[Leo Todeschini]

I have been very busy for a long time working on a project for English Heritage/Dover Castle and this has slowed my production right down; that is now over and I can start making stock items and commissions again which I feel really good about and these are the first few pieces.

For the record Dover Castle keep was built in 1180-1186 and EH have decorated and fitted out about 8 rooms as they would have been at the time (as best they can tell) and very little expense was spared to get it right. I will post up a full record of the Dover job which I personally found fascinating and rewarding and was thrilled to be a part of, at some time in the future but if you are over in the UK and are interested in this period it should be on your 'must see list'.

Anyway here are 3 daggers. The Wallace A732 inspired dagger has ebony handles and solid sterling silver fittings. The blade is 13 1/2" long, 1" wide and 1/4" thick, with very little distal until the last 3" or so. The byknife and pricker seem massive for their function but that is pretty much as they were. Interestingly the two studs on the byknife and pricker are on one side only and are to help draw out the pieces from the scabbard and as Nathan R observed in another thread a few months back, the construction of these scabbards is specifically that the main blade 'locks in' the secondary blades.

The black handled dagger is a custom piece outlined by the customer and was designed to sit alongside and Albion Munich sword. The fittings are steel and the handle is horn. The handle is based on one shown on the front of Logans book 'Daggers and Bayonets'. The handle is longer than I would normally fit but was to specification at 4 3/4" long and the blade about 11 1/2"

The wood handled dagger I made at the same time and is a stock piece for me, it has a shorter box wood handle, again to a similar form.

The last piece shown is a spanning belt for lighter crossbows. It is made in 1/8" thick vegtan with all joints sewn and glued, the belt fittings are all hand forged. It is very comfy and strong enough for the job. I made two, one for a customer and one for stock.

I hope you like the pieces and I smiling so wide because I can start making again now........Just off to finish off a big crossbow - hurrah

Tod

[Martin Francis]

Very very pretty; my wallet is tingling again........

Time for the East Anglian "multitool" idea to be resurrected perhaps....

Martin

[Jo Thomas]

Very nice, Tod!

And if you've been working on Dover Castle, I suspect you've run into my "forge master" Bob Oakes, who's kind enough to be teaching me some blacksmithing and let me try to kill myself with his forge. He and his lads sub-contracted to the cabinet-makers ("to the Queen") and are responsible, amongst other things, for the several dragons' heads. If anyone's interested, Bob put some photos here.

There's some damn good stuff gone in, so well done for your part in that, Tod, too!

[Russ Ellis]

Oddly enough it was just yesterday (or perhaps the day before) that I hit your site Tod, wondering if by chance you had posted anything new. I know you typically don't but hope springs eternal. I tune in today and look what you've done. Beautiful work as always.

[Joe Fults]

As is always the case, some very interesting pieces in that mix.

[Leo Todeschini]

Thanks for the positive comments and they are always welcome.

[Russ Ellis]