"Gotland"style battle knife -- myArmoury.com

Ladoga S · Posted: Mon 26 Mar, 2007 11:16 am Post subject: "Gotland"style battle knife

Hello my dear new friends:-) I'd like to inroduce my self. I am a person which is deepely involved in early medieval russian culture and all knowledge about Russ Warriors (Varyegs)
I recently purchased this knife from Grzegorz Kulig (http://www.thorkil.ovh.org/indexang.htm), a fantastic craftsman of early medieval style knives and equipment . The blade was hand forged by Bert ( Robert Kapusta) but the rest was made by Thorki( Grzegorz). Its a beautiful exapmle of early medieval "battle knives" in Eastern European style. My example was based on Gotland and Russian founds ( see the picture belowe) but style of leather straps was my own project which is based on viking scabard examples ( because in my opinion it was not just a knife it was a perfect weapon). As well my vison is connected with eastern style belts from the same period. Special belt rings was a fantastic resolution for this kind of hanging style (belt was made by Grzegorz as well and it based on Birka founds(Bj716)

Lafayette C Curtis · Posted: Tue 27 Mar, 2007 9:45 am Post subject:

Great knife--though I would have preferred a rather rougher finish on the blade...

Jack Yang · Posted: Tue 27 Mar, 2007 10:03 am Post subject:

Whoo pretty...
does the hilt go into the sheath..? That interesting... lol sorry i dont know much about early russian warfare, it'd be nice if you post some more topics on russian warriors, I would be much more enlightened. =D

Ville Vinje · Posted: Tue 27 Mar, 2007 4:00 pm Post subject:

Sweden is full of seaxes with this type of sheaths. There are findings from gotland, Birka, valsgärde and Vendel.

This type of weapon is found in swedish graves from late migration era to early viking age. I am no expert but I would say that this type of seax is not russian but swedish, and mainly from the areas around lake mälaren.

It is a beautiful knife, and the reconstruction looks great.

Martin Wallgren · Posted: Tue 27 Mar, 2007 4:10 pm Post subject:

John Cooksey · Posted: Tue 27 Mar, 2007 6:24 pm Post subject:

Kerim Mamedov · Posted: Tue 27 Mar, 2007 10:12 pm Post subject:

"Sweden is full of seaxes with this type of sheaths"

well, that's not surprise, waregs (wariagi) are just norsmens, word "Russia" "Ross" "Rus" have, in my opinion, a Swedish (or other norman) origin.

Ladoga S · Posted: Wed 28 Mar, 2007 12:39 am Post subject:

Thank you guys for your kind answers:-) Knifes of this type was quite popular in eastern parts of Europe and Scandinavia as well. For me it was like a second weapon after sword ,which is always with you. We have like 10-20 famous examples from Birka, Gotland or Gnezdovo they looks a little bit diffrent but its still the same style so very characteristic for Russ ( Swedish )Traders and Warriors. Right now my blade is made just from hand forged steel but in the future ( I hope) it will be damascus. My regards and best wishes for "Sverige" and "East" team :-)

Nick Trueman · Posted: Wed 28 Mar, 2007 3:37 am Post subject:

Very Nice!

I think that style of knife/sheath was popular all around the Baltic, Gotland being one place where they where quite prolific.
I have never seen any Norman, Danish or Norwegian examples?
The belt is either a traded or copied style of the nomadic military rank belt. Probably Hungarian or khazar.

Cheers

Nick

Nick Trueman · Posted: Wed 28 Mar, 2007 3:41 am Post subject:

Yes here they are? I cant see yours to clearly but I think this is the original belt.

Lafayette C Curtis · Posted: Wed 28 Mar, 2007 8:37 am Post subject:

Ladoga S · Posted: Wed 28 Mar, 2007 10:19 am Post subject:

Nick my belt was based on B716 :-) which was found in Birka. So bulls eye:-) It was Khazarian more than Hungarian ( its slightly different than magyar examples different kind of flowers and plants:-) )

Kerim Mamedov · Posted: Wed 28 Mar, 2007 1:24 pm Post subject:

Are you sure there was any of this knifes make of damascent steel?
I mean real damast, not a jiver. You probably will have some problem with real damast (wootz is out of market for about 200 ears Happy

) but if you buy this knife in Poland, you will be interested with this link

http://www.allegro.pl/item168093437_dzambia_d..._1_zl.html
(can I place this link? it's auction, but long time ower)

this auction is ower, but I think guy produces this blades, - there was other blades from this man, with same fantastic pattern, but modern shape

Kerim Mamedov · Posted: Wed 28 Mar, 2007 1:38 pm Post subject:

I just take a look on a Torkil's site.
Are you shure you want "damast"? He makes wonderful acided (kislotrafaret? kak shelkotrafaret) designs.

Ladoga S · Posted: Wed 28 Mar, 2007 3:00 pm Post subject:

Kerim ofcourse "jiver" but I am not sure if all people understand the difference between ( but "Damast" its more easy to understand) :-) Jiver is typical for early medieval Europe . Damast need special kind of steel (different material) so in my opinion its unbelievable to make this kind of blade in Europe in now days

Ladoga S · Posted: Wed 28 Mar, 2007 3:08 pm Post subject:

Acided????? hmmmm please can you explain. Like I mention before my blade was made by someone different(Bert) not by Thorkil. And my apologise i should call that kind of steel pattern welded :-(

Grzegorz Kulig · Industry Professional

Martin Wallgren · Posted: Wed 28 Mar, 2007 3:14 pm Post subject:

Kerim Mamedov · Posted: Wed 28 Mar, 2007 5:17 pm Post subject:

Well Grzesiu (jeśli można Happy

) all what I was saying, that for this kind of knife drawings fit more than jiver, IMHO.
I noticed that some of a blades are made by other peoples from other countries, it shows that you work with a best people all over Europe, but for me as a "consument" they still are "Torkiel's blades" - they are on your site, and I'm just a consument and think in specific way Happy

But let's return to the point - the question is - what kind of a blade will be more fiting for this design: damast/jiver or patern with slovian/skandinavian drawing?
My point is to drawing. (hoever makes it)

And BTW, Torkiel, in polish wersion of a site it's more info about knifes.

Kerim Mamedov · Posted: Wed 28 Mar, 2007 5:24 pm Post subject:

Acided????? hmmmm please can you explain....

You say that next one will be damast, so I understand that you are going to buy next knife?
And next one will be damast blade. right?
So, I take a look on a side, and find that there are great skandinawian drawings on some blades, made using acid
(I don't now how it will be in english, only in Polish or Rusian)
It seems to me, that that wariag knife will look beter with drawings on a blde,
rather than damast blade without any pattern.