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Hi All!,
Well I've been working on this project for about 3 weeks or so. I have been asking a lot of questions and getting some great advise from the folks here. (Many Many Thanks) I am some distance into the piece already, so I apologize for not starting at the beginning, but as you will see, I was not really sure I could make it work (looks good in my head!) and it's only now starting to take some shape.
Here is the premise of the project: 1st the Title: "Miodóg na Beatha" - Gaelic for :"Dagger of Life".
My Idea came from Lignum Vitae - Tree Of Life {Guaiacum officinale}, SO there is a "play" on words.
1. The blade is actually carved from wood that comes from "The Tree Of Life". and
2. Not that it will be used this way!(It is strictly art!) But I'm using the Irony that this Instrument carved from something that was alive at one point is a tool that can be used to take life.
I learned that Lignum Vitae - Tree Of Life {Guaiacum officinale} was one of the worlds densest and hardest woods so I thought if I could pull it off and make a blade out of the wood the Irony would be pretty neat. Then I did some more researching and decided that the whole project would be really cool if I pushed some other extremes also. That's when I decided to use Gabon Ebony (The Blackest Wood) and Holly (The Whitest Wood) Both very dense and hard in their own right for accents and the handle.
I am honoring and hopefully imbuing strength into the piece by inlaying a piece of Red Oak into the handle and carving Oak leaves and acorns throughout.
That said, today I want to post a couple of pictures of the crosspiece I've been working on the last 2 nights. It is carved from Gabon Ebony and approximately 2 3/4" long. I still have some defining and have not done any finishing to it yet. It will also be cut and fit to wrap the blade...
I will post other pics as I go from now on. I'm seeing an end in sight now...
Initially, I wanted to have it for the contest that was ended here on the 30th of June, but family came from out of town for a couple of weeks and I had to put it down... oh well. Critiques are always welcome! Thanks for all the help everyone here has given me...
Well I've been working on this project for about 3 weeks or so. I have been asking a lot of questions and getting some great advise from the folks here. (Many Many Thanks) I am some distance into the piece already, so I apologize for not starting at the beginning, but as you will see, I was not really sure I could make it work (looks good in my head!) and it's only now starting to take some shape.
Here is the premise of the project: 1st the Title: "Miodóg na Beatha" - Gaelic for :"Dagger of Life".
My Idea came from Lignum Vitae - Tree Of Life {Guaiacum officinale}, SO there is a "play" on words.
1. The blade is actually carved from wood that comes from "The Tree Of Life". and
2. Not that it will be used this way!(It is strictly art!) But I'm using the Irony that this Instrument carved from something that was alive at one point is a tool that can be used to take life.
I learned that Lignum Vitae - Tree Of Life {Guaiacum officinale} was one of the worlds densest and hardest woods so I thought if I could pull it off and make a blade out of the wood the Irony would be pretty neat. Then I did some more researching and decided that the whole project would be really cool if I pushed some other extremes also. That's when I decided to use Gabon Ebony (The Blackest Wood) and Holly (The Whitest Wood) Both very dense and hard in their own right for accents and the handle.
I am honoring and hopefully imbuing strength into the piece by inlaying a piece of Red Oak into the handle and carving Oak leaves and acorns throughout.
That said, today I want to post a couple of pictures of the crosspiece I've been working on the last 2 nights. It is carved from Gabon Ebony and approximately 2 3/4" long. I still have some defining and have not done any finishing to it yet. It will also be cut and fit to wrap the blade...
I will post other pics as I go from now on. I'm seeing an end in sight now...
Initially, I wanted to have it for the contest that was ended here on the 30th of June, but family came from out of town for a couple of weeks and I had to put it down... oh well.
Critiques are always welcome! Thanks for all the help everyone here has given me...
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