Find It Fulham Scabbard Re-Fit - Work In Progress

[sulla felix]

I finally got around to starting this project to make the scabbard for my Fulham a little more authentic. I should point out that in terms of value for money the Find-It Fulham is great, and I figured that a little bit of effort could turn it into something very nice indeed for very little money. The starting point is this:

[sulla felix]

Stripping down the scabbard and discarding the black leather covering, the suspension cross bands and locket and chape brasswork I was left with this:

[sulla felix]

It was originally my intention to salvage this framework and then just add some more authentic locket and chape elements and suspension cross bands, but then I realised that the side guttering is just not that authentic at all. Worse still it changes from ribbed to plain at the locket area!

[sulla felix]

For the locket area of the new scabbard I chose to base the design on the scabbard found in the Porto Novo wreck (see here).

I wanted a scabbard that did not have side guttering for the full length so deceided to end the locket guttering with palmettes. I cut 20mm wide strips from 0.65mm brass and then annealed it ready to form the palmette detail and bend to the scabbard profile. The detail of the palmette was made using a cold chisel (gently!) with the brass backed by two layers of thick leather. One strike with the hammer produces a very clean line.

[sulla felix]

In order to make the decoration for the chape I started off with 1/8" brass round bar, annealed it and flattened the end section to start producing the flowing scroll detail. I then cut the flattened area vertically in two to produce this:

[sulla felix]

Having annealead and hammered the area again making it wider and thinner I cut the ends vertically again to produce this:

[sulla felix]

I continued to anneal and work the brass into the final scroll shapes I wanted. Final detailing on the stem was acheived with files and my trusty cold chisel:

[sulla felix]

The wooden part of the Find-It scabbard is nicely made an I am re-using it in the project. The only other part that has been re-used is the end cap (just what is this called?) which I soldered in place:

[sulla felix]

I then made the small plate at the lower part of the chape and soldered it into place (again the detail is acheived with the cold chisel). I then offered up the central detailing to see how it all looked:

[jvrjenivs]

as ever, very impressive.

[Peroni]

Nice work Baz! Look forward to seeing the completed scabbard!

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Nice work Sulla!
Just one question tho' were there mainz/fulhams wit hte partial guttering on the scabbards? No need for evidence just a yay or nay will do me!

That is pretty nice work, and the pics make what appeared quite a complex undertaking less of a mystery now. Cheers!

[Decimus Aurelius Varus]

This is a good looking scabbard so far. I have the same fulham and need to start working on the scabbard some time. this has inspired me to start. thanks

[sulla felix]

Thanks Jurjen and Ade!

Nice work Sulla!
Just one question tho' were there mainz/fulhams wit hte partial guttering on the scabbards? No need for evidence just a yay or nay will do me!

That is pretty nice work, and the pics make what appeared quite a complex undertaking less of a mystery now. Cheers!

I was hoping that you might be able to tell me (being in possession of the Miks books!). This is clearly not the case with most of the repousse Mainz scabbards, but the "transitional" scabbards (Mainz to Pompeii) are intriguing. The inspiration for the chape design is the Porto Novo gladius which appears not to have "typical" guttering if you look at the cross sectional diagram. The scabbard looks to be very wide for a Pompeii type, and yet it does have the "typical" palmettes that we see on many Pompeii scabbards. There are at least two other scbbards that seem to be of this "transitional" type so I figured it would be nice to have a scabbard that is inspired by them!

Sorry, but a simple yes or no is beyond me :lol:

[sulla felix]

This is a good looking scabbard so far. I have the same fulham and need to start working on the scabbard some time. this has inspired me to start. thanks

Once you take the plunge and strip the old scabbard down it becomes a real incentive to get the thing started/finished! This is currently the only gladius I have so it is even more of an incentive!