretty cool to me, and the overall design is impressive. Comfort issues?
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Ursus
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Re: 3rd Age longsword scabbard

Post by Ursus »

Greg wrote:I'm curious what your complaints are with the byknife handle. It looks pretty cool to me, and the overall design is impressive. Comfort issues?
It feels great in the hand. My main critique is that I’d like to have a bronze or steel “pommel” at the end should I wish to hammer or tap on something during a chore around camp. If I go that route the goal is to blend it seamlessly with the rest of the handle. I also need to place a couple rivets to further secure the handle, which is set with epoxy currently. I don’t think it would go anywhere but I’d rather not wait until I’m out on an overnight to find out.
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Ruinar Hrafnakveðja
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Re: 3rd Age longsword scabbard

Post by Ruinar Hrafnakveðja »

Great looking sword and scabbard Ursus! I really like how you added the by-knife to it, and I think it looks perfect the way it is! Also that's a great trick using the alcohol rags witht he leather dye, going to have to borrow that one!
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Peter Remling
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Re: 3rd Age longsword scabbard

Post by Peter Remling »

Ursus wrote:
Greg wrote:I'm curious what your complaints are with the byknife handle. It looks pretty cool to me, and the overall design is impressive. Comfort issues?
It feels great in the hand. My main critique is that I’d like to have a bronze or steel “pommel” at the end should I wish to hammer or tap on something during a chore around camp. If I go that route the goal is to blend it seamlessly with the rest of the handle. I also need to place a couple rivets to further secure the handle, which is set with epoxy currently. I don’t think it would go anywhere but I’d rather not wait until I’m out on an overnight to find out.
I'd leave off the bronze or steel pommel. It's one thing to have a poll on your hand axe and entirely needless on a sword/dagger, you'll get pissed if you use it because it will leave damage/marks on the pomme. Just use a rock to hammer. Unless you are building a cabin in which case, bring a hammer.
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Ursus
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Re: 3rd Age longsword scabbard

Post by Ursus »

Peter Remling wrote:I'd leave off the bronze or steel pommel. It's one thing to have a poll on your hand axe and entirely needless on a sword/dagger, you'll get pissed if you use it because it will leave damage/marks on the pomme. Just use a rock to hammer. Unless you are building a cabin in which case, bring a hammer.
I’m not reallly thinking of hammering in the sense of driving tent stakes but more along the lines of small tasks like cracking nuts or similar small tasks without having to cast about for a rock or something similar.
That being said, I’m not to concerned with things getting marked up, most of my gear leads a hard life.
Im also thinking in terms of structural integrity to help preserve the end of the handle from splitting. As I said, WIP.
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Re: 3rd Age longsword scabbard

Post by Grimolt »

You could put a really beautiful cap on the butt of that knife without too much trouble, but how useful it might be even for crushing nuts or used as an improvised pestle would depend on how you secure it and what kind of shape you put to it. Depending on how you attach it, you might need to shorten your handle scales though.

V/r

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Re: 3rd Age longsword scabbard

Post by Elleth »

Just from an aesthetic point of view, I think a hammered copper or bronze pommel would be lovely.

Hrm.. since there's no tang sticking out the back, perhaps affix the pommel with stirrups/langets inlet into the handle wood? That would also give a nice opportunity to further "Dunedain-ify" the design by tweaking the shape of the end of the langet or engraving the langet itself...

Really crude mockup, but...
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Re: 3rd Age longsword scabbard

Post by Elendur Amloth »

Great work! Ranger green with envy. :P
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Re: 3rd Age longsword scabbard

Post by imaginatus »

Impressive. Love the depth in the color, which I'm sure the photos are only hinting at.
Is the triangular tab that overlaps the guard only on the outer side, or both?
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