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Forum Index > Historical Arms Talk > Showing off: A dirk for a MacGregorDIY Project Reply to topic
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Henrik Bjoern Boegh




Location: Agder, Norway
Joined: 03 Mar 2004

Posts: 386

PostPosted: Mon 06 Dec, 2010 5:25 pm    Post subject: Showing off: A dirk for a MacGregor         Reply with quote

Hi all,

I made a dirk for a friend of mine in my living history group. He is a MacGregor, so naturally I had to add some Gregarach symbolism. He suplied me with a blade and some lovely bog oak.

Early in the process the oak started splitting so I did all the work with a knife (apart from the tang hole).
So it's got two different types of braids. The typical three ply braid and one that's a two ply going through circles (seen on two dirks in the NMoS). The haunches has the typical three pointed knot. The haunches are wider at the back of the dirk then on the edge side to help give better control of the edge of the blade. The back side of the blade feature a twist that suits the S-shaped gimping on the back of the blade.
The pommel plate is a brass disc with an inscription reading "Draw me not in anger nor replace me without honour" (rather ironic that one). The pommel nut is a circular cross with small file marks too look like Scots pine, the MacGregor clan plant.
The blade features a long false edge and two inscriptions: "Bas agus buaidh" (Death or/before/and Victory) one of the Gregarach mottos and on the other side "Ard Choille", the Gregarach war cry.
The scabbard is tooled with celtic knotwork to fit the styles on the hilt and has a brass tip with some lines and some file work. It's preassure fitted, basically a piece of brass wrapped around the end of the scabbard with a stitch going through punched holes.
The belt loop is fitted with a brass ring so that the scabbard dances lightly around when you're walking or running instead of getting in the way.
The wood was treated with soaking in linseed oil and finished with a few coats of Danish oil. The scabbard was dyed brown and tan and finshed with black shoe polish to get the tooling to stand out a bit more and get the leather a bit darker to suit the hilt.

The owner of the dirk has huuuuge hands so the hilt also became huge. Blade length is about 13-13 1/2" and the hilt is around 5 1/2".









Cheers,
Henrik

Constant and true.


Last edited by Henrik Bjoern Boegh on Tue 07 Dec, 2010 7:13 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Michal Plezia
Industry Professional



Location: Poland
Joined: 07 Oct 2005
Likes: 2 pages
Reading list: 1 book

Posts: 585

PostPosted: Tue 07 Dec, 2010 4:00 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Nice work Happy
www.elchon.com

Polish Guild of Knifemakers

The sword is a weapon for killing, the art of the sword is the art of killing. No matter what fancy words you use or what titles you put to
it that is the only truth.
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Lin Robinson




Location: NC
Joined: 15 Jun 2006
Likes: 6 pages
Reading list: 6 books

Posts: 1,241

PostPosted: Tue 07 Dec, 2010 4:50 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Henrik...

Very nicely done. You have genuine talent.

Lin Robinson

"The best thing in life is to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women." Conan the Barbarian, 1982
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Christopher Gregg




Location: Louisville, KY
Joined: 14 Nov 2007
Reading list: 2 books

Posts: 675

PostPosted: Tue 07 Dec, 2010 8:16 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Henrik, looks awesome! Perhaps someday you can make me one like this Cool

Happy Holidays,

Chris

Christopher Gregg

'S Rioghal Mo Dhream!
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Todd Salazar





Joined: 03 Dec 2003
Reading list: 1 book

Posts: 79

PostPosted: Tue 07 Dec, 2010 10:28 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Terrific job, Henrik! Happy

-Todd
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Henrik Bjoern Boegh




Location: Agder, Norway
Joined: 03 Mar 2004

Posts: 386

PostPosted: Tue 07 Dec, 2010 6:00 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Christopher Gregg wrote:
Henrik, looks awesome! Perhaps someday you can make me one like this Cool

Happy Holidays,

Chris

Chris, I kind of figured you'd like this one Wink

Thanks for the comments, guys!

Cheers,
Henrik

Constant and true.
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Greg Thomas Obach
Industry Professional



Location: Elliot lake
Joined: 17 Dec 2003

Posts: 59

PostPosted: Wed 08 Dec, 2010 7:55 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

looks very nice !
good work on the knots

Greg
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Lin Robinson




Location: NC
Joined: 15 Jun 2006
Likes: 6 pages
Reading list: 6 books

Posts: 1,241

PostPosted: Wed 08 Dec, 2010 2:56 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Henrik....

Is that a McDonald Armoury blade?

Lin Robinson

"The best thing in life is to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women." Conan the Barbarian, 1982
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Henrik Bjoern Boegh




Location: Agder, Norway
Joined: 03 Mar 2004

Posts: 386

PostPosted: Thu 09 Dec, 2010 6:09 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Lin Robinson wrote:
Henrik....

Is that a McDonald Armoury blade?


No,not this blade. I'm a bit unsure who made it. It was very black and full of scratches and file marks when I got it from the friend I made it for. It did have a very similar shape to the Hanwei blade, though...
I took off a lot of weight off it with the added false edge and with the gimping...

Cheers,
Henrik

Constant and true.
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Stephen Wheatley




Location: DORSET ENGLAND
Joined: 15 Nov 2008

Posts: 93

PostPosted: Sat 11 Dec, 2010 2:28 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

That is fantastic work as always. I'd love to see you do a bit of stave-church carving (I have some old oak I want to make into a chair - jacobean or dark age??? Ah decisions) I'd love to have a go but have enough unfinished work on my plate without getting started on woodwork! Always assuming I could do it.

To my mind though, the early germanic knotwork is more interesting that Celtic/Gaelic, I know you won't agree - maybe its because our stuff's a bit more representational and the Celtic more ''spiritual''? Will have to ask Mel bloody Gibson! Anyway, we'd all love to see some more examples of your work. Bet you've got a targe or twa on the wall that would photograph well!

Stephen Wheatley
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Chris Goerner




Location: Roanoke, Virginia
Joined: 19 Sep 2004
Likes: 14 pages

Posts: 356

PostPosted: Sat 11 Dec, 2010 4:17 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Henrik,

Awesome work the, my friend. Your work is getting better with every dirk you make -- not that any of your past work needed improving! I am curious if you have Vince Evans' recent book or photo CD on the carving of the dirk. If so, could you share with us how that was helpful?

Keep up the great work!

Chris

Sic Semper Tyranus
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Henrik Bjoern Boegh




Location: Agder, Norway
Joined: 03 Mar 2004

Posts: 386

PostPosted: Sun 12 Dec, 2010 10:07 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Stephen,
Thank you! I'd love to have a go at something like that on say a small knife handle sometime in the future. There are some Norwegian knifes that feature Norse knotwork that are just fantastic and I want to make something of the sort, but I dread trying to make something of the viking period as I feel my ken of that era is tiny.

Chris,
Thanks! I haven't got a copy of the cd or book, but the first dirk I made I looked at the pictures from his picturetrail and they were a great help. My methods, I think, are very different to his as are the tools used. All the carving I do is with a knife, which is a slower process, but the good thing is I can bring the handle and knife with me and carve wherever I go. The next time I make a dirk I'll try to make sure there isn't as an open space between the bands of interlace to get it even closer to the pieces I use as inspiration.

Cheers,
Henrik

Constant and true.
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