greetings everyone.

I've been trying to look up how often Rayskin was used in European swords, and how far back they were used. A while ago I saw a customized Practical Viking sword in which the owner used rayskin on the grip. I know vikings were a sea faring culture, so is it out of the question that they might have used rayskin on their grips?

I'd like to know because I commissioned Scott Byler to make me a viking longsax and I'm very excited about it. I purchased a brown rayskin hide off eBay and I want to use it for the grip wrapping.

The MRL Damascus Leif Erickson sword uses shagreen for the hilt. So far that is the only example I can personally come up with in the repro market. I just wanted to know if using ray skin on a viking scabbard (or seax handle) is heresy.

It seems like it would be out of place, IMO. I have no basis for this statement, though. It just seems a bit odd to me.

Well, I'm just going to see how it turns out. I should be getting a forest green pelt and a brown pelt any day now. I personally like the way shagreen looks on a non Japanese style hilt. But, with two examples for it, and so far no one really expressing any reasoning against it, I guess I'll go with it.

The only definitive thing that can be said is that a european sword of that era has never been found with a grip covering of that type. Since these materials are perishable we really can't say one way or the other. I wouldn't do it but it's your project, and there's no reason why it won't look attractive.