some tools

[dave budd]

I've been busy making some ironwork for a member over on Kelticos IA forum and some more tools for an Anglo Saxon woodworker I also know. Here are the fruits of my labours wink:





the bottom set of tools are based on examples from the Mastermyr find, so although definitely not IA most of the tools have some IA or Roman relatives *smile*

The domestic iron ware (forks, chain and hook) are mild steel but the rest are spring/tool steel. So they all look right, have been made in the correct way (ie forged not ground from flat stock *evil* ) but will hold an edge like my modern tools will!

A welcome distraction from the work that I should have been doing!

does anybody know of examples of Roman (or IA) fleshing knives for hideworking? I don't think they exist but I've been asked to make one and apparently there is an example of a greek tool depicted in Pompeii, though I can't find any trace of it.

[john m roberts]

Great work, Dave. What are the two tools on the left in the bottom picture? My guess is some sort of gouge but the other end looks like something you could stick people with.

[dave budd]

cheers John the tools are spoon augers. They drill equally well into end and side grain of wood and a modified version used to be used to hollow out clogs. The other tools in the bottom are chisels, swan neck gouge and a type of scorp (curved drawknife thing to hollow out forms like bowls and seats).

[Robert]

I have a good picture of a cobbles/shoemakers knife used to cut leather from Xanten. Wanted to forge one of those one day, but presently am too busy forging a langsax and some stuff to show at the Romeinen festival in June here in Holland. Would that be of any use?

[Medicus matt]

does anybody know of examples of Roman (or IA) fleshing knives for hideworking? I don't think they exist but I've been asked to make one and apparently there is an example of a greek tool depicted in Pompeii, though I can't find any trace of it.

The tools found in the tannery at Pompeii are described by Augsut Mau :-

One was a knife, of bronze, with a charred wooden handle on the back of the blade;
two were scraping irons, with a handle on each end; and there was another iron tool with a crescent-shaped blade.

The scraping irons sound like fleshing knives and the last one sounds like the sort of crescent knife that's still used by leather workers today (I've got one and it's a bloody..sometimes literally..menace).

I think I've got some pics of them at home from the museum in Naples. Will have a look this evening.

[M. Demetrius]

When making a curved tool like that "sickle" blade, how much does the blade blank tend to try to straighten while forging the cutting edge? Seems like it would. I will need to make one of these in a month or two, so I'm curious ahead of time.

[Robert]

I believe the best way to make a sickle blade is to use a sufficiently thick piece of stock with about 1.5 to 2 times of the thickness of the back of the blade you want. First make the edge, repeatedly straightening the blade. Then with the blade straight, you thin the back by compressing it, the back stretches and curves and hey presto, a sickle is born.

Have fun!

[M. Demetrius]

Hey, that just might work! I was thinking of curving the bar first, more than the radius I wanted, then forge the blade, and expecting it to straighten some. Hmm. I like the way you suggest more.

[Robert]

It works, believe me, I'm a part-time blacksmith :lol: I tried this when experimenting with making a broken-back seax. Pre-ending the bar causes stress and in the end, you will still have straightened it. It's OK to bend the bar, though, it saves you having to straighten the blade when forging the edge. Another tip: use a round faced wooden mallet! Only when straightening and getting the blade nice and flat, but it works very well. There is far less marring, you can even tap the edge to bend the bar back. And no, the contact of a series of blows is too short to set the mallet allight.