create a found-material blade from a wagon spring.
1995 07 forged steel with abalone shell and leather
salvaging, concept, forging, shaping, finishing, leatherwork
this piece of steel came from a homestead in saskatchewan, canada where one of my great-grandfathers settled.
around the turn of the century it served as a leaf-spring on a horse-drawn farm wagon.
i wanted to preserve the beautiful and unique surface left from a hundred years of weather and corrosion, so the handle and blade are all formed from steel.
the only forging work was done on the edge of the blade so the wire wheel polishing could highlight the meteorite-like character and color of the ancient steel.
the shape is a slightly dropped-point hunter and was finished with an abalone shell and a hand-stitched and wet-embossed leather sheath.
this is the first of a set of two pieces that have come from the wagon spring and functioned as a materials prototype.
the second was presented as a family commemorative gift.