Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

driftwould · 9th August 2016, 08:51 AM

Thanks to everyone for the extremely helpful replies both here and in PM's!

While I'm far less informed about specifics of many kinds of knives and their functions/steel types/etc than most of you, I'm fortunately very well versed in the history of Celtic peoples (however you define them in this or that era/geographical area) and pretty up on the changing artistic trends from the La Tenne culture spirals etc. down through Insular/"Celtic" examples of art both in things like the Book of Kells, and similar, non-Celtic artforms from other cultures such as Viking era Scandinavian interlace.

What I'm looking for in this project is a knife for my real, heavy survival/bushcraft/hunting/camping/hiking use with specific aspects of Celtic decorative design that I, being of Scottish and Irish descent, have grown to favor personally over a lifetime of exposure to modern incarnations of Celtic culture and some aspects of the rich and long history of the related Celtic traditions. I see this as me, a legitimate inheritor of this particular historical/cultural background, continuing and expressing it in my own way as a modern, living extension of it as it continues down into the future through the present.

Personally, I've always liked intricate interlace, especially animal themed (hounds and wolves in particular), as well as triskelions and other symbols which were often adapted to Christian use (Trinity) from ancient uses. I also really like what are often referred to today as Josephine knots because of some of the symbolism that we, in the last few hundred years, have begun to assign to them. Given that this is, from my POV, me expressing an ancient cultural heritage in a modern sense, it also fits well with the overall theme of my collection - usually taken from other cultures' modern and beautifully embellished expressions of ancient blade making traditions from places around the world with either practical or relevant ceremonial purposes, and usually bought on site from the smiths in their forges or shops. Since we shop from smiths online these days in our culture, I'm ok with that for this particular item.

All that being said, I also REALLY need a handle that will hold firmly and comfortably when wet/bloody/sweaty/etc.

Again, thanks to everyone for the responses!

9th August 2016, 08:51 AM	#7
driftwould Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Currently, Taiwan. Previously China for 6 years. Speak and read 中文 well. Posts: 34	Thanks to everyone for the extremely helpful replies both here and in PM's! While I'm far less informed about specifics of many kinds of knives and their functions/steel types/etc than most of you, I'm fortunately very well versed in the history of Celtic peoples (however you define them in this or that era/geographical area) and pretty up on the changing artistic trends from the La Tenne culture spirals etc. down through Insular/"Celtic" examples of art both in things like the Book of Kells, and similar, non-Celtic artforms from other cultures such as Viking era Scandinavian interlace. What I'm looking for in this project is a knife for my real, heavy survival/bushcraft/hunting/camping/hiking use with specific aspects of Celtic decorative design that I, being of Scottish and Irish descent, have grown to favor personally over a lifetime of exposure to modern incarnations of Celtic culture and some aspects of the rich and long history of the related Celtic traditions. I see this as me, a legitimate inheritor of this particular historical/cultural background, continuing and expressing it in my own way as a modern, living extension of it as it continues down into the future through the present. Personally, I've always liked intricate interlace, especially animal themed (hounds and wolves in particular), as well as triskelions and other symbols which were often adapted to Christian use (Trinity) from ancient uses. I also really like what are often referred to today as Josephine knots because of some of the symbolism that we, in the last few hundred years, have begun to assign to them. Given that this is, from my POV, me expressing an ancient cultural heritage in a modern sense, it also fits well with the overall theme of my collection - usually taken from other cultures' modern and beautifully embellished expressions of ancient blade making traditions from places around the world with either practical or relevant ceremonial purposes, and usually bought on site from the smiths in their forges or shops. Since we shop from smiths online these days in our culture, I'm ok with that for this particular item. All that being said, I also REALLY need a handle that will hold firmly and comfortably when wet/bloody/sweaty/etc. Again, thanks to everyone for the responses!