Hi mate,

This was a purely subjective comment on the aesthetic choices you made, not an observation on the historical accuracy of your approach.

The finish of the different components varies quiet a bit (factory looking blade (typical of HT), somehow antique looking hilt and scabbard fittings, brand new dyed leather for the scabbard). Just thought that such an approach might just merge them together a bit more (and hand dyed leather doesn't have to be necessarily less pretty, but let's just say it's a matter of personal taste) That said, I think you did great with the assembly and I like the result such as it is...and you are evidently proud of the result so that's all that matters here...

J

Julien M wrote:

Hi mate, This was a purely subjective comment on the aesthetic choices you made, not an observation on the historical accuracy of your approach.

Thanks for the clarification and thanks for the pointers.
I see what you mean. I did darken the leather since the pictures were taken, perhaps you'll find this result better.
[ Linked Image ]

Also note that digital photos don't depict perfectly how it looks IRL, especially colors and it also gives a smoother look to it than it really has. The scabbard looks dark brown to the eye now, but when I photograph it a tone of almost purple comes out. The best result I get with my camera is with bright natural sunlight, since I don't have a photo studio. But today it's very cloudy so this is the best I can do right now.

Julien M wrote:

The finish of the different components varies quiet a bit (factory looking blade (typical of HT), somehow antique looking hilt and scabbard fittings, brand new dyed leather for the scabbard).

Most historical blades weren't the "Stainless look" mirror finish we see so much of in blades today and that appeals to most modern people's sense of aesthetics, but more of a satin finish. Like say the typical Albion swords. That's why I kept the Tinker/Hanwei satin finish. Personally if it was aesthetics alone I was going for I'd have polished the blade a lot more and I had to hold myself back from doing it at the time.
What makes the hilt pieces seem antique is the niello I added to them. This is a technique used on the original Dybeck sword as reported in the archeological report, but was lost in the conservation process.
Niello is contrast coloring of the recesses in a relief piece, mainly by some form or other of enamel, and was widely used throughout history but mainly sees modern day use in certain types of Asian jewelry.

Julien M wrote:

Just thought that such an approach might just merge them together a bit more (and hand dyed leather doesn't have to be necessarily less pretty, but let's just say it's a matter of personal taste) That said, I think you did great with the assembly and I like the result such as it is...and you are evidently proud of the result so that's all that matters here... J

Thanks! I'll get some more recent pictures up. I just realised when I took these it wasn't finished and some of the things you talk about I'd already changed, so I was looking at the sword at home going, what's he talking about, I already did that?. ;)

I guess Peter Jonsson would be a better person to ask?
I asked Peter the same question at this sword demo he did years ago at Tekniska Museet in Stockholm since all his swords except the Sture were all satin finish and I expected more of a mirror finish from top end swords like these. He said something like they're not that way out of neglect of polish but for authenticity.
I've heard the same from "Tod" at Todsstuff too. Not that there weren't any highly polished ones ever made but just that normally they weren't. It never occurred to me to second guess their research, both have studied the topic of historical blades far more than I.

I've seen plenty of other high quality modern made swords have the same satin finish, if there is evidence of the finish bveing this way it would explain it. I mean, it's not that it's all that hard to polish them more.
My Dads' Swedish cavalry saber has the same satin finish, but it's "modern" from the 1800s and may not have any relevance to earlier times. My antique Russian marine saber from 1850 is mirror polished now, but that was because I polished it. Before that it had a fine milky finish, it got really rusty and I had to choose between letting it rust more or fix it up. Fixing it up may have de-evaluated it some though.

Hi Johann,
I was wondering if you could share some of your techniques for polishing and cleaning up the Mercia Sveiter pieces, I have a some myself but they are unaltered from purchasing and so are very dull with some mould imperfections, How could I go about improving the look?
Thanks in advance,
Nick

Great job Johan, I love the early pre-viking stuff and you've made a fantastic debut!

I'm making a boar crest helm at the moment from the same period - English leaving Angelholm or Angeln or wherever they found themselves in southern Scandinavia before hitting Britain. The really intereting thing is that most northern weapons at that time could have been Geatish,Swedish,Danish,Norse or indeed English; they're all pretty similar.

Must get across the N Sea soon and check out Nydam and Lejre again, meantime I'd love to see anything else you make.

Steve