A Warrior's Narrow Seax, of the 6th to 7th Century.
The blade is had forged high carbon steel, with three, ground fullers on each face, and is based on a archaeological find from the Lakenheath cemetery, Suffolk.
The hilt fittings are cast copper-alloy, tinned to cost effectively represent the silver originals from Oliver's Battery, Winchester.
The cattle horn and bone grip are inspired by various sword grips from the Migration Era, and are snuggly fitted to the peened through tang.
Blade length: 374mm (37.4cm)
Width: 34mm (3.4cm)
Thickness: 5.6mm
Grip length: 104mm (10.4cm)
The sheath is 'vellum' lined veg tan, based on the shape and layout of various sheath from Continental Europe, though the fittings on some East Anglian sheaths suggest a similar shape.
The vellum lining is hide glued to the leather outer, creating a strong, yet slim form.
Rather than create *another* exact copy of these sheaths I decided to use Sutton Hoo as inspiration for the tooled designs. Some elements are copied directly from various pieces, while others are modifications from the Sutton Hoo purse lid; adapting them to create something that fit within the space and to the limitations of leather tooling.
The fittings are based on a seax from Ausberg, substituting the original silver mounts for less expensive tin alloy.
There are 86 studs in total. 24 large studs, 4 of which and the suspension brackets are cast copper-alloy and tinned. These provide the strength needed for the suspension, with the leather bindings taken from suspension brackets from St Denis.
There are 62 smaller studs, many individually adapted to fit the spaces between the larger studs, and all are hand riveted.
The aim with this seax and sheath was to create a piece that demonstrated the various skills I've developed over the last few years, as every element has been hand made by me.
It's very rare to find such extravagant pieces 'off the shelf', so, this is a real opportunity for someone to grab a truely unique piece; without the lengthy waiting lists that normally go with commissioning this type of work.
