George N. M. Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 An amazing Roman pugio dagger with scabbard and belt has been unearthed and restored in Germany. An article about it can be read here: http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/57908#comments The blade is pattern welded in what appears to me to be a double chevron pattern. In the photo of the blade out of the sheath you can see the pattern welding near the fuller. This would be an amazing blade to re-create but the skill level, particularly for the hilt and the scabbard are far beyond my ability and I don't have a year or so of my life to dedicate to it. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 Well the bladesmith was NOT the person to make those fittings and doing the hilting; so to forge the blade and subcontract out the rest would be much more accurate historically! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted February 20, 2020 Author Share Posted February 20, 2020 Dear Thomas: That would fall into the category of unaffordability. I don't have the opportunity of a windfall of loot a Roman officer or NCO would have had. You are, of course, correct that an item like that, as with similar pieces down the centuries, would have been the product of many people working in their own special skills and crafts. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 Declare yourself Emperor; raise your legion and head for Rome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 That's quite an article George, thanks for linking us. I've only given it a quick scan but if I'm not mistaken most of the fancy work was tin plated brass/bronze. I'm thinking it wouldn't be too hard to find a college student or two to do the leather and plated fittings. Dressing the blade would be the tricky part but if a person wants to make knives, necessary skill sets. Thanks again for the article. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 There was a news item on Yahoo about that Pugio being restored. https://www.yahoo.com/news/roman-dagger-restored-germany-145411683.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted February 21, 2020 Author Share Posted February 21, 2020 Irondragon: Thanks, more pics are always good but the description in the History Blog article was meatier IMO. I still would not want to get stuck with it. GNM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 Absolutely, just thought it was interesting that Yahoo picked up on the story and gave a little more on the youth that found it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 Interesting article, with some really great photos of a first century Roman dagger found in Germany with blade, hilt, scabbard, and belt intact: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/roman-dagger-restored-germany-145411683.html Edit: Sorry, didn't realize this was posted already. Thanks to the mods for catching it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 The precious metals look to mainly be silver inlay. It's tedious, but I wouldn't think the material would be expensive. Labor on the other hand...What are the stones, garnets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted March 16, 2020 Author Share Posted March 16, 2020 Dear Nobody, According to the original article they are glass and enamel. Garnets were used much less during the Roman Era than they were later. I have a dim memory that gem quality deposits in middle Europe started being mined during the early middle ages. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 16, 2020 Share Posted March 16, 2020 The Saxons used garnets a good bit, often over a textured gold backing to give them more glitter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 Not to mention that the RELATIVE value of silver to gold was quite a bit different in those days. In Roman times gold was set at 12 to 12.5 the price of silver. (Today's spot is 117.57 gold:silver). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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