falcata hafting

[Caius Titius Verus]

Hi there!

I got this really great falcata blade from Mark Morrow. Now I was wondering what sort of hafting material was used?

One often sees bronze at the extremitys combined with wood in the centre. Is there also evidence for hafts completely in bone? Or completely in wood? How were the bronze sections? Was it wood covered in bronze or were it casted bronze parts?

Can anyone help me out?

Best regards and thanks,
Verus

[Ironhand]

Here

[Ironhand]

Another example.

[Ironhand]

Heres a good link for info.

http://www.myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic ... 9&start=60

[Titvs Statilivs Castvs]

Hi there!

I got this really great falcata blade from Mark Morrow. Now I was wondering what sort of hafting material was used?

One often sees bronze at the extremitys combined with wood in the centre. Is there also evidence for hafts completely in bone? Or completely in wood? How were the bronze sections? Was it wood covered in bronze or were it casted bronze parts?

Can anyone help me out?

Best regards and thanks,
Verus

Hey Tom,
Show us a picture!

[Caius Titius Verus]

Thank you guys! These pictures and the info are great!

I'll take a picture this weekend and post it Sander ;-) )

Best regards and thanks again!
Verus

[Virilis]

Mark Morrow made falcata hock: !!! It must be simply LETHAL! I have his spear tip and I could shave with it...

[Ironhand]

I'm intrigued as well.

[Caius Titius Verus]

Hehe yes indeed it is! I can (no joking) cut a sheet of printing paper in half whit it when striking it at the side without even making it wrinkle

Apart from the sharpness, it is a beautifully made blade (as are all done by Mark).

[Virilis]

Hehe yes indeed it is! I can (no joking) cut a sheet of printing paper in half whit it when striking it at the side without even making it wrinkle

Apart from the sharpness, it is a beautifully made blade (as are all done by Mark).

Pics please! I want to order one from Mark too!

[Caius Titius Verus]

Patience ;-) ) I'll post some this weekend, I study in Leuven and only return home (where I keep my reenactment stuff) in the weekends...

[Untilatie]

Hi guys!

First of all, are you talking about a real Falcata, an iberian weapon? (in that case this post must be at "Enemies and allies of Rome"), not the same weapon as Kopis or Machairas (weapons of hellenistic tradition)...

In the case we are really talking about Falcatas, there's no evidence of bronze in the hafting, and the decorations of the handle are made with damascene work silver. The images you posted show silver decorations not bronze ones.

The handle could be done of bone, like this from "El Cigarralejo" (Murcia, southest Spain):



althoug Falcatas could be done too with wood like this made by us:



Hope this helps!

Best regards!

[Caius Titius Verus]

Hi there José,

Thanks for your input! This is very intersting! Yes we are speeking of the genuine falcata with Iberian roots (not the kopis).

Very nice pictures and a truly nice replica! About the replica falcata in the picture, it looks as if the handle isnt entirely made out of wood? The part next to the blade base looks like to be made out of metal? What kind of metal is this? Iron?Steel? Silver?

The one from El Cigarralejo, was there silver or another kind of metal used in the haft or was it completely made out of bone?

What kind of falcata hafting materials/hafts do we have evidence (archeolpgical finds) for? Were there finds of falcatas with compete hafts attached?

Best regards and many thanks!
Verus

[Untilatie]

Hi there, Tom!

In our reconstructed falcata, the metal that is next to the blade base is iron. Falcatas are always made completely with iron (three iron lamina, the central one made with extra carbon, harder than the rest), even the handle, wich is recovered with organic material.

As far as I know, the handle of falcatas are always made with bone or wood, probably depending on the importance and resorces of the owner. Two bronze rivets was used to fix the haftings to the handle, sometimes arranged as eyes of the head of the bird or the horse wich were used to decorate them.

There are not too much archaeological evidences about the haftings, except this exemplar of El Cigarralejo i showed you. The fact that these weapons were deposited in the funeral pyre, makes that organic material dissapeared.

Best Regards!

[john m roberts]

Jose:
That handle looks like antler, not bone. If it is antler, what sort of animal did it come from? It looks too rugged for common deer antler.