One off Elk Handled Viking Sword
Apr 24, 2011 23:42:05 GMT
Post by 14thforsaken on Apr 24, 2011 23:42:05 GMT
Introduction
Dwarf Mountain Knives Elk Handled Viking Sword
I had originally bought a couple of one-off daggers from John Thompson of Dwarf Mountain Knives and was favorably impressed by his work. He is a lower profile artisan that mainly had booths at the Kansas City Renaissance Faire and the Texas Renaissance Festival. Sometime in the early part of the 00's, he started branching out into making swords as well. That year (2005) at the Kansas City Fair, I saw some of his swords and decided to try one of them. I focused in on the Elk handled Viking sword right away, given how striking it was. I picked it up put it through its paces a bit and noticed that it fit my hand as if it had been tailor made for me.
I had always wanted at least one Viking sword and felt that this might be it. If nothing else, it would match the stag handled dagger and sgian dubh I already had.
Historical overview
This is a fairly typical example of early Viking swords. It could be wielded comfortable with one hand and would be quite capable of both slashing and thrusting attacks. Based in the Wheeler Viking Sword Typology, I would classify this as a type VII. You can find a definition of the various Wheeler Typologies here:
www.albion-swords.com/swords/wheeler.htm
Using the Oakeshott typology this would be considered a type X blade. The Geibig classification would likely consider this to be a type 2b sword. Below is a link to the section of MyArmory explaining the classifications. This sword in particular would be right at the smallest blade length for that category.
www.myarmoury.com/feature_geibig.html
This type of sword would have seen use during the middle of the 8th century to the middle of the 10th century.
Full Disclosure
I purchased this blade from John Thompson of Dwarf Mountain Knives, and was afforded no discounts. I am not sponsored, compensated, enabled or abetted by Dwarf Mountain Knives in any way shape or form.
Initial Impressions
The first thing I noticed about the sword was its grip. I had not seem many swords with an elk handled grip. The fitting were also different, being a silver color but not steel or nickel. John called the material Tombaline, but the common name for it is White Bronze, an alloy of copper, zinc and tin. The blade was done to a mirror polish and came razor sharp.
Since I bought the sword at the Kansas City Renaissance Fair, the blade was sold to be without being packaged so I cannot speak to how their swords are packaged and shipped. I was not allowed to carry a weapon at the fair and had to pick it up at the front as I left. The sword's blade had been sandwiched between two sturdy pieces of cardboard that were duck taped together and finally wrapped several times in a soft cloth. It was more than sufficient for storing in my car until I returned home.
Statistics
Blade Length: 27.5"
Handle Length: 4.75"
Overall Length: 34.25"
Guard Width: 4" long and .5" thick
POB (Point of Balance): approximately 4.25" from the guard
COP (Center of Percussion): Not sure on this one
Weight: 3lbs 13.6oz
Components
The Blade
The blade is a fairly standard Oakeshott type X blade, if a little on the short side. The blade is 2 1/8" wide at the guard with very little tapering until just before the tip. The blade is 1 1/2" wide 2" from the tip. A fuller runs nearly the length of the blade and is about 3/4" and about 1/8 - 1/4" deep. The blade is lenticular in shape and comes to a spatulate point.
The blade is constructed from 5160 high carbon spring steel and hardened to about a 58 on the Rockwell Scale. John uses a stock removal process in making blades. The material of the sword is different from what most Viking swords of that period were constructed of, as they would have been primarily iron or pattern welded iron and steel.
The blade's fuller does show hammer marks down the length. They are nothing major and actually give the sword more of an authentic feel. The hammer marks are more noticeable near the end of the fuller but do not detract from the blade's appearance.
Rough hammered texture of the fuller
Here you can see the beginning of the fuller on one side.
Here it is on the other side
Fuller Termination and Point
Tip of the blade:
The Handle
The handle is constructed from Norwegian Elk Antler. There is no seem or join I can find on the grip so I assume that the grip is cored through and epoxied on. The grip is about 4 3/4" long and has enough room for me to get a solid one handed grip on. The grip is also slightly tacky helping to provide a more secure grip.
Here you can see where I am able to grip the sword comfortably in one hand. My hands are fairly large and I have no trouble with the grip.
The Guard
The guard is fairly simple, about 4" in length and 1/2" wide. The guard is constructed of White Bronze. The grip had intentionally been left a little rough, again making the sword look more like a period piece.
The Pommel
The pommel is a fairly standard Wheeler type 7 pommel, also made of white bronze. It too is left rough and adds to the blade's charm.
The Scabbard
This sword came without a scabbard. I will probably have Sonny from the Custom Sword Shop make me one in the future.
Handling Characteristics
Based on my dry handling of the sword, it is fairly balanced at 4 1/4" from the guard. The blade is fairly heavy for a smaller one handed Viking sword coming in at almost 4 pounds. potentially this could make the sword more difficult for lighter or smaller people to handle. A fairly strong wrist is necessary to handle the sword for any length of time or maintain proper form.
Test Cutting
I haven't had a chance to do any test cutting with it as of yet. I live in a neighborhood full of little children and don't have a suitable place for cutting in my backyard. Generally the only time I can do any cutting is when I go to some property my family owns in North Louisiana.
Conclusions
This is a fairly nice blade with an interesting look. Quality wise I would say it is a mid range sword. I don't know if it is possible to get a sword any more from John as I know his costs were sky rocketing and he was already operating on a very narrow margin.
Pros
- Nice blade with a decent edge and appearance
- Unique white bronze furniture
- Handsome grip made of Norwegian Elk
- Not likely to find any other Viking blade that appears similar
Cons
- No Scabbard
- Hammering marks are noticeable in the fuller
- Dwarf Mountain Knives may not be around anymore leaving you without customer support.
The Bottom Line
All in all, it's a nice looking Viking sword that is different in looks from most production blades. Well worth picking up if you can find it for $300 or so.
Dwarf Mountain Knives Elk Handled Viking Sword
I had originally bought a couple of one-off daggers from John Thompson of Dwarf Mountain Knives and was favorably impressed by his work. He is a lower profile artisan that mainly had booths at the Kansas City Renaissance Faire and the Texas Renaissance Festival. Sometime in the early part of the 00's, he started branching out into making swords as well. That year (2005) at the Kansas City Fair, I saw some of his swords and decided to try one of them. I focused in on the Elk handled Viking sword right away, given how striking it was. I picked it up put it through its paces a bit and noticed that it fit my hand as if it had been tailor made for me.
I had always wanted at least one Viking sword and felt that this might be it. If nothing else, it would match the stag handled dagger and sgian dubh I already had.
Historical overview
This is a fairly typical example of early Viking swords. It could be wielded comfortable with one hand and would be quite capable of both slashing and thrusting attacks. Based in the Wheeler Viking Sword Typology, I would classify this as a type VII. You can find a definition of the various Wheeler Typologies here:
www.albion-swords.com/swords/wheeler.htm
Using the Oakeshott typology this would be considered a type X blade. The Geibig classification would likely consider this to be a type 2b sword. Below is a link to the section of MyArmory explaining the classifications. This sword in particular would be right at the smallest blade length for that category.
www.myarmoury.com/feature_geibig.html
This type of sword would have seen use during the middle of the 8th century to the middle of the 10th century.
Full Disclosure
I purchased this blade from John Thompson of Dwarf Mountain Knives, and was afforded no discounts. I am not sponsored, compensated, enabled or abetted by Dwarf Mountain Knives in any way shape or form.
Initial Impressions
The first thing I noticed about the sword was its grip. I had not seem many swords with an elk handled grip. The fitting were also different, being a silver color but not steel or nickel. John called the material Tombaline, but the common name for it is White Bronze, an alloy of copper, zinc and tin. The blade was done to a mirror polish and came razor sharp.
Since I bought the sword at the Kansas City Renaissance Fair, the blade was sold to be without being packaged so I cannot speak to how their swords are packaged and shipped. I was not allowed to carry a weapon at the fair and had to pick it up at the front as I left. The sword's blade had been sandwiched between two sturdy pieces of cardboard that were duck taped together and finally wrapped several times in a soft cloth. It was more than sufficient for storing in my car until I returned home.
Statistics
Blade Length: 27.5"
Handle Length: 4.75"
Overall Length: 34.25"
Guard Width: 4" long and .5" thick
POB (Point of Balance): approximately 4.25" from the guard
COP (Center of Percussion): Not sure on this one
Weight: 3lbs 13.6oz
Components
The Blade
The blade is a fairly standard Oakeshott type X blade, if a little on the short side. The blade is 2 1/8" wide at the guard with very little tapering until just before the tip. The blade is 1 1/2" wide 2" from the tip. A fuller runs nearly the length of the blade and is about 3/4" and about 1/8 - 1/4" deep. The blade is lenticular in shape and comes to a spatulate point.
The blade is constructed from 5160 high carbon spring steel and hardened to about a 58 on the Rockwell Scale. John uses a stock removal process in making blades. The material of the sword is different from what most Viking swords of that period were constructed of, as they would have been primarily iron or pattern welded iron and steel.
The blade's fuller does show hammer marks down the length. They are nothing major and actually give the sword more of an authentic feel. The hammer marks are more noticeable near the end of the fuller but do not detract from the blade's appearance.
Rough hammered texture of the fuller
Here you can see the beginning of the fuller on one side.
Here it is on the other side
Fuller Termination and Point
Tip of the blade:
The Handle
The handle is constructed from Norwegian Elk Antler. There is no seem or join I can find on the grip so I assume that the grip is cored through and epoxied on. The grip is about 4 3/4" long and has enough room for me to get a solid one handed grip on. The grip is also slightly tacky helping to provide a more secure grip.
Here you can see where I am able to grip the sword comfortably in one hand. My hands are fairly large and I have no trouble with the grip.
The Guard
The guard is fairly simple, about 4" in length and 1/2" wide. The guard is constructed of White Bronze. The grip had intentionally been left a little rough, again making the sword look more like a period piece.
The Pommel
The pommel is a fairly standard Wheeler type 7 pommel, also made of white bronze. It too is left rough and adds to the blade's charm.
The Scabbard
This sword came without a scabbard. I will probably have Sonny from the Custom Sword Shop make me one in the future.
Handling Characteristics
Based on my dry handling of the sword, it is fairly balanced at 4 1/4" from the guard. The blade is fairly heavy for a smaller one handed Viking sword coming in at almost 4 pounds. potentially this could make the sword more difficult for lighter or smaller people to handle. A fairly strong wrist is necessary to handle the sword for any length of time or maintain proper form.
Test Cutting
I haven't had a chance to do any test cutting with it as of yet. I live in a neighborhood full of little children and don't have a suitable place for cutting in my backyard. Generally the only time I can do any cutting is when I go to some property my family owns in North Louisiana.
Conclusions
This is a fairly nice blade with an interesting look. Quality wise I would say it is a mid range sword. I don't know if it is possible to get a sword any more from John as I know his costs were sky rocketing and he was already operating on a very narrow margin.
Pros
- Nice blade with a decent edge and appearance
- Unique white bronze furniture
- Handsome grip made of Norwegian Elk
- Not likely to find any other Viking blade that appears similar
Cons
- No Scabbard
- Hammering marks are noticeable in the fuller
- Dwarf Mountain Knives may not be around anymore leaving you without customer support.
The Bottom Line
All in all, it's a nice looking Viking sword that is different in looks from most production blades. Well worth picking up if you can find it for $300 or so.