Unfortunately, it comes with a crappy wholly unhistorical scabbard, shown here:
[attachment=8247]PA255691.JPG[/attachment]
My question is what would a historically correct scabbard/sheath for a pugio of this type actually look like? I'd like to make something that looks a lot better, and would appreciate any pix or other tips on this. Thanks!
You could perhaps salvage the pugio all right. It would not take that much work. It would only mean taking out the rivits, reshaping the surface of the wood and redoing the top plates in sheet metel, but this time correctly profiled and with only two rivits showing. Going by shape and size I would think the original is a Republican pugio. I would need to have a better look at the original to be sure, but the three rivits at the guard are not an original feature, I believe. The scabbard of the Celtoibirean pugio's are thought to be relatively simple too,
Hi Chuck, I can understand your view, but they said in the add they provided a photograph of the original. In the add, it is very hard to make out any detail, but as these hilts go, the picture you show of the pugio they sold you does not go with what we know these hilts would have looked like, based on many examples. So it would seem to me at present someone "spruced up" the original, adding elements not in the original and for conveniance sake disregarding other features, like the actual shaping of the metal hilt pieces, as these are NOT flat in originals. Perhaps if you post the picture that was included or can trace that piece to the collection it is in at present? Or was it an illicit or looted piece perhaps?
Quote:Hi Chuck, I can understand your view, but they said in the add they provided a photograph of the original. In the add, it is very hard to make out any detail, but as these hilts go, the picture you show of the pugio they sold you does not go with what we know these hilts would have looked like, based on many examples. So it would seem to me at present someone "spruced up" the original, adding elements not in the original and for conveniance sake disregarding other features, like the actual shaping of the metal hilt pieces, as these are NOT flat in originals. Perhaps if you post the picture that was included or can trace that piece to the collection it is in at present? Or was it an illicit or looted piece perhaps?
Let me preface this by saying that I got it second hand off of eBay several years ago for minimal cost (IIRC ~$30 or so). For that reason, I do not in any way take personally the legitimate criticisms you (and others) raise about this piece! However, you stated flatly that, "Its not based on anything remotely Roman I'm sorry to say." But that is simply not true - it is based quite firmly on an original artefact. We may all quibble as to the correctness of the details, but in outline it did exist and was indeed based on something Roman.
I do not have the actual photo (else I'd have posted it...) but I do have a point of contact over at Museum Replicas and they may have this on file, though since it is from the mid- to late- 1980's it may be long gone. I will ask, though.
I also don't mind reworking the Pugio itself - I have considerable experience rehilting and reworking all sorts of daggers, swords, etc., and have even made some from scratch. Though most of my work is either Iron Age Celt or Viking, with occassional Mediaeval; the only Roman work I've done is rehilted an old Del Tin Gladius and an early Migration Period Spatha. I just don't know much about Pugios... Here is a pic of some of the work I've done (with the exception of the Albion piece that is there):
[attachment=8249]CeltRoman1.JPG[/attachment]
I'll see if I can get the full sized pic, and maybe more details on the find itself, if any of this information is still extant. And any additional specific tips on how to accurize both the pugio and its scabbard would be much appreciated. I have some information, but not nearly so much as I do on Celt/Viking/Mediaeval etc.
"Its not based on anything remotely Roman I'm sorry to say" is NOT what I said. I try to be helpfull by pointing out it could be based on a Republican dagger, so you have a good shaped blade of the correct size. If you look at the data on the link, you will be sure to see what I mean with the comment on the hilt. For a scabbard, an open framed one would be fitting with your period.
Quote:"Its not based on anything remotely Roman I'm sorry to say" is NOT what I said. I try to be helpfull by pointing out it could be based on a Republican dagger, so you have a good shaped blade of the correct size. If you look at the data on the link, you will be sure to see what I mean with the comment on the hilt. For a scabbard, an open framed one would be fitting with your period.
EXCELLENT swords, by the way, good work!
Oops! You indeed did not say that - I thought I was responding to Aulus Maximus - you two look so much alike Sorry for the confusion.
I hope MRL has something in their archives that gives more details on the find circumstances of the original, esp. where it was found. I should be able to work it into something a bit more accurate
Sorry for the confusion.