So, here are the completed horns...a last shot of the terminals, which I like...and a shot for scale...a very satisfying project, for which I am very thankful to Wolfgang...



Also some images of another just completed project...a dagger in the anglo-saxon style...the blade is from the much missed Mishka...pattern welded, and of his usual amazing quality...rest in peace, dude.

the hilt is of the typicasl composite construction of the period, cast silver plates sandwiching wooden cores for the guards...filigree silver plate overlay...also "clips" on the grip, fabricated sheet, with sweated filigree spirals and beads...the scabbard elements cast, with the filigree decoration applied...and then the garnet inlay...A technique I have always wished to attempt, was quite intimidated...I chose to pierce the grid, although it appears that in period these were fabricated...I just felt more facile with the saw...fine silver, 2mm thick...the pommel fabricated from sheet, embellished with wire and shot...an associate of mine, John Cushing, had a good stash of garnet rough on hand, and I'm very grateful for his polishing of the exterior faces...once I had got the garnet from John, I super glued the stones, polish down on a brass platen and used a diamond lap wheel to reduce the stones to the correct thickness...tacking them to a reasonable polish

each stone was then epoxy glued to a nail head...don't use superglue, not so super, and the stones ground using diamond wheels to fit in the cells...Transfering the cel perimeter to the stone was a little problematic...what worked well was to paint the stone with Chinese white, and trace around the interior of the cell with a finely sharpened hard pencil...this was before the pierced cell grid was soldered to the baseplate...but, actually, it was not so hard to cut the stones to fit from the front, once the grid had been soldered down to the faceplate...keep the speed slow, cut dry, use the different radius cutters to your advantage...also, cut thru the nailhead as well as the stone...especially with the smaller bits, the shear pressure on the stone tends to make it break off...but if you cut thru the nailhead as well, this lessens the shear pressure.
 Once fit, each stone was glued in place with epoxy...not too period, I know, but convenient...when I do this again, I certainly will grind all the stones to be slightly thicker than the piercework panel...then use the wet sander, and polishers to finish the stones in place...as it was, some were too thin, which required alot of grinding
the center quatrefoil in each face was a little too big for the stones available, so they are composites of two stones, cut with a straight mating edge
I'm quite happy with the results...I think I pushed all my technical abilities ti the immediate edge with this one...and the design pleases me as well...for me it has the correct feel, something from a market in Kabul, maybe, it just feels old, and good in the hand...Pat

Horns done!

Finished! ...at last...almost. All bands fitted, glued and rivetted in place...straps done... the plates on the straps are cast panels based on the sutton hoo find...I've cleaned out the horns, but they still need a lining...beeswax option number one: authentic, organic, pleasant...drawbacks, not so durable...foodsafe resin option number two...durable, scrubable, low maitenance, but it is plastic resin.

 It is a good idea to line them, there should be no leaks, except perhaps around the rim, which the lining will seal, but the cow horn is a good breeding ground for bacteria...my preference, I think is for the beeswax...can't be used for hot liquids, true, but these are unlikely to be coffee cups...also, it's nice to leave enough wax to fill up the bottom 4-5 inches of the horn...the toughest area to clean, and, also, a problem when drinking...there is this air bubble thing that happens when drinking from a horn this large (and helical) where when you tip back, an air bubble forms in the tip, and then as you drink, breaks, sending a sudden surge of beverage over your face...careful and experienced manipulation of the horn ( sort of a twisting motion as you tip back) can minimize this tendency, but it's not foolproof...fool and the draining of beer from a Texas longhorn being a short step!

Well, pretty much on the last stretch here...I've assembled and fixed in place the tip components...the three etched and formed bands, joined by rivets, and the cast terminal, now set with carnelians...the two bands as well, up in the middle of the horns...all is glued and either rivetted or nailed in place. Still have to fix in place the rim itself...the pieces are done, but I'm waiting on a delivery for a particular type of wire...the "van dykes" for the rim are all done, repoussed and chased...there's this one, and also an Odin with braided beard...pretty close to finish...tho still need to make the straps! I've already cast several panels for them, need a few more.

This is the first rough fitting of the bands...underestimated the amount of bronze i would need...so waiting a couple of days for another sheet to arrive...enough to do the second rim, and the missing bits at the tip...then I'll tweak the fit a bit, and apply trim strips to cover the joints and thicken up the edges.

These are some of the etched plates for the Viking drinking horns...still four more to go...then it's assembly time.

Horns in process

Here are a few images of my latest commision.

The horn tip is based on a piece from Norway, said to be a croizer, probably Irish. To make the master, I repoussed and chased mirror images, soldered together, then pulled a rubber mold, and cast in bronze.

The conical tip was made by dipping the horn tip in wax, then carving the motifs. Still have to make the rubber mold...next I'll be etching the bands. Pat

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