800th Anniversary of the Signing of the Magna Carta

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MJC
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Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2011 4:37 pm

Re: 800th Anniversary of the Signing of the Magna Carta

Post by MJC »

In our quest for new materials we have aquired some of the teak decking planking from the Royal Yacht HMY Britannia. The teak has been stored by the Royal Navy for sixty years and we have produced a small range of shaving brushes and safety razors with it. Tough teak with a remarkable provenance.
MJC
Posts: 41
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2011 4:37 pm

Re: 800th Anniversary of the Signing of the Magna Carta

Post by MJC »

Things are getting increasingly difficult in Sheffield. Trevor Ablett has shut his workshop due to ill health and the ages of several other knife makers range from 80 to 90. The WW1 Somme centenary knife is now on the site and that has been made with the walnut from Lee Enfield rifle butts. We have also produced some shaving brushes and safety razors made from the teak planking used by the Royal Navy for the Royal Yacht. The teak was stored by the navy for sixty years and disposed of when HMY Britannia was decommissioned. It's taken six months to get the brushes made. It was due to come in a box with the Coronation coin embedded in the lid but the box maker has run off with the money. People have been buying my entire stock of knives of some of the makers so I am restricting purchasers to genuine retail buyers.
I have not got a lot HMS Victory planking but it may be possible to make a few small bowie knives.
MJC
Posts: 41
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2011 4:37 pm

Re: 800th Anniversary of the Signing of the Magna Carta

Post by MJC »

The first of our handmade folding knives with lambsfoot blades and mammoth ivory scales has been made. Each one is unique and this one displays deep rifts resulting from the thousands of years of weathering
Mammoth Ivory knife 12.jpg
Mammoth Ivory knife 12.jpg (20.04 KiB) Viewed 5679 times
in the ice.
MJC
Posts: 41
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2011 4:37 pm

Re: 800th Anniversary of the Signing of the Magna Carta

Post by MJC »

We are down to our last few pieces of HMS Victory timber now. In the pipeline is a Sheffield made Bowie with 15th century oak grips. The oak is from a Yorkshire farmhouse. The Wars of Roses were raging around that area at that time.
Tudor Rose bowie 200.jpg
Tudor Rose bowie 200.jpg (23.21 KiB) Viewed 4640 times
Getting more and more difficult to obtain the wood but we keep looking round the architectural antique yards. Next week should see them finished.
MJC
Posts: 41
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2011 4:37 pm

Re: 800th Anniversary of the Signing of the Magna Carta

Post by MJC »

Sorry for the slight delay in replying. Dating from around the date America was discovered by European explorers we now have 15th century oak incorporated into a Sheffield made Bowie. It's beautiful wood but not easy to photograph as it has an harmony of very similar tones.
15th century bowie handle.jpg
15th century bowie handle.jpg (34.62 KiB) Viewed 4615 times
15th Century oak Bowie.jpg
15th Century oak Bowie.jpg (21.18 KiB) Viewed 4615 times
tudor rose bowie 250.jpg
tudor rose bowie 250.jpg (33.25 KiB) Viewed 4615 times
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carrmillus
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Re: 800th Anniversary of the Signing of the Magna Carta

Post by carrmillus »

1967redrider wrote:Looking forward to handling them, thanks for your awesome customer service, Malcolm! ::handshake:: The Man-o-War HMS Surprise was the ship in Master and Commander, going to read up on the HMS Victory.

Speaking of tall ships, anyone familiar with the Hermione? She's been rebuilt and is going to port in Alexandria on the 10th. Definitely going to tour her. http://patch.com/virginia/oldtownalexan ... _A.twitter

The HMS Victory is quite impressive.

-John
.......admiral nelson's flagship at the battle of Trafalgar!!.............. ::tu:: .................
MJC
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Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2011 4:37 pm

Re: 800th Anniversary of the Signing of the Magna Carta

Post by MJC »

We were down in Greenwich today. Finding the wood puts you touch with all manner of interesting people. We walk down the Thames past a very old Boat scrappage yard and you look in the yard through holes in the corrugated iron fence. They would never let us in and today the scrap yard was gone. Somewhat upset we walked down the back of the Naval college and there is an area about three hundred yards long between tall brick walls and there was an open gate. No signs saying what the place was - and it was called the Queens Garden and was being renovated by volunteers. Ponds, wells, ancient fruit trees etc and I suppose the gardens must have been say three hundred years old - you never know what you will find.
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