I finally finished an project that's been going on for way too long. Started in january and finished yesterday after two months in a really cold workshop on a stable attic. I only have access to it on wedensday evenings a few hours every week so if it had been warmer and better workshop it would have been don in two days...

I've made all the parts myself, the blade was initially ground down with an anglegrinder really carefully to not mess up the steel and then I finished the shaping with a file. Handle was turned from a peice of laburnum wood and the balls shaped with knife and file. I punched the text "ave maria gratia plena" and a cross on the backplate and the front peice was also shaped wit a file from a flat bar of brass.

I'm not really satisfied with the result but being my first dagger I think it's okay. The blade turned out nicer than expected. Unfortunately the handle cracked on the other side which kinda pissed me off a bit. I managed to save it by putting glue in the crack and placing it carefully in a vice. I don't have any stats on it but it's quite comfortable in my hand. Total length is about 50cm. If the crack wouldn't have been there I'd be quite happy with it but I don't think it will take too long until I try to make a new one...

I apologise for the bad quality of the photos, kitchen lighting is not really ideal...

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Eric,

It is beautiful. Wow!

If you get a chance, I would like to know how thick the steel was to begin with and what kind of steel you used. I have made two seaxes from .25 inch ( 0.635 cm) thick 1095 steel, but I would like to make a blade similar to the style you made.

I am impressed by the pommel. I assume that is a brass. What do the letters means?

Well the photography is better than most even if you say it's not that great. :surprised: ;)

Very nice looking knife and if the glue got in deep enough in the crack the handle should be almost as good structurally as if it hadn't cracked I think. :!: :?:

Is it still very visible or just a hairline crack ? An aged original can easily have small cracks that don't substantially weaken the assembly, but I can understand that it's an irritant when the rest of the work looks so accomplished and made by professional maker: If you had named some well known makers as the " maker " we would have believed it. ;) :lol: :cool:

The knife looks beautiful, and lethal, too.

That's a beautiful weapon!

My only negative is that the wooden handle has a very prominent phallic look to it...

But then it is a knife.

That dagger is inspiring.

Thanks for all the kind words! I have made a simple dagger before but that was with an existing blade, this is my first attempt to make a dagger all by myself. I bought a nice pack of old wood that's been dried since late 80's so I'm quite well stocked on handle material at the moment. Only thing I still lack is a nice peice of boxwood. I punched the letters on the backplate with two ground down old screwdrivers. What you don't have you make...

Phillip M, The material was a peice of spring steel and 6x40mm. I don't know what that translates into in inches but I guess it's around 3/8 or something. I had to cut the bar in two halves first and then shape the blade.

Jean, The crack is on the backside in the photos. It reaches almost halfway through the handle and I'm just thankful it didn't go all the way this time. I guess I was a bit careless when I burned out the hole for the tang.

thats beautiful. well done. thx for sharing. i love seeing people's own work like this. very inspirational for us fellow workshop hackers. I really like the punch work you did on the brass. tr

I would hate for your first piece to be put next to mine - it would be far too embarrasing, so please don't use words like 'OK'.

That is a really nice piece for anyone to have made - professional or amatuer so really well done.

Tod

That's gorgeous, Eric! I'm a little bit distracted by that hand-stitched jack behind it, though. :D

Thom, I like sharing stuff! If something I made helps someone else to achive success in their craft I'm twice as happy!

Tod, very kind words since your stuff have been the main inspiration for me to make one myself. Much appreciated!

Sean; Thanks a lot! I promise to take more pictures of it when it's done. At the moment it still lacks the arms. It's made from four layers of linen cloth, two outer and two inner and raw cotton felt in between. All quilted down by hand. It's not really a jack, more of a gambeson.

Phillip M, Sorry, forgot to name the steel. I don't know if it has any international description, here it sells as SS2090 which is basically a quite strong spring steel.

I'll try to finish the sheath for the dagger soon and update with more pictures!

Thanks for the support all!

/Eric

Jean, thank you for your kind words! The respones you guys have given me have surely encouraged me to try new projects as soon as time allows it. I have two old spearheads that used to have welded on sockets that broke so I have been thinking of making something out of them too. And I still have that big Del tin blade lying in the workshop that needs a bit of attention.

Once again, thanks guys!

Eric the dagger looks sweet indeed - I'd be very proud of it had I made as fine a thing as that
Henry the phallic look is where it gets its name - a Ballock Dagger

Eric,

The work is gorgeous, I would be happy to own that dagger. As for the crack, if you managed to close it to the point that it isn't visible, don't worry about it. Modern wood glues will make a join that is actually stronger than the wood.

Time for some serious thrusting, yes? :p