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Sean Flynt




Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Joined: 21 Aug 2003
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PostPosted: Mon 03 Aug, 2020 6:38 am    Post subject: DIY Rondel Dagger         Reply with quote

Rondel daggers have great appeal for me. There's tremendous variety, and that design lattitude is helpful to anyone wishing to make one. The one I finished this week has no particular historical reference. It's a little too broad and large to have an exact match, though if I had to guess I'd say it's closest to some German double-edged types of the early 16th c. I've taken notes from different periods, cultures and forms to create a modern design.

The blade is the $15 USD Atlanta Cutlery Arkansas Toothpick I've used in several projects. https://www.atlantacutlery.com/arkansas-toothpick-blade-12
It's a great blade. I wish Windlass would triple the length and give us a full-size Type XVIII bare sword blade for $50!

My project, with trimmed tang, is 16" overall and 1.75" wide at the base of the blade. The grip is of rounded quadrangular section with leather wrap. As far as I know, that wrap is an unusual treatment for a dagger grip. Historically, rondel dagger grips show enormous variety of materials, shaping and decoration, but I haven't seen many that were wrapped like this. I think it's likely that some were, because it proved practical for swords. This dagger is fit to my hand, so when I grip it the edges of my fist are tight against the rondels.

The rondels are shaped from mild-steel flat stock. I decided to leave the evidence of the hot work on these--hammer and file marks, high and low spots, discoloration, etc.--because I like the contrast of those rough bits with the overall modern look of the piece. I made the lower rondel oval to cover the width of the blade without extending far out over the flats. A truly round rondel wouldn't look terrible, but it would be huge and would have to be cut from stock I don't have on hand.

I'm undecided on a sheath--whether or not to make one and what to make if I proceed. The rondel dagger sheath shown in the image at bottom below is a good candidate. Note the two by-knives and contrasting suspension lace. Something with a bit of flash would work well with the austere design of the dagger.



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-Sean

Author of the Little Hammer novel

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Hammer-Sean-Flynt/dp/B08XN7HZ82/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=little+hammer+book&qid=1627482034&sr=8-1
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Radovan Geist




Location: Slovakia
Joined: 19 Aug 2010
Likes: 5 pages

Posts: 399

PostPosted: Tue 04 Aug, 2020 12:32 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

A nice one! I like the simple look - and with that scabbard, itīd look great.
Just out of curiosity - how did you do the handle? Did you drill a hole through a block of wood, or is it a sandwich construction? With the wrap & leather cover, a sandwich construction would be OK, and itīs easier to make it tight around the flat part of the tang.
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Sean Flynt




Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Joined: 21 Aug 2003
Likes: 10 pages
Reading list: 13 books

Spotlight topics: 7
Posts: 5,981

PostPosted: Tue 04 Aug, 2020 6:03 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I made the grip core like a sword grip--two slabs of wood, each with the profile of the tang and half the depth of the tang chiseled out of it. As you say, it's a tight fit that can't work loose over time and turn on the tang. I've never tried the bored-through or burned-through methods, but this method is simple and effective.
-Sean

Author of the Little Hammer novel

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Hammer-Sean-Flynt/dp/B08XN7HZ82/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=little+hammer+book&qid=1627482034&sr=8-1
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Jean Thibodeau




Location: Montreal,Quebec,Canada
Joined: 15 Mar 2004
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PostPosted: Wed 05 Aug, 2020 8:37 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Nice DIY work as you usually do. Big Grin Cool
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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