New knife find from Vindolanda

[richsc]

The Vindolanda Trust just put up this photo of a new knife find: check the handle
[attachment=10657]image_2014-09-03.jpg[/attachment]

[XorX]

is this bone? or horn? or blackened wood?

[Vindex]

The accompanying report says bone.

https://www.facebook.com/TheVindolandaTr...39/?type=1

[Robert]

[attachment=10658]RomanKnives.JPG[/attachment]

Hmm, that looks familiar :woot:

Most of this type of utility knives have bone scales, but I have also seen boxwood used. Great find, very well preserved handle!!

[brennivs - tony drake]

Robert I see they found the knife you lost :lol: :lol: :lol: :whistle:
Otherwise great find straight edge and it looks like a possible finger cut out?
Regards Brennivs

[Robert]

Do not think that notch is intentional. If it is, it is the first one I have EVER seen on a Roman knife, and believe me, I have seen a LOT! Could just be corrosion. When handling these knives, index finger is on the top of the blade.

[Crispianus]

Do not think that notch is intentional. If it is, it is the first one I have EVER seen on a Roman knife, and believe me, I have seen a LOT! Could just be corrosion. When handling these knives, index finger is on the top of the blade.

Noticed that too it looks to me as though its intentional as it is very even... nice piece but the handles not unusual.

[richsc]

Mentioning it as not unusual is a positive for me. Seems either the pattern was communicated as a popular style across a large area, or it was manufactured elsewhere and part of a shipment. Both would enforce the idea of the widespread and frequent commerce and communication.

[Crispianus]

Totally agree there :wink:

[Achillea Narcissa Octavia]

Excellent! I've seen some reproduction Roman knives that looked similar, but was unsure if it was actually Roman or not. Now I know! Love this knife, and hope I can make it part of my kit of Roman stuff in the near future

[Achillea Narcissa Octavia]

Do you make these? If so, how much for the little black handled one

[Achillea Narcissa Octavia]

Do you make these? How much for the little white handled one on the far left? It's adorable Wasn't sure when I saw them at an event if it was actually a Roman knife or if it was just kind of a generic utility knife of the middle ages.

[Robert]

The small one on the left has the bone artificialy aged by soaking it in plant acids as found in humus. It is a replica of an actual find from Germany. Unfortunatly, it was a commission, so it is not available for sale, but I will be happy to make you one like it.

For your information, the curved blade utility knife is NOT suitable for the Middle Ages, straight or droppoint blades are the norm there. This type of bladeshape is typicly Roman.

[brennivs - tony drake]

Sorry for not being on Forum COMPUTER PROBS ARRR :woot: RobertI know what you mean I have not seen a notch either but as you can see by the hand holding the knife, as we know Roman hands are much smaller than ours, and maybe who owned it found it was too small and just cut a notch in it to stop slicing finger :whistle: Or like you say maybe something in the ground has acted against the iron and corroded it away. Of coarse just to confuse us latter :lol: :lol:
Regards Brennivs

[Robert]

The corroded notch could also have been caused by a stressbreak in the forged blade. Roman knives tend to have very small handles, they were held more like a scalpel then a knife as we use it. This is not really something dictated by the size of the hand, as 4 cm is small for any adult hand, even one smaller then our own. Placement of the finger on the underside of the knife is most inprobable, as it also impars the cutting ability. The inside of the "notch" is also very irregular, which argues against an intentional feature. So I vote for a post deposit feature or a break causing its rejection. You can get get blade failure like this when using a blade to pry something open as well.