A Dwarven Knife?

Panday · Post by **Panday** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 4:50 pm

I make knives as a hobby and have been giving thought to this question for a while now. I thought this would be an excellent place to get ideas.

What do you think a dwarven knife would look like- something for both fighting and field/utility? We know what an elven one is supposed to look like already:

but what about the dwarves? We know they already made swords, as Narsil was originally made by the dwarf, Telchar, during the First Age. Knives are such a basic tool that it's inconceivable for dwarves not to have made them.

As you can see from the above picture, my imagination is colored by the works of WETA Workshop, which did all of the props for the LotR films. WETA showed a dwarven love for angles instead of curves, which carries over into my own thoughts on this subject.

I'm not a big fan of tanto points. Though it's conceivable for dwarves to develop them, I grow weary of the ubiquity of Japanese blades. Knives like this just scream "Japan!" to me and I don't like it:

Tanto points could be rounded just a bit, giving something akin to the large, Finnish wilderness knife called the "Leuku":

I like this basic look. However, while the dwarves like angles over curves, they do like to embellish their weapons (look at Gimli's axes- not very ordinary looking at all!). The Leuku is a bit plain to me, but could always have some kind of additions put on.

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Panday · Post by **Panday** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 4:50 pm

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Perhaps the dwarves might have had something much more complicated, yet still utilitarian, like the Pit Fighter, by swordmaker, Michael Tinker Pierce:

For some reason, the Tom Brown Tracker (as seen in the film "The Hunted") has something dwarven about its basic design to me, with its double-edges and bevels. But this knife is a bit too faddish for my tastes:

What do you think? Any ideas on what a dwarven knife would have looked like? Please, put up pictures if you have something in mind.

mcapanelli · Post by **mcapanelli** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 9:01 pm

I'd say something akin to viking long knife. There's plenty to draw from, one of the best being at the mad dwarves workshop located here.....

http://www.maddwarfworkshop.com/

Gareth · Post by **Gareth** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 11:33 pm

Post by **Peter Remling** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 11:58 pm

For a dwarf knife, I'd suggest a little more utilitarian for their environment. Possibly a larger version of a modern diver's knife with a flat chisel instead of a point, for prying with a broad heavy pommel for hammering rocks. The chisel point would be useful for digging gems, fungus, tubers and moss for profit, food and fuel. If you really want to do the utilitarian thing, attach a ring to the pommel for rope use.

With a few of these in your belt you can hammer some into a crevive, attach a rope climb or swing out to set another, while attached pry or dig food, gems or other items of interest. Climb back up and pull out the piton/knives as you go.

Andy M · Post by **Andy M** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 12:21 am

I wouldn't use the movies to base off of. There was only one documented curved blade used by a good guy and the Gimli axes were not at all what Tolkien described.

I guess it depends on if you're going for Movie or Tolkien accuracy.

Andy

Panday · Post by **Panday** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 7:38 pm

Well, I sketched out some initial designs last night and this afternoon.

#1 Gimli Axe Knife is a knife version of the walking axe that Gimli used in the film:

#2 Hatchet Knife is as close as I could get to a knife-hybrid hatchet that doesn't seem too much like one or the other.

#3 Dwarven Bowie seemed like plain enough, no-nonsense design

#4 Mountain Seax - I had a lot of suggestions for a seax design. I figured something dwarven would be a bit on the robust side, so this design calls for a blade 2" to 2.5" wide

#5 Goblin Chopper - while I was initially less than enthused about tanto points, this kind of design might actually work.

#6 Dwarven Recurve - this started out as a T.B. Tracker design, but I didn't like it, so I modified it into a recurve. I'm not sure about this one.

#7 Spelunk Fighter - I got suggestions for a leuku design, too. Like the seax, I thought a dwarven version would be fairly robust, hence the wide blade.

#8 - Miner's Companion - I had a suggestion for a utility (non-fighter) knife, that uses a chisel point and grind (for prying stones & gems) and has a hammer pommel (for driving pitons). I also decided to add a saw blade and rope cutter on the spine.

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Now, a lot of these accessories can be mixed around:

Handle: I've kept to an octagonal handle design, however some use a straight handle with flared ends and some use a slightly curved octagonal handle. I could put either kind of handle on any of these blades.

Accents: I showed one blade with runes, another with a geometric design, and another with an engraving of the hammer and anvil design which Tolkien drew on the Moria Gate. I could put any of these, or something different, on any of the blade designs.

Rope Cutter: Could be added to any design

Saw Blade: Ditto

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So, now that I have some designs sketched, what design or combination of designs might work?

Any other modification suggestions- handle, hilt, pommel, blade, etc?

Any other designs different from what I've already drawn?

Post by **Peter Remling** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 3:36 am

I like your Dwarven bowie, nice no frills and very utilitarian, Not really keen on the octaganal handle, maybe a coffin grip.

Gareth · Post by **Gareth** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 2:06 am

Post by **Eledhwen** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 10:27 am

I like the Dwarven Bowie myself.

mcapanelli · Post by **mcapanelli** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:32 pm

I'm partial to the Hatchet Knife. It looks like it'd be really versatile around the camp. Kind of part skinner, part large camp knife, and a little hint of an Ulu thrown in.