2018 ethnographic weapon

Battara · 29th July 2018, 06:38 PM

I love this!

I love your use of mokume copper as well and the way you etched it to give that worn feel on the scabbard. Also I like the scalloping of the end of the blade. The hammered and patina'd copper nails/rivets are a nice touch.

thomas hauschild · 29th July 2018, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battara

I love this!

I love your use of mokume copper as well and the way you etched it to give that worn feel on the scabbard. Also I like the scalloping of the end of the blade. The hammered and patina'd copper nails/rivets are a nice touch.

Thank you very much.

At the end there is not a nail. Its the tang going thru the grip full lenght. The tang is not hardened at the end to rivet it with a ball-hammer the old way.

Thank you all

Best Thomas

midelburgo · 29th July 2018, 08:33 PM

What is the (supposed) intended use of this blade?

The form shall come after the function... Without knowing that is not possible to regard its success.

thomas hauschild · 29th July 2018, 09:37 PM

What is the supposed use a that piece? A good question. Well my experience with a piece of this size is....one. ( making one of the „forged in fire“ test with a half pig would be interesting lol)

You can found a big number of different pieces that we call today ethnographical. Do we have the knowledge of the purpose of every different design ? On a modern knifeshow you will find so many different designs of the theme blade + grip as you will find on ethnographic pieces during the centuries before.

My personal intention was to learn, try out different techniques and answer myself to the question „can I do it ?“ that was all. I‘m fascinated of the old techniques, the imagination of how they made the pieces and just want to do some of this with my own hands. And at the end there was a contest namend „machete“ at the knifeshow in solingen this year. But that was only the occasion to start. I wanted to do a piece like this since years. The next piece of that size will be different. Never thought how much work this was and I have used some modern equipment like a belt grinder.

Thank you

Thomas

A. G. Maisey · 29th July 2018, 11:26 PM

Thomas, I also have spent a lengthy part of my life involved in knifemaking, principally in making blades for other makers, but I have also made complete knives, and my work always tended towards an ethno-historical theme.

I have one question:- you have stated your respect for the techniques, and I assume, technology of makers of the past, do you , yourself, use these same techniques and technology in your work?

thomas hauschild · 30th July 2018, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Thomas, I also have spent a lengthy part of my life involved in knifemaking, principally in making blades for other makers, but I have also made complete knives, and my work always tended towards an ethno-historical theme.

I have one question:- you have stated your respect for the techniques, and I assume, technology of makers of the past, do you , yourself, use these same techniques and technology in your work?

It‘s often difficult, because you often only see the result without the knowledge how it‘s done. You can read hundreds of hours books from scientist and the (often opposite ) opinions how it was done. Damascus patterns are one of this. It‘s just interesting for me to repeat a pattern. Is this exactly science what I want to do ? No. I will use borax instead quartz sand for the welding and a gasforge instead of charcoal. That doesn#t matter to me. If the result at the end will look like on the old one it will be ok for me. I have a bucket full of magnetit sand in my workshop. I wanted to make some iron out it. I will build an oven and if the result will be „iron“ that will be ok for me. I do not need to reproduce a similar oven with all detail measurements found in a specific region of the country. I will use an electric blower for that. The main issue for me is simple craftmenship , thats all

Best Thomas

A. G. Maisey · 30th July 2018, 10:38 AM

Thank you for outlining your point of view Thomas.

In respect of forge work, I have always found that the use of coke and charcoal is far more satisfying than the use of a gas forge. Welding in a gas forge is not difficult, welding in coke or charcoal is a whole other world, and by using coke or charcoal, we position ourselves very close to the smiths of the past, even if we do use electric blowers.

I have used bellows instead of an electric blower, and what I found was that the fire (it was teak charcoal) was much more easily controlled with the bellows than with the electric blower. I've used a farriers hand-blown forge also, WWI vintage, and although for a number of reasons I find it fairly difficult to use, it also gives very good fire control.

I learnt to weld when the only fuel available to the smith I learnt from was coal, this meant that I needed to coke the coal before I could consider welding. Although I have found river sand to be a good flux for iron or mild steel, I have not found it satisfactory for welds involving high carbon steel, in a coke fire anhydrous borax is a satisfactory flux, but often no flux at all is necessary, especially in a teak charcoal fire. Use of a flux is very often the base cause of weld flaw.

I do appreciate your response to my question, Thomas, and I thank you for it, but the main thrust of my curiosity was not so much the forge work, which really is pretty simple and straight forward once the basics are understood, but rather, your approach to the bench work. I am curious to know if you use similar tools and techniques to the blade smiths of olden times for the actual making of the blade, rather than the making of the forging from which the blade will emerge.

29th July 2018, 06:38 PM	#1
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,272	I love this! I love your use of mokume copper as well and the way you etched it to give that worn feel on the scabbard. Also I like the scalloping of the end of the blade. The hammered and patina'd copper nails/rivets are a nice touch.

29th July 2018, 08:33 PM	#3
midelburgo Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 264	What is the (supposed) intended use of this blade? The form shall come after the function... Without knowing that is not possible to regard its success.

29th July 2018, 09:37 PM	#4
thomas hauschild Member Join Date: May 2017 Location: Germany Posts: 141	What is the supposed use a that piece? A good question. Well my experience with a piece of this size is....one. ( making one of the „forged in fire“ test with a half pig would be interesting lol) You can found a big number of different pieces that we call today ethnographical. Do we have the knowledge of the purpose of every different design ? On a modern knifeshow you will find so many different designs of the theme blade + grip as you will find on ethnographic pieces during the centuries before. My personal intention was to learn, try out different techniques and answer myself to the question „can I do it ?“ that was all. I‘m fascinated of the old techniques, the imagination of how they made the pieces and just want to do some of this with my own hands. And at the end there was a contest namend „machete“ at the knifeshow in solingen this year. But that was only the occasion to start. I wanted to do a piece like this since years. The next piece of that size will be different. Never thought how much work this was and I have used some modern equipment like a belt grinder. Thank you Thomas

29th July 2018, 11:26 PM	#5
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,992	Thomas, I also have spent a lengthy part of my life involved in knifemaking, principally in making blades for other makers, but I have also made complete knives, and my work always tended towards an ethno-historical theme. I have one question:- you have stated your respect for the techniques, and I assume, technology of makers of the past, do you , yourself, use these same techniques and technology in your work?

30th July 2018, 10:38 AM	#7
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,992	Thank you for outlining your point of view Thomas. In respect of forge work, I have always found that the use of coke and charcoal is far more satisfying than the use of a gas forge. Welding in a gas forge is not difficult, welding in coke or charcoal is a whole other world, and by using coke or charcoal, we position ourselves very close to the smiths of the past, even if we do use electric blowers. I have used bellows instead of an electric blower, and what I found was that the fire (it was teak charcoal) was much more easily controlled with the bellows than with the electric blower. I've used a farriers hand-blown forge also, WWI vintage, and although for a number of reasons I find it fairly difficult to use, it also gives very good fire control. I learnt to weld when the only fuel available to the smith I learnt from was coal, this meant that I needed to coke the coal before I could consider welding. Although I have found river sand to be a good flux for iron or mild steel, I have not found it satisfactory for welds involving high carbon steel, in a coke fire anhydrous borax is a satisfactory flux, but often no flux at all is necessary, especially in a teak charcoal fire. Use of a flux is very often the base cause of weld flaw. I do appreciate your response to my question, Thomas, and I thank you for it, but the main thrust of my curiosity was not so much the forge work, which really is pretty simple and straight forward once the basics are understood, but rather, your approach to the bench work. I am curious to know if you use similar tools and techniques to the blade smiths of olden times for the actual making of the blade, rather than the making of the forging from which the blade will emerge.