In Progress - 15th C Scabbard & Hilt Work (lots of pics)

audax · Post by **audax** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 3:44 pm

I feel a little faint...

Aaron Schnatterly · Post by **Aaron Schnatterly** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 3:51 pm

Thanks, Matt, Audax!

This project has become pretty special to me, too... I'm glad that we're pushing forward to help realize Chef's wishes here.

RenJunkie · Post by **RenJunkie** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:02 pm

Good God!

That is so....so.......I don't even know!

I have never seen anything like that done on a modern weapon. I know it's out there, but tht's the first time I've seen it.

It's incredible....

Christopher

chef de chambre · Post by **chef de chambre** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:03 pm

Dan has done an awesome job! Now the sword looks closer probably to the original, as the sword it copies in the Wallace has two little holes in the bottom of the escutcheons, and 99.9% certain it bore the owners arms in enamelwork.

You have to take some nice pics of the whole rig together Aaron, and post them before it goes out to me. I'm looking forward to seeing the 'pearled' buckles.

AriAnson · Post by **AriAnson** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:19 pm

I'm very impressed. I want to make one now!

Chris - GSMBristol · Post by **Chris - GSMBristol** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:38 pm

Ya Chef, this piece is turning out very nice! Its awesome to see the work that Dan has done. Absolutely fantastic. You are going to be very pleased with everything Chef!

Aaron Schnatterly · Post by **Aaron Schnatterly** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 7:14 am

chef de chambre wrote:Dan has done an awesome job! Now the sword looks closer probably to the original, as the sword it copies in the Wallace has two little holes in the bottom of the escutcheons, and 99.9% certain it bore the owners arms in enamelwork.

I'll pass this on to Dan. I'm sure he'll appreciate it!

chef de chambre wrote:You have to take some nice pics of the whole rig together Aaron, and post them before it goes out to me. I'm looking forward to seeing the 'pearled' buckles.

Sure will, Chef! I'm trying to be modest here, but don't think this won't be at the front of my portfolio.

As to the buckles, yes... I'm looking forward to them, too.

Chris has been able to see these pieces a couple of times when he dropped by... both this sword project... and... :wink:

I'm sure he'll be glad to offer up any first-hand thoughts.

Tor Magnusson · Post by **Tor Magnusson** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 7:39 am

Wow Aaron, that is looking awesome......

Chris - GSMBristol · Post by **Chris - GSMBristol** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 7:48 am

Aaron Schnatterly wrote:

Chris has been able to see these pieces a couple of times when he dropped by... both this sword project... and... I'm sure he'll be glad to offer up any first-hand thoughts.

Yes, well. The sword is such a step up. It was a great looking and feeling piece to begin with, just needed some TLC to bring it back to the forefront. Well, that TLC has been given in spades. The grip feels extremely comfortable in the hand, even when held in gauntlets. The scabbard is the perfect representation of a professional soldier. Utilitarian, smooth lines, and the understated elegance that says, "I know what the hell I'm doing". The tooling done on it bring it to that next level that really make it pop as a show piece.

The other projects that I saw are great as well. The one particular clean up project is very nice. Aaron has a bit of an OCD issue when it comes to removing modern machining marks, so I think you are going to be very pleased.

I know Aaron can't wait to get your hands on review of the pieces.

Brian W. Rainey · Post by **Brian W. Rainey** » Fri May 23, 2008 2:29 pm

Yep, that's the one I saw yesterday. Absolutely brilliant, chef.

I think you will be more than pleased at the results!

Aaron Schnatterly · Post by **Aaron Schnatterly** » Fri May 23, 2008 2:34 pm

... just got word that the casting materials are in, too... so hopefully we'll be seeing movement on this project again here pretty soon!

Dan · Post by **Dan** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:39 pm

Sorry that this is being raised from the dead but I have just found this thread by accident.

Were there any final pictures of this project? It was looking like it was coming along really nicely.

J.G.Elmslie · Post by **J.G.Elmslie** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 9:49 pm

(apologies to aid in the necroing of this, but had to comment)

mmm. very pretty indeed.

the sword's a copy of Wallace collection # A465, is'nt it?

and I'd second the wanting to know how it went. currently doing my best not to become a drooling zombie doing patterned, tooled and cut rapier scabbards myself.

C. Gadda · Post by **C. Gadda** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 7:16 pm

Out of curiousity, was this project ever completed? I've done some reworks of Del Tin swords myself, and I would very much like to see the finished product, not only the scabbard but the sword itself with the coat of arms inlaid/enamaled into the pommel. Very impressive from what I've seen thus far!

Aaron Schnatterly · Post by **Aaron Schnatterly** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 7:46 pm

Due to a long string of issues (some personal on my end - job and health, some administrative, some other), this is yet unfinished.

The scabbard is structurally done, as is the leatherwork. The chape is in the very final stages, and the other silver bits are also in the works.

The only person who possibly wants to see finished pics more than me posted in this thread is Chef.

Rittmeister Frye · Post by **Rittmeister Frye** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 8:30 pm

Aaron Schnatterly wrote:... and no, Chef isn't getting a pink scabbard. Stupid flash...

Now THAT'S a disappointment! And I was so hoping...

Anyway, great job Aaron! You and your team are to be congratulated for such a gorgeous piece of work! And of course Bob is to be commended for his good sense in commissioning it from the proper sources...

Good job!

Cheers!

Gordon

Aaron Schnatterly · Post by **Aaron Schnatterly** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 8:50 pm

Rittmeister Frye wrote:You and your team are to be congratulated for such a gorgeous piece of work! And of course Bob is to be commended for his good sense in commissioning it from the proper sources... Good job!

Some of the shortcomings are due to key portions of the team's unraveling, sadly. The loss of 3 different shop spaces has been a cause of unreasonable setbacks. Truthfully, laying it all out on the table, I feel I've failed Bob miserably.

Once this commission is completed (and I swear to be damned it will be), I'll quite probably never take on another.

Rittmeister Frye · Post by **Rittmeister Frye** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 9:14 pm

[quote="Aaron Schnatterly"
Once this commission is completed (and I swear to be damned it will be), I'll quite probably never take on another.[/quote]

That, my friend, would be incredibly sad. I hope that it is only a temporary situation, for such artistry should not be abandoned, despite the setbacks you have suffered.

I know you to have a stout heart, my friend, so be of good cheer. Things will improve, eventually.

Cheers!

Gordon

bhaiduk · Post by **bhaiduk** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 12:48 am

I'm glad somebody pulled this thread back out. It's an awesome project.
I'm wanting to get better at leather work and this work brought about a question I had been podering for a while. For the carving, you said you scored the outline and then used a bone knife to bevel the edge. My question is do you bevel both sides of the cut or just one. I don't know if I'm describing this correctly, so maybe a picture will help
Does it look like this:
___ ___
......\/

or this:

___ ____
......\|

bhaiduk · Post by **bhaiduk** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 12:50 am

ahh stupid dot drawings.

I'm trying to ask does it have a "V" shape to it, or is one side left at a right angle?

C. Gadda · Post by **C. Gadda** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 11:56 am

Aaron Schnatterly wrote:
Rittmeister Frye wrote:You and your team are to be congratulated for such a gorgeous piece of work! And of course Bob is to be commended for his good sense in commissioning it from the proper sources... Good job!

Some of the shortcomings are due to key portions of the team's unraveling, sadly. The loss of 3 different shop spaces has been a cause of unreasonable setbacks. Truthfully, laying it all out on the table, I feel I've failed Bob miserably.

Once this commission is completed (and I swear to be damned it will be), I'll quite probably never take on another.

I know the feeling - I've had similar set backs over the years and am only just getting work going again.

I'd offer up my shop for use, but since it's in California it probably won't help you much... :sad:

Amanda M · Post by **Amanda M** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 11:58 am

I need to eaither learn to do this! or trade someone to properly clothe the Kirby my husband has.

Lloyd · Post by **Lloyd** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 12:25 pm

Aaron Schnatterly wrote: Once this commission is completed (and I swear to be damned it will be), I'll quite probably never take on another.

That would be an incredible loss to us all. You and your wife do incomparably beautiful work and it would be a crime if we lost the valuable services of two such talented artists.

I'll make space in the garage if you need it.

C. Gadda · Post by **C. Gadda** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 1:13 pm

Isabella E wrote:I need to eaither learn to do this! or trade someone to properly clothe the Kirby my husband has.

You might be able to do it on your own. Many of the basic techniques are simple and require only a few tools which you ought to have just on general principles (i.e. files, hammers, bench vise, etc.). For example, the basic regrip job outlined at the beginning of the article is not too difficult. Decorative work depends on what you want - inletting/enameling a coat of arms is something I've never done before (but, then again, as Homer J. Simpson would say, "That sure looks hard, but I bet it isn't!") though I have done wire inlay work on some hilts.

I've done scabbard work as well, but I need to do a lot more (I've got alot of swords but hardly any scabbards...). Again, depending on what you want to do, it ought to be reasonably achieveable, if not necessarily to the high standards displayed in this thread (though, if you really set your mind to it, you could come fairly close, I think - the metal work for the chape and similar fittings would probably be the trickiest bits, though you could skip much of that as not all scabbards had them, I think)

Keegan Ingrassia · Post by **Keegan Ingrassia** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 1:25 pm

Its not the leatherwork, or even the locket and chape, but the actual construction of the laminate wood core that confounds me.

Amanda M · Post by **Amanda M** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 1:32 pm

C. Gadda wrote:
Isabella E wrote:I need to eaither learn to do this! or trade someone to properly clothe the Kirby my husband has.

You might be able to do it on your own. Many of the basic techniques are simple and require only a few tools which you ought to have just on general principles (i.e. files, hammers, bench vise, etc.). For example, the basic regrip job outlined at the beginning of the article is not too difficult. Decorative work depends on what you want - inletting/enameling a coat of arms is something I've never done before (but, then again, as Homer J. Simpson would say, "That sure looks hard, but I bet it isn't!") though I have done wire inlay work on some hilts.

I've done scabbard work as well, but I need to do a lot more (I've got alot of swords but hardly any scabbards...). Again, depending on what you want to do, it ought to be reasonably achieveable, if not necessarily to the high standards displayed in this thread (though, if you really set your mind to it, you could come fairly close, I think - the metal work for the chape and similar fittings would probably be the trickiest bits, though you could skip much of that as not all scabbards had them, I think)

I wouldn't do anything to the sword itself. It just has a scabbard that is well made but completely wrong for it.

Chris - GSMBristol · Post by **Chris - GSMBristol** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 2:27 pm

I'll echo what Gordon and Lloyd said. I know things have been out of sorts for the creative aspect of your life, but never say never my friend. You are a natural talent when it comes to shaping and creating materials and your wife is as well.

I'm cleaning out my garage this spring to make way for a workshop for the things I want to do. We'll talk about what else I would need to get you and Shan-an a place to play. Not work, but play.

Fire Stryker · Post by **Fire Stryker** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:10 am

Fire Stryker · Post by **Fire Stryker** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 7:51 am

Okay, has anyone heard from Aaron?

I've tried emailing, FBing, PMing, and bumping this thread up to the top. If you live close or speak to him, please tell him that I need for him to contact me.

Thanks.

chef de chambre · Post by **chef de chambre** » Fri Aug 06, 2010 3:00 pm

to keep this from falling off the page.

chef de chambre · Post by **chef de chambre** » Sat Aug 21, 2010 4:22 pm

In Progress - 15th C Scabbard & Hilt Work (lots of pics)

Re: Scabbard construction, part 2

Re: Scabbard construction, part 2

Re: Scabbard construction, part 2

Re: Scabbard construction, part 2

Re: Scabbard construction, part 2