Leather Lamellar (WIP)

 Leather Lamellar plates, with mock-up string lacing, basic plates, and customized plates showing a row of lames laced together. 

Oven Blued Stainless Steel Chain Mail

 Stainless, welded mail aventail from Master Knuut.  Degrease, wash well with soap and water, rinse, rinse with denatured alcohol.  Place on rack in preheated oven at 500F, set oven to self clean mode where temperature will reach around 800F.  After one hour, turn oven off (I had to shut off the breaker).  Wait about 1 hour until oven temperature lowers to the point where the oven door safety unlocks.  Remove with tongs or heavy mits, quench in metal bucket or pot contain about 5 gallons of 95% water 5% corn oil.  Observe standard safety protocols!

The Heathen: HT GSOW

Customized HT Great Sword of War. I went through several iterations of this project before finally settling on this design and fabrication process.  New handle geometry more slim and oval.  The hit components were buffed with #0000 steel wool, degreased and heat blued.  Handle is calfskin over cord, died red.  Suspension is red facing, black "vingaroon" back.  Scabbard is 3oz leather dyed Cordovan.  Symbol of Norse Trinity: Fate, Being, Necessity.  Blade has been slow-rust blued to give it an iridescent sheen.

Albion Tritonia, Leather Finish

 Russet with "Royal Blue".  Remaining work: figure out how to finish the rain flap, knot near lion, attach belt fittings.

Albion Tritonia Scabbard

Poplar core, vegetable tanned leather exterior.  Russet color with a Scandinavian cross and a lion rampant, appropriate for a noble in the 13th century under King Magnus IV.

Leather Scabbard, Poplar Core

Vegetable tanned leather over poplar wood core.  Light Russet dye, custom tooling.  Shown prior to assembly with integral belt suspension.


After assembly with integral belt suspension.  Belt dyed black with "Vingaroon" solution consisting of 1/2 pad #0000 steel wool soaking in 1 pint vinegar for 2 days.  Belt was then treated with Dr. Jackson's balm, 2 coats super sheen, 2 coats atom wax.  Buckle from Viking Leather Crafts.

Remaining tasks: rain flap stitching, cuts on front for lace.

Vingaroon Black Leather

Half a 0000 steel wool pad was allowed to sit in household vinegar for 24 hours.  The lid was not tight as I believe there may be some gasses emitted during the reaction.  This test strip of leather was submerged for about 5-10 seconds, producing a nice black color with this ancient technique that takes advantage of a chemical reaction with the tannins in the leather.  This color will not rub off and shines up nicely with a satin or gloss finish.  I would imagine any shade of gray could be produced by experimenting with the amount of time the steel wool is left in the vinegar.

 Final result, with super sheen and atom wax.

Sword Belt

Leather sword belt, with custom tooling.  I think the rivets really spoil the effect. In the future I will avoid all rivets and join pieces by braiding.

Viking Shield III

Poplar core viking shield, blue and yellow stain, mild steel, scalloped shield boss.  Shown with an Albion Wallingford and heat-blued mail shirt.

Viking Shield II

Poplar planks, 1/4", mild steel shield boss, stain.

Wallingford by Albion

Poplar core scabbard, shown with a chape based on a find from 10th century Skone, Sverige.  More work needed on the distal taper, restain and seal, then ready for the leather.

Valkyrja by Albion

Wool lined, poplar core scabbard.  Just a bit of work left on the distal taper, wood treatment then ready for the leather exterior.

HT Great Sword of War (GSOW)

Cord over leather grip wrap, antique hilt treatment, poplar core scabbard with risers.  Tooled leather scabbard exterior in the works.