Hello myArmoury community,
I'd like to share my recently completed Albion Jarl viking style scabbard. I don't get as many Viking style scabbard orders, so when the opportunity comes up I really enjoy the process, as it is a very unique style & look.
This one features a handmade strap bridge, handmade chape, custom designed leather tooling, and tan coloring with some gentle aging. For this particular order, no baldric was made.
Comments & question's are welcome, and thank you for looking!
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Awesome as always Brian! I really like the Thor's Hammer motif. The tooling of the leather is really superb!
Tim Lison wrote: |
Awesome as always Brian! I really like the Thor's Hammer motif. The tooling of the leather is really superb! |
Thanks Tim! It's my most extensive tooling yet. Nothing has took my longer to this point, it was quite a journey.
A couple more images to share:
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You never cease to bring a new creativity to your work. Constant artistic innovation is a difficult thing to accomplish. You've done well.
Outstanding Brian :cool: Viking Motif Tooling is Amazing ~ TYR is smiling down at you ~
Dumb question: Is the wooden belt loop there historically accurate? I've been seeing those here and there on the net and assuming them to be artistic license.
Colt Reeves wrote: |
Dumb question: Is the wooden belt loop there historically accurate? I've been seeing those here and there on the net and assuming them to be artistic license. |
Hi Colt. Good question, and actually yes it is a historically accurate feature of some early Viking scabbard's. It is commonly referred to as a strap bridge, and is used as a holding place to slip the baldric through so that the scabbard can hang from the baldric while suspended from the wearer. The artistic license only comes in to play with the design of the bridge :cool: Historically, this might have been more symbolic to the wearer, or 'clan' per say, and may have represented something very significant.
Brian,
I haven't commented in a while as always great but also some got a little too complex for my taste. This one gets my vote for #1 - overall not too complicated but locally superb.
Thanks for yours/Colt's bridge comment, didn't know that. Another dumb question - other than hammer, are the "culicues" taken from something old or what led to that design? (Can take that as a general question about design-for-tooling for your scabbards if desired.) Well Done (!) regardless, thank you Very Much for sharing here.
Carl
I haven't commented in a while as always great but also some got a little too complex for my taste. This one gets my vote for #1 - overall not too complicated but locally superb.
Thanks for yours/Colt's bridge comment, didn't know that. Another dumb question - other than hammer, are the "culicues" taken from something old or what led to that design? (Can take that as a general question about design-for-tooling for your scabbards if desired.) Well Done (!) regardless, thank you Very Much for sharing here.
Carl
Carl W. wrote: |
Brian,
I haven't commented in a while as always great but also some got a little too complex for my taste. This one gets my vote for #1 - overall not too complicated but locally superb. Thanks for yours/Colt's bridge comment, didn't know that. Another dumb question - other than hammer, are the "culicues" taken from something old or what led to that design? (Can take that as a general question about design-for-tooling for your scabbards if desired.) Well Done (!) regardless, thank you Very Much for sharing here. Carl |
Thanks Carl. Not sure what the "culicues" are, but the over all design is more celtic than anything, with a bit of jelling style influence. Unless I'm given (or I can find) specific design material, I try to research within the means that I have, and come up with a design that work's best within the design criteria, and also within my own capabilities.
I took delivery of this scabbard today. Being local to Brian, I've probably seen more DBK scabbards in person than anyone else outside of his family. While the craftsmanship of all that I've seen has been outstanding, this one really, really rocks my world. I supplied Brian with the motifs of the Läby hammer and Jelling dragons, asked for a baldric suspension, and left the implementation entirely up to him. The cliche 'pictures don't do it justice' is completely accurate in this case. I am pleased beyond words with what Brian came up with.
-Keith
-Keith
Brian, your work never ceases to leave me boggled. as ever, superb.... ( we might have to start calling these sort of works "average" soon, as you're pushing the standard up way beyond mere mortals' work with so many fantastic peices. :) )
Having tried to make a couple of bits over the years, I wish I knew what sort of leather you use for the scabbards, to get such amazingly crisp tooling. I'm envious of it!
But, envy and acclaim aside, what I'd like to ask is, what sort of wood is the strap bridge, as its a really lovely timber, and a fairly dark wood? Looks beautiful.
Having tried to make a couple of bits over the years, I wish I knew what sort of leather you use for the scabbards, to get such amazingly crisp tooling. I'm envious of it!
But, envy and acclaim aside, what I'd like to ask is, what sort of wood is the strap bridge, as its a really lovely timber, and a fairly dark wood? Looks beautiful.
JG Elmslie wrote: |
Brian, your work never ceases to leave me boggled. as ever, superb.... ( we might have to start calling these sort of works "average" soon, as you're pushing the standard up way beyond mere mortals' work with so many fantastic peices. :) )
Having tried to make a couple of bits over the years, I wish I knew what sort of leather you use for the scabbards, to get such amazingly crisp tooling. I'm envious of it! But, envy and acclaim aside, what I'd like to ask is, what sort of wood is the strap bridge, as its a really lovely timber, and a fairly dark wood? Looks beautiful. |
First off, thank you.
Second, I use premium oak tanned leather of the highest grade on all of my scabbards. It's top grain, and top price, but the results are worth it.
Third, the strap bridge is walnut, darkened with antiquing gel and brought to life with a tung oil, buffed to look aged.
Thanks again.
Brian K. wrote: |
Third, the strap bridge is walnut, darkened with antiquing gel and brought to life with a tung oil, buffed to look aged. |
Ahh. thanks. it certainly does look rather spectacular, and I was trying to work out was it yew? no, not yellow enough... linden? that's white... Oak? no, the sheen is'nt right, and so on... it'd have bugged me for ages.
Normally, the little historical fascist in me would wonder if the tung oil and walnut is appropriate for northern europe in the 8th C, as its mostly a southern european wood, and a far eastern oil.... but when it looks that good, I'm too busy drooling to care.... :)
Brian K. wrote: |
Second, I use premium oak tanned leather of the highest grade on all of my scabbards. It's top grain, and top price, but the results are worth it. |
I've poked around with leathers a bit over the years, used fairly high grade vegetan calf and sheepskin for various purposes, but what amazes me more than the finish of the grain is that the tooling you're getting is just so sharp and deep, given the thickness of leather - its the sort of sharpness I'd expect from tooling in good quality 3-4mm thick leather, not (that I imagine/expect) 1-1.5mm thick at absolute max.
mind-boggling, as I say.
If I don't have access to actual documentation, or historical reference of exact specification I generally look at plausibility when I'm being artistic, and as such stranger things have happened than a piece of walnut showing up in Northern Europe ;) though it did cross my mind. Materials of all sorts have been moving around the 'old' world in all different ways for thousands of years. Why not? Ultimately, it does look good though, as you said.
I generally use a slightly thicker leather than most think would be used for such application, as I get better tooling results. I've also used thinner depending on the application. It's all part of the process of planning out each scabbard as an individual project.
I generally use a slightly thicker leather than most think would be used for such application, as I get better tooling results. I've also used thinner depending on the application. It's all part of the process of planning out each scabbard as an individual project.
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