Fabrice Cognot knives and daggers

[Fab]

hmmm looks nice.

Fab, do you make your own chapes for the scabbard?

I am slowly getting around to making myself a scabbard for my training blunt (just for the experience of doing it really) but I am having a bit of trouble working out what to do about a chape.

Chapes are not my bestest parts - mainly because I generally rush them. But yes, I do them. What would you want to know ?

[Brewerkel]

What sort of tool to you use to form the ball at the tip? I have been using side cutters to gently pinch in a crease while turning the chape. Not the cleanest solution in annealed brass.

[Motley]

hmmm looks nice.

Fab, do you make your own chapes for the scabbard?

I am slowly getting around to making myself a scabbard for my training blunt (just for the experience of doing it really) but I am having a bit of trouble working out what to do about a chape.

Chapes are not my bestest parts - mainly because I generally rush them. But yes, I do them. What would you want to know ?

Basically an easy way of making one (only needs to be simple) that requires minimal tools, I pretty much just have a basement and some hand tools

[Fab]

Kel : the ball is hand-turned from a cut steel rod held in a drill itself clamped in a vice - the poor man's lathe. It's then soldered to the rest of the scabbard end.

Dan : I only use 0.5 mm steel sheet as it's what's available to me. Period chapes that I saw tend to be even thinner sometimes.

An easy way out is to have a wooden copy of similar shape to the scabbard you"re making an end for. Then you hammer your sheet metal around this form.

This is brass, but is a good example :


If you want a well-rounded end, things are a bit trickier. I'll try to take pics of the chapes int he Chalon museum next Tuesday and show you what I mean.

[Motley]

Thanks Fab,

so just cut out the metal so it is big enough hammer round a wooden form then then you end up with a 'seam' down the back? cool that might be with in my capabilities

If this is at least vaguely correct period wise then that is good enough do my purposes!

[Oli Barker]

As requested, here are some stats for the off-hand dagger.

Mass : 487 g
Overall length : 452 mm
Blade length : 324 mm
Blade width (at ricasso) : 27 mm

The POB is pretty much exactly where the thumb sits on the ricasso.

Thanks again, Fab, it's a lovely piece!

[Brewerkel]

Kel : the ball is hand-turned from a cut steel rod held in a drill itself clamped in a vice - the poor man's lathe. It's then soldered to the rest of the scabbard end.

If you want a well-rounded end, things are a bit trickier. I'll try to take pics of the chapes int he Chalon museum next Tuesday and show you what I mean.

Thanks for the tip. I could do that on the drill press!

I would like to see some examples of period chapes. I seem to be working a few scabbards these days. My chapes aren't bringing me pride and joy for the effort I put in them. More data would be greatly appreciated.

[Fab]

Ok I'll try to get you piccies.

[Fab]

Due to my ISP changing its web hosting policy, several of the pics on this thread are no longer available.
The bastards don't want linking from a website that's not hosted by them.


I'll try to get this fixed ASAP. I'm currently in the process of saving on my HD all that I put online on this ridiculous amount of space, and will look for somewhere else to upload it again.

Sorry for the annoyance.

[J Marwood]

Fab, if you need long term image hosting then drop me line. I can sort this through flickr or through the webspace Chris gives us

[Fab]

double

[Fab]

Fab, if you need long term image hosting then drop me line. I can sort this through flickr or through the webspace Chris gives us

I think it's time mate

[J Marwood]

Do you want a specific URI for your work Fab? I can sort that, and make a basic site for your work. At the least this will give resilient URIs for your images. Drop me a mail with what you would want as an ideal.

[Fab]

Ok people, I need money.

So here are pics of stuff available at sacrificed prices (the old piccies will be online soon). All prices are without S&H.



A spearhead :


1075 (XC75) steel, all hand-forged obviously, including the socket. Not welded, that one, simply folded over itself, 6-7th century style. The edges are very, very sharp - it's meant for thrusting as well as hewing.
Full quench (almost - it looks like the spine didn't take the quench - I didn't want to etch it to make sure it was so, however).
373 mm long, 34 mm wide. The socket is 25 mm in diameter.

Making a spear head is a lot of work, my friends. I can't ask less than 130 euros for that one (though that can be negociated privately). And I'm cutting my own throat, believe me. Next ones I make won't be that cheap.



The original Faërie Folder :


I grew quite attached to that one ; parting from it will almost be a heartbreak, but I'm sure one of you guys might enjoy this knife even more than I do.
Quoting myself :
"Blade is an old file, full quench and tempered to brown, handle is oak, inlays are brass. OAL 299 m, 118 * 20 mm blade, 200 mm when folded. [...]
Given the time it took, a price of 200 to 250 euros would be more reasonable for this model - this is a special offer."

...and I'm now asking 180 with the scabbard. My loss is your gain.



One of two alike :


Old file, diff quench (made by heat management : simply bringing the edge to quench temperature, in a very, very controlled fire. You can see how the "line" gets wider at the front), yellow temper in my mom's oven, veg tanned leather wrapped handle. OALs is 154 mm, not counting the leather dangling bits. 75 euros. CMOT.



Raw Spear Point :


Pantograph contact strip steel (55S7 French type - spring steel, that is), differential quench, tempered to dark yellow.
OAL 226 mm, 31x7mm at forte, even taper. Sharp and sturdy. I can make a little leather-wrap on the handle, and a scabbard for a few extra euros.
I'm asking 80 plus options.


"flintknapped" friction folder :


Old file, diff quench (you can see the quench line, forming a wavy pattern) , tempered to dark straw, OAL 160/120 mm. Blade is a good 4 mm thick at base. Like most of my knives, it has been aggressively tested on wild Burgundian sausage.
Times are tough, so if you want it it's only 70 euros plus shipping.


An old folder :


"Old file (really ? ), diff HT, dark yellow temper, oak handle. OAL (folded/unfolded) 205/231 mm (that's not much of a difference, but that's due to the long 'tail'). Blade is about 101 mm long when unfolded, and 3 mm thick - a lot of meat on this one. The temper line, though a bit low, is nice and crisp. I'm asking 70 euros for that one.
I can add brass, copper or tin inlays on the handle, for an additional price depending on the complexity of the task." I can also shorten the "tail" if you'd like.


A simple file knife :


"Old file. Diff quench (as above ; the line is a bit too high and is lost in the file lines), forge tempered to dark yellow. OAL 186 mm.
Naturally colored veg tanned leather sheath"
That's what I said some time ago. Still stands true. Let's say 90 for that one.


If you're interested, email me rather than PM. All of them are ready for shipping except in case of mods.

Thanks.


Fab

[Fab]

Forgot this one to add to the list above :


Same as always, with clay quench instead of temp control diff quench - hence the crispier line.
90 euros now.



And this, too :


55S7 (spring steel), diff HT.
See the strange, ectoplasmic shape on one side, that turns into an almost, almost humanoid, ghostly figure on the other ? Its...arm ?..is raised. As a warning ? Or a threat ? Can you hear its wail, past the curtain of the endless, plutonian eons of the night ?

Oak handle, 119x66 mm overall, with a 6 mm thick blade. The thing isn't meant for cutting - yet it does cut, trust me.

I'm asking about a hundred euros for this one. Again, I can make a nice scabbard for it, for a few more euros.




I'm alos open to barter instead of direct payment. I have a short wish list (HEMA gear mostly) that we can discuss privately, if you're interested.

[bigdummy]

Fab I'd be interested in a commission for a Baselard and I could give you a deposit now (well tomorrow after payday). PM me if you want to discuss.

BD

[Fab]

I'll be able to work on a few comissions in early August. If people here are still interested, please get in touch via email.

I accept barter as payment (I need new boots).

[Monster Zero]

Count me in!

[Fab]

It's Christmas time soon - so here's a bunch of special offers/clearance items (it won't last though - this offer lasts until mid November ).
Haggling allowed over the prices via email (my PM box tends to fill up too fast)
I'll be at Swordfish and can bring them along if any of you who'll be there is interested.


- spearhead is now 100€

- Original Faërie Folder is now 150€ including scabbard

- One of Two Alike is now 60€

- Raw Spear Point is now 60€

- Flintknapped Folder is now 60€

- "Old File" will be brought directly to Mr Winter at Swordfish if he still wants it. At a special price that shall be negotiated there.

- "Simple Knife" is now 70€

- "Simple file knife 2 - clay quench" is now 70€

- "Ghost Push Dagger" is now 75€. Add 25€ for a scabbard.



I'm doing a bit of a disservice to the knife-making comunity by proposing such prices - there's some time of work and know-how behind each of these pieces, so not only it is my own throat I'm cutting, but it might give you a false sense of the value of such items.





Currently under work are (some are commissions, you know who you are), closer to completion being on top :

- a Kitchen knife with a XVth century flavour to it ; clay-quenched 1075 steel, fancy grip (hopefuly) ;

- a back-spring-lock folder (same system as on the so-called Cosrican 'vendetta') ; clay-quenched 1075 steel, boxwood handle ;

- several long, thin and vicious file-based long knife/daggers ; probably with deer antler hilts (or any other choice depending on the customer's whims) ; various HTs...

- two Simple File "Brut de Forge" knives, not too dissimilar to those above ; diff HTs ;

- a few friction folders, including a rare commemorational piece made with a shard of one of the Hanwei Feders that was broken in August 2008 at the First International Open Tournament in Appelern, Germany ; clay-quenched 1075 or other steels...

- a Baselard ; H-hilted, hopefully double-fullered, oak or chestnut fittings ; 1075 or 55S7 (spring) steel

- a bushcraft knife, 1075 or 52100 clay-quenched and stuff..


...and a few other things.

[Monster Zero]

Very Nice!

Can't wait to see the Kitchen Knife!