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+--- Thread: A Republican pilum is born: pilum of Castellruf (/showthread.php?tid=22323)
A Republican pilum is born: pilum of Castellruf - tiberius aemilius naso - 10-08-2013
I was very very lucky yesterday: I took an introductory masterclass on forging in Robert Wimmers smithy. It was a wonderful experience, I learned a lot about forging in the traditional way, and I saw all the wonderful pieces Robert has laying around at home (i'm in love with a late 1st c BC sword), i got a beautiful and huge 1st c AD Roman cooking knife, and a small one. And besides learning "Roman" things, i learned a lot about life by talking to Robert! I should call him Master Robert!
This is the product of our hard work (Robert guiding me and and hitting the iron when i couldn't avoid hitting the anvil!), a mid Republican pilum, coming from Castellruf, dating to the end of the 3rd c BC, with a square flange with four wings. The earliest Roman pilum known (and of the same type, it seems, that the ones found in Telamon). Hope you like it.
Starting the flange:
![[Image: cpwd.jpg]](http://imageshack.com/a/img32/9398/cpwd.jpg)
Spreading the iron:
![[Image: qder.jpg]](http://imageshack.com/a/img546/3169/qder.jpg)
Tapering the shaft:
![[Image: z15c.jpg]](http://imageshack.com/a/img20/5986/z15c.jpg)
Robert working the point:
![[Image: 55tn.jpg]](http://imageshack.com/a/img853/7798/55tn.jpg)
Bending the wings:
![[Image: d0xa.jpg]](http://imageshack.com/a/img163/8706/d0xa.jpg)
Really happy with the result:
![[Image: nkzl.jpg]](http://imageshack.com/a/img96/8682/nkzl.jpg)
A finished 3rd c BC Pilum!
![[Image: 5i1z.jpg]](http://imageshack.com/a/img4/7978/5i1z.jpg)
A Republican pilum is born: pilum of Castellruf - Flavivs Aetivs - 10-08-2013
Looks like great work! Reminds me of the Later Spiculum.
A Republican pilum is born: pilum of Castellruf - Robert - 10-09-2013
To some extent, yes, but the Castelruff has a wide flange with bent wings and the shank is a bit shorter, later ones also have a socket instead of the flange. Making a socket is a bit easier compared to the speading of the head of the flange as well. The head indeed is barbed like in the Late Roman period. The barbs on this one early may have been a bit smaller, but it is hard to tell from the archeological data, as the fine points rust away rather quickly, so in the finds the barbs appear blunt.
We certainly had fun making both the small utility knife (to show some techniques) and then getting Edu to do some serious forging. He will make a good blacksmith yet :-) .
A Republican pilum is born: pilum of Castellruf - Vindex - 10-09-2013
It has been almost three years since my blacksmith's course but I still remember the thrill of making something out of an apparently rigid and unyeilding lump of metal and marvelling at how the material changed as it was heated. Very envious of your smithy time
mile:
A Republican pilum is born: pilum of Castellruf - tiberius aemilius naso - 10-09-2013
Quote:the thrill of making something out of an apparently rigid and unyeilding lump of metal and marvelling at how the material changed as it was heated
It is magic, no doubt! If i have the opportunity, i would like to start traveling the forging road! And going back to Robert's some day!
Pictures of the knifes soon.
A Republican pilum is born: pilum of Castellruf - tiberius aemilius naso - 10-10-2013
As promised, my new kitchen knife, by Robert Wimmers:
![[Image: 88vy.jpg]](http://imageshack.us/a/img850/3698/88vy.jpg)
It cuts meat as butter! 1st c AD.
A Republican pilum is born: pilum of Castellruf - richsc - 10-10-2013
Nicely done. I am as interested in the tools etc as the product.
A Republican pilum is born: pilum of Castellruf - Robert - 10-10-2013
Hi, do you mean the tools the Roman blacksmith would have used? There is an article on Roman smithing in this coming edition of Ancient Warfare (by me)!
The tools the blacksmith used are very similar to those still in use today, the main difference is the anvil, which was much smaller and consisted of TWO different anvils, a horned T shaped one with a hole in it to make nails and the blockanvil. We used a charcoal fire to make the pilum, but for lack of a slave I used an electric fan, but for demo's I use the traditional Roman dubble bellows, which get the charcoal fire hot enough to do serious forging. For making the pilum, a larger (Medieval) block anvil was used, but the smaller Roman one would have worked as well. However, as the Roman blacksmith appears working seated on all the iconographic depictions, I thought to teach Edu standing, as that does give beter control and more powerfull hitting to the novice blacksmith.
Curles http://www.curlesnewstead.org.uk/285.htm describes the blacksmith hoard found at Newstead, all tools are immediatly recognisable. I think you will find this of interest!!
On the kitchen knife, this requires a different way of handling, as it is a draw knife, the knife it pulled towards you to cut the sausage or the meat. The curve in the blade allows the sharp to remain in contact with the item cut throughout the entire motion, so the meat or sausage is cut at a single stroke. Edu was totaly surprised at the mechanics of it, works really well, but curved blades like this are more difficult to make, which is why it may have dropped from fashion in later days. On a larger round revolving grindstone, however, it is very easy to get them razor sharp. Original is from Augsburg, Germany, dated 16 AD.