The biggest issue with carving antler is it's variable density. The outer layer is incredibly hard, but the core is considerably softer. It requires a very firm hand to keep the engraving head from skittering across the surface. That's something that will come with practice. It is a bit humbling to realize that even with the benefit of a power engraver I'm a long way from duplicating the delicate work done in-period with simple hand tools.
Since deer shed their antlers annually, there is a large supply of the material simply there for the picking up. Paleolithic man found that antlers were indeed rather hard and made fairly good tools, especially in places where sufficient flint or obsidian was not available.
ReplyDeleteYour use of resin to fix the blade is a good choice – you must have been reading up on your archeology. The use of resin to fill in the scrimshaw is also historical. Much later, sailors on whaling ships used ship’s tar, actually pine tree resin, softened with a bit of burning fluid from lamps (much later kerosene) to fill in their scrimshaw work.
Way back when I was shooting black powder around the centennial, I played around with scrimshaw work, but substituted cream plastic for whale ivory and a long sharpened nail as an engraver and then used graphite to fill in the work. We didn’t have faux ivory available at the time. Not period by any means, but it gave me an idea about techniques and difficulties in this type of work. One of the few surviving items I made is a patch box for greased patches that I scrimshawed up with a fort and a cannon (not too well at that, either).
I needed a decent box for greased patches, so I took a plastic Old Spice deodorant tube, which had the grace of a push-up base and sandpapered off the embossed design so I could apply my own. The cap screwed down well and I carried it in my bag for several years. I guess it was a functional prop. After a while the old grease got a patina, the burned powder ash got on it and the darned thing looked almost real, if you didn’t pick it up or look too closely. The reason I am posting this is to give some of your readers an idea about alternative materials in scrimshawing, when making props. Maybe a nice Cthulhu scrimshaw on a faux ivory whale tooth would be a good project..
As an amateur costumer, I love the idea of a Norse Mythos! I can recommend patterns for tunic, trouser, and coat if you like.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, you'll be interested to hear that there've already been three published Norse Mythos short stories so far.
With Honey Dripping by Christine Morgan, released in Conqueror Womb (warning: VERY sexual. Like, Literotica or AOOO fetish-level sexual)
The Viking in Yellow ALSO by Cristine Morgan, released in In The Court of the Yellow King.
And The Children of Yig, by John Horner Jacobs, released in Swords V. Cthulhu.
Also, that's beautiful work! From personal experience working with antler, if you want to age it a bit, you can simmer it gently in tea (well, before setting the tooth in it,so too late now) and leave it to soak overnight. To make it look waaaay older, chuck a chunk of rusty iron in the pot as well.
ReplyDelete