This is the formal unveiling of my new rondel dagger.
A few years ago, I purchased a dagger from MRL. The one I received was the Royal Dagger (which I don't think they offer anymore), which, while not what I ordered, was a pleasant surprise because of the damascus blade (I hesitate to call it pattern-welded). But the grip and fittings were downright ugly. The cross and pommel were brass, and the grip was an ugly purple leather. After a while, I entertained the notion of getting the dagger re-hilted.
I approached Eric McHugh of Albion, because I've talked with him a number of times during my trips down to New Glarus (only about a 30 minutes drive for me). Initially, I had only wanted a dirk-style grip, but that eventually gave way to a Holbein-style. Sadly, the Holbein hilt didn't work out, so Eric offered to do a rondel. This turned out to be the better decision.
The dagger is based off of an example in a Swiss museum. The grip is English boxwood, a very dense and historical wood. It is smooth and tight. Eric also re-etched the blade, to look a lot cleaner and smoother (yet still retaining the look of a pattern-welded blade). The original finish was very dark and ugly. The tang of the blade was bent, but Eric didn't want to risk breaking it by bending it straight. The result is a slightly off-centre grip, which actually doesn't take away from the look of the dagger.
I finally picked this up last week, and I've gotta say that Eric did an absolutely fantastic job on this. I want to publicly thank him for doing this project for me, and putting up with me ;)
Now, the pictures:
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Very nice looking rondel Geoff! :cool: I cant tell from the photos, but I assume its hot peened. You know , I have a old blade of that type around here some where. I may just have to make myself one of those.
| Tom Carr wrote: |
| I cant tell from the photos, but I assume its hot peened. |
I don't know of any photo from any angle that would let you determine whether heat was or wasn't used on the peening. :)
Geoff,
That's a nice rondel dagger. I've always like rondels. Thanks for the pics.
| Quote: |
| ...damascus blade (I hesitate to call it pattern-welded) |
In the words of Willy Wonka, "Strike that. Reverse It."
Pattern welding is *exactly* what it is, and the bladesmiths have been trying to correct the confusion for years.
True Damascus steel, also referred to as Wootz steel or Bulat, is a crucible formed steel with a supersaturated Carbon content (I beleive the term is hyperelectoid) and special alloy proportions, and features unusual boundary formations, and bandings of ferrite creating the fantastic patterns commonly termed as "watered steel". Further working, such as filing and rehammering the steel allow one to manipulate the pattern further (Mohamed's Ladder being a common design), but it is the nature of the steel alloy itself that carries the remarkable patterns.
Pattern Welding is simply forging disimilar materials together in order to maniputate them into various Patterns. While the more traditional forms of Pattern Welding are seen on the Viking era blades, pattern welding was used as a substitute method of manufacture to create steel that appeared watered or randomly patterned, to fill the void left in the decline of Damascus steel in the Marketplace. That particular use of Pattern Welding appeared in the 18th century and has been in use to the present.
The prevailing theory of the "vanishing" of true Damascus is that the mines in India where Wootz originated dried up, and the Alloy mix unique to that region wasn't found naturally anywhere else. It has only been in the last few years that people have rediscovered the method to produce the Alloy, adding the correct materials to create a similar product.
This *IS* a Pattern Welded blade, it is *NOT* a Damascus blade, and the pattern could be described as Damascene, Random, or Watered.
Hope that helps clarify it a bit.
Matthew
Am I the only one not seeing the photos?
Very well finished piece, nicely done. I find myself liking the 'rondel dagger' type more and more. Also very usefull information Mathew, regarding damascus and pattern welding and their (significant) differences.
Not to derail the wonderful dagger thread, but has anyone seen examples of rondel daggers with oval shaped 'rondels'? I'm looking at the Tallhoffer plates and think that some may have a more oval shape. I think I may prefer this to the completely spherical, both for aesthetic as well as practical (wearable) reasons. I have found no extant examples available on the web though, and it may be that the Tallhoffer plates merely have a perspective problem.
Not to derail the wonderful dagger thread, but has anyone seen examples of rondel daggers with oval shaped 'rondels'? I'm looking at the Tallhoffer plates and think that some may have a more oval shape. I think I may prefer this to the completely spherical, both for aesthetic as well as practical (wearable) reasons. I have found no extant examples available on the web though, and it may be that the Tallhoffer plates merely have a perspective problem.
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