Inlay on spines?
I have a seax made by Tod inspired by broken-back examples of the period 1000-1100. I requested that he execute some sort of inlay on the spine (top) of the blade. He placed an attractive copper and silver alternating twist anlong much of the spines length.

I was aware when I elected for this detail that there was little or no historical evidence during this period.

Does anyone know of ANY historical pieces featuring this, regardless of period?


Last edited by Jeremy V. Krause on Tue 02 Nov, 2010 3:55 pm; edited 1 time in total
Well, I guess folks hanen't seen such an animal. If anyone happens across a photo please post it here as I would really appreciate it!

Thanks!
Hi jeremy,
have you had a look at the Sword of Beganoth? It has alternatng twisted inlay similar to what you describe along part of it's ridge. You can Wiki it for photos, but the best pictures I've seen of it are from a fellow SCAdian "Pilotkitten" on Flickr.
She's got this amazing collection of up close photos of artefacts from a wide range of europeean museums, including British Museum, which houses the Sword (Scramaseax) of Beganoth.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25639089@N08/242...857838936/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25639089@N08/242...857838936/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25639089@N08/242...857838936/


Here's the entire photobook of europeean museums if you want to search them too:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25639089@N08/col...641436606/
Johan Gemvik wrote:
Hi jeremy,
have you had a look at the Sword of Beganoth? It has alternatng twisted inlay similar to what you describe along part of it's ridge. You can Wiki it for photos, but the best pictures I've seen of it are from a fellow SCAdian "Pilotkitten" on Flickr.
She's got this amazing collection of up close photos of artefacts from a wide range of europeean museums, including British Museum, which houses the Sword (Scramaseax) of Beganoth.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25639089@N08/242...857838936/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25639089@N08/242...857838936/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25639089@N08/242...857838936/


Here's the entire photobook of europeean museums if you want to search them too:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25639089@N08/col...641436606/


That's great Johan,

You do mean the top/surface of the spine right? I assume you do- I'm just checking. I can't see any shots showing this area but that is really cool if this is true.
Sorry, no, not the top of the spine but the side. I misunderstood you without a picture of your seax.

Still, look at the Beganoth 3/4 to the right and you see a zig-zag pattern. So patterns like these existed on historical seaxes. If not exactly the same at least it's possible a knifemaker could put similar designs over the spine.
Johan Gemvik wrote:
Sorry, no, not the top of the spine but the side. I misunderstood you without a picture of your seax.

Still, look at the Beganoth 3/4 to the right and you see a zig-zag pattern. So patterns like these existed on historical seaxes. If not exactly the same at least it's possible a knifemaker could put similar designs over the spine.


Hi Johan,

My seax and a review can be found here:

http://www.myArmoury.com/review_tod_inlayseax.html
Johan Gemvik wrote:
Sorry, no, not the top of the spine but the side. I misunderstood you without a picture of your seax.

Still, look at the Beganoth 3/4 to the right and you see a zig-zag pattern. So patterns like these existed on historical seaxes. If not exactly the same at least it's possible a knifemaker could put similar designs over the spine.


Hey Johan...

It is interesting to me that you misunderstood, because the Beganoth Sword is the only sax that I have seen with any kind of inlay on the spine... It is not the zig-zag of twisted wire but simple lines transverse across the spine.

So even if you misunderstood you may have been right :eek: ;)


take care

ks


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LSAX.L81bl64.BeagnothInscrip.ThR.BatterseaLondon.900Front.BM.Jz.jpg
Battersea Sword Preserved in the British Museum
I should have known you'd come through Kirk! You have all the best pics!!
Great save Kirk!
If i'd only kept my mouth shut I could have pulled it off. :D

The truth is that I've only seen pictures of the Beganoth and most don't show the spine decoration so I hadn't noticed it.
As I'm currently making a reproduction of that same Seax I'm very happy to know more details about it to add. Many thanks!

That brings up another thing, what does it look like on the other side? Has anyone got pictures of that?
Jeremy V. Krause wrote:
I should have known you'd come through Kirk! You have all the best pics!!



Or more correctly "I steal the best pictures..." :eek:

I believe that this in one of Jeroen Zuiderwijk excellent museum pictures. He is fantastic at capturing museum images without glare and with great resolution... and he knows how to get above, below, along the sides and even occasionally behind the finds to give excellent perspective...

The image I posted is just such a case of seeing from a different angle.


I think it is a detail crop from a larger image with a little photoshop tweaking to see the detail... After I photoshopped the image it appears that the wires in the transverse inlays are also twisted copper and silver wire.

(If you have not visited Jeroen Zuiderwijk's museum image archives linked in his signature... you are really missing out).


take care

ks


Last edited by Kirk Lee Spencer on Sat 06 Nov, 2010 8:44 pm; edited 2 times in total
Johan Gemvik wrote:
Great save Kirk!
If i'd only kept my mouth shut I could have pulled it off. :D

The truth is that I've only seen pictures of the Beganoth and most don't show the spine decoration so I hadn't noticed it.
As I'm currently making a reproduction of that same Seax I'm very happy to know more details about it to add. Many thanks!

That brings up another thing, what does it look like on the other side? Has anyone got pictures of that?


Johan Gemvik wrote:

...As I'm currently making a reproduction of that same Seax I'm very happy to know more details about it to add. Many thanks!

That brings up another thing, what does it look like on the other side? Has anyone got pictures of that?


Hey Johan...

Glad I could be of service :D

Here is the only picture I have showing both sides of the big Battersea Seax... I also attached a little closer view of the design...

Hope it helps,

take care

ks


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LSAX.L81bl64.BeagnothInscri.jpg


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