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Leo Todeschini
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PostPosted: Thu 30 Jan, 2014 1:15 pm    Post subject: Tlingit dagger repro by Tods Stuff         Reply with quote

Hi All,

Well this was a strange one for me, but as it was a really interesting piece I leapt at the chance.

This is a Tlingit dagger; a Native American tribe of the Pacific Northwest. These daggers are curious in that they definitely have a front and a back, so the front is decorated and fullered in a complicated fashion and the back is plain.

They had access to silver and copper so these featured in their designs. Originally the blades were copper and when they started to have trade links with Europeans or the Americans they started to use steel for the blades.

This knife is a monster with a 40cm blade. The pommel is made from copper and silver and the 'guard' plate is copper. The inlays are abalone. The tang forms the grip which is then simply wrapped in leather with a leather wrist loop.

I love the multi fullered blade (which was very tricky) and I particularly like the way the pommel looks like a wolf when it is upside down.

I subcontracted out the repousse, but all other work is by me.

I hope you like it.

Tod



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Last edited by Leo Todeschini on Thu 30 Jan, 2014 4:09 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Mark Shier
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PostPosted: Thu 30 Jan, 2014 3:14 pm    Post subject: tlingit dagger         Reply with quote

Very nice.
I don't think I'd call the Tlingit Innuit. North west coast, not Arctic at all.
mark

Gaukler Medieval Wares
http://www.medievalwares.com
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Tim Lison




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PostPosted: Thu 30 Jan, 2014 3:21 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Holy smokes! What a masterpiece. I really like seeing oddballs like this and I can understand why you were excited for this project Tod! The fullers are outstanding. I love the whole thing! Just plain great. No sheath?
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Peter Anderson




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PostPosted: Thu 30 Jan, 2014 3:26 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I'm inclined to agree with Mark here.

As for the blade itself, though,it looks phenomenally crafted, and absolutely gorgeous. Lovely work!
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Leo Todeschini
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PostPosted: Thu 30 Jan, 2014 4:12 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Thanks for the compliments and the correction.

I have now corrected my reference to Tlingit being Inuit.

Apologies

Tod

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Peter Johnsson
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PostPosted: Fri 31 Jan, 2014 1:57 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Tod, I love the work you have done on this!
Beautiful!

Never seen a contemporary version of one of these. To me they seem to be weapons with one leg in reality and the other in myth. Powerful.
Your work also express power.

Bravo!
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Julien M




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PostPosted: Fri 31 Jan, 2014 2:37 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Very uncommon and striking piece Tod. You managed the blade especially well - and I've learned something today as I had never heard of the Tlingit before.

Cheers!

J
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P Ullrich





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PostPosted: Fri 31 Jan, 2014 7:41 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Beautiful! There are early examples of NW coast 'knives' that are stone. Pointy clubs, really.
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Harry Marinakis




PostPosted: Fri 31 Jan, 2014 1:03 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Peter Johnsson wrote:
To me they seem to be weapons with one leg in reality and the other in myth.

Tlingit culture is a matrilineal society, and the totem poles (and other iconography) are heraldic symbols relating to maternal family lineage. In the case of this dagger, the killer whale clan.

Peter Johnsson wrote:
Never seen a contemporary version of one of these

Strangely, you can't find a Tlingit willing to do this kind of work. You'll find some white bladesmiths that make forged copper Tlingit daggers, but in actuality the Tlingit used sharp native copper crystals, not hammered metal, for the early daggers.

Tim Lison wrote:
No sheath?

I'll make the sheath myself, I need the dagger in hand to properly judge the suspension balance. But I may sent it out for the bead work. The Tlingit traded with the Athabascans of the Canadian interior, and often the sheaths were more Athabascan than Tlingit., such as the sheath shown below.

Can't wait to get this baby in my hands.

An extant Tlingit dagger and Athabascan-style sheath:

http://nmai.si.edu/exhibitions/infinityofnati...35601.html
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Owen Bush
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PostPosted: Sat 01 Feb, 2014 1:26 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

This is a great piece of work Tod.
Yet another piece that expresses your talent and versatility (and I'll be honest here, pulling this off takes Balls)
Is the back flat or convex?
Seeing this makes me want to see a "Tod" deep fullered cinquedea with all the trimmings.....
A fine piece Tod.

forging soul into steel .

www.owenbush.co.uk the home of bushfire forge school of smithing .
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Petr Florianek
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PostPosted: Sat 01 Feb, 2014 2:46 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

An extant Tlingit dagger and Athabascan-style sheath:

http://nmai.si.edu/exhibitions/infinityofnati...35601.html[/quote]

This i need to make!
Love western coast culures
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Daniel Wallace




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PostPosted: Sat 01 Feb, 2014 10:02 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

wow, not something you see every day. without your description I would have thought it was a fantasy piece.
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Harry Marinakis




PostPosted: Mon 17 Feb, 2014 10:52 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Wow, I received the dagger today. Photos do not do it justice. It is a magnificent piece of work, thanks Tod!

This beast is the size of small sword! I love it! I'll post photos of the dagger in hand tomorrow to show you how big it is.
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Tim Lison




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PostPosted: Mon 17 Feb, 2014 12:33 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Please be sure to post again when you make the sheath! Also, some in hand photos are always appreciated! Congrats!
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Harry Marinakis




PostPosted: Wed 19 Feb, 2014 8:35 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Here it it. The Tlingit had some big daggers.




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Last edited by Harry Marinakis on Thu 20 Feb, 2014 3:08 am; edited 1 time in total
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Kai Lawson





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PostPosted: Wed 19 Feb, 2014 12:23 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Wow. That dagger also looks pretty thick. I'd imagine that it's a substantial piece--and it looks great!
"And they crossed swords."
--William Goldman, alias S. Morgenstern
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G Ezell
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PostPosted: Wed 19 Feb, 2014 5:22 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I keep coming back to look at this one, I am very happy to see someone making such a fine rendition of these fascinating knives. Well done man.
" I have found that it is very often the case that if you state some absolute rule of history, there will be an example, however extremely unusual, to break it."
Gabriel Lebec

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J. Nicolaysen




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PostPosted: Thu 27 Feb, 2014 6:52 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

This was amazing. Tod, you really captured a strong feeling and made a great object for a compelling culture. I lived in the pacific NW for a while and really enjoyed the arts and crafts of the coastal peoples.

The Wolf/Whale pommel seems very appropriate. It's been a long time since I read his book, but Bill Reid, master artist of the Haida people (very near and somewhat related to Tlingit) wrote of the double-faced quality of a lot of this art. Depending on your perspective, a motif could contain several other motifs, such as eggs containing people or what have you. I think you got this really nicely in the piece. Halfway down this page, under the Style heading, there is a little more info that puts it better.

Makes me miss the museums in Seattle and Vancouver! But I'm really jealous of Harry. Great job picking out a style. I like the sheath in the picture, I was not aware of those connnections. It will be nice to see what you make.
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Chuck D.




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PostPosted: Sun 09 Mar, 2014 6:42 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

As a fellow artist I just have heaps of appreciation for such a fine and carefully rendered piece of work. Bravo!
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Paul Hansen




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PostPosted: Wed 24 Feb, 2021 11:40 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Beautiful design and execution! And a really interesting blade as well. Reminds me of middle bronze age daggers...
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