Middle Earth Ranger Forum

Here is the two pieces of walnut I have. I hand carved out the shape of the tang in the one piece and I think I might have gone slightly overboard Although when I epoxy it all together it will fill in. I also lined up the pieces with the holes and predrilled them.

And this is as far as I am for I need to buy brass pins and epoxy still But its all ready to go

If you can't find brass pins, pick up some long brass screws. Once they're trimmed down filed and sanded, no one will be able to tell they're not pins. Because screws are more popular than pins, they may very well be easier to find and be cheaper.

If the knife turns out anything like the box, it will be excellent.

Check out various modeling shops for brass rod; I use that for pins. Also, brazing rods can be used if the outer coating is removed. Cut to length, peen, there it is.

FWIW

Eledhwen

Peter Remling wrote:If you can't find brass pins, pick up some long brass screws. Once they're trimmed down filed and sanded, no one will be able to tell they're not pins. Because screws are more popular than pins, they may very well be easier to find and be cheaper.

If the knife turns out anything like the box, it will be excellent.

I have used brass screws from Lowe's with very good results. They are very fine threaded and have rounded heads with a straight slot. I drill the hole very slightly undersized so the threads have something to catch. I supposed if you had a tap and die that would be the best way to go and thread your holes to match the screws. Then I cut the ends off with a dremel and sand everything down.

I second Eledhwen's suggestion. Brass rod can be found at your home improvement stores. They usually have a rack of steel rod and angle iron. Usually in that rack is some brass as well. That's where I've found mine.

Ok so I finally got some more progress on my seax
I bought 3 two inch brass screws and some super epoxy. I silicone the inside of the wood and tang so it wouldn't rattle when wielded and squirted super epoxy in the holes and put some on the screws. Now its assembled and awaiting the shaping

When I use screws, I don't screw them all the way down. Then I cut the head off when I cut the excess on the other side off. That way it looks like pins.
Looking good by the way!

wulfgar wrote:When I use screws, I don't screw them all the way down. Then I cut the head off when I cut the excess on the other side off. That way it looks like pins.
Looking good by the way!

Oh theyre not screwed all the way down, they do stick out, you just cant tell from the pic

Looking Good !

Well as much as I hate to say it, I need to redo.... As I went to cut the screws off, they got super super hot and it actually melted the super epoxy so they fell out. I decided to tear it back apart and start over, this time using something a little more appropriate, corby rivets. In the meantime though, I shaped the crossguard to a more slimmer in the midde and rounded at the end shape. sort of like an over stretched 8, so I will just end up posting a final picture whenever it gets done

Guess we should have warned you. Copper and brass get VERY hot VERY fast. Gotta take it easy with them. Sorry to hear you've got to do that over. It's a pain, but it will also teach you things in the process.

I have been working on a CS Seax Machete for a while now. I sanded off the black and cut off the plastic handle. After thinking over several different ideas for a handle I decided to make glue hardened leather scales and epoxy them on the handle. I added a tooled raven's head on the pommel and wrapped the handle in several yards of waxed linen thread (Middle Earth survival knife?). Then I found a carbon steel butcher knife at the local flea market and decided I needed a utility knife as a companion piece.

Now that I had the blades, I needed a sheath. I decided on a simple leather sheath that would hold both blades. I created a folded leather sheath which I added some tooling too. The sheath for the utility knife is sewn directly to the front of the machete sheath. Once I sew the sheath together, I will add brass d-rings to suspend the sheath from my belt of pack. When I carry the blade, the edge will be riding up as most of the seax sheaths in period appear to have been worn this way.

Just one more pic of both blades resting in the sheath. I obviously have not finished sewing the larger sheath.