I recently had the opportunity to make another Gjermundbu helmet reproduction, this time for Mark Griffin. Griff was looking for something that looked hand-made, but neither rough nor mechanically perfect, so I built the helmet you can see below. We have been discussing what sort of finish we could use to improve the contrast between the silver inlay and steel on the brow, and have come to the conclusion that a natural patina from repeated rusting, light cleaning and stabilizing might be best. There must have been techniques for creating contrast between the iron/steel and silver inlay during the Viking Age, because it was a common decorative technique - but does anyone know of evidence that suggests a particular method?

-Hildebrandt

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Have to say I'm really pleased with what Jeff has done, a very nice representation of an oft badly misunderstood and badly copied helmet. It will be good to wear this at work and be able to be a viking with viking helmet, not something from a different era and culture.

The silver inlay was a best guess of course but seemed sensible given other items. If anyone has suggestions to the issue Jeff has raised, do say!

Thanks,

Griff

Finally! This helm is done right! Thank you for posting these, I've looked through countless armourers and your the first one I've seen that stays true to the surviving example.

-Reece

Heat colouration of the steel prior to hammering in the inlay? Possibly just heat colouration of the spectacle section prior to assembling the whole helmet? Then you'd have a contrast with the silver inlay and also a contrast with the rest of the helmet.

Or it may just be that the polishing process (sand and lard followed by ash and oil?) achieved a mirror finish on the silver but not the iron, providing a contrast that way?

Lovely, lovely work.

Reece, Glad you like it, it was my intention to do a decent representation of the helmet after I'd been asked to do some Viking interpretation for the first time and after looking around, wasn't impressed at all. There were very few other armourers who made anything coming close and Jeff was the only person who could a) do it in the approx time i had and b) showed an interest in discussing it and re-appraising what evidence there was.

Mathew, If i haven't mentioned it, the silver is a guess. The incised lines don't have any evidence of inlay I'm aware of but thought there should be something. Copper was a bit low status and silver seemed right. I consider Gold a bit vulgar and doesn't go with my eyes :-). If I'd have realised the issues the silver was going to give us I'd have gone with the copper in hindsight though......

and if I knew it was going to be this much hassle I'd have got that $80 version off ebay...... ;-)

Acid etching? Tannic acid, acetic acid, urine all mentioned in The Sword in Anglo-Saxon England: Its Archaeology and Literature by Hilda Ellis Davidson and could be applied after the helmet has been assembled.

Wonderful looking helmet. I am in the market for starting a commission for one but this is an area i have no idea where to have it made.