Baselard

[Mad Jim]

I am thinking about making a practical baselard dagger, I figure I could cut the overall shape from a peice of Mild Steel [thinking using a 10mm thick peice] and then shaping the blade and adding wood to the hilt on the cross and pommel and riveting it on..

what say you?

[Ben]

Hi Jim,

10mm sounds pretty thick, a quick look for an example of this weapon found one that's 3/16" thick or just under 5mm.
Mild steel is definitely not a good idea - given the length of this type of weapon you will need a hardened and tempered spring steel to avoid it becoming a bread knife in short order.

What do you mean by riveting it on? a peined over end of the tang or drilling through the tang and riveting through the wood?

[Mad Jim]

yea after consideration 10mm is rather thick, it was more for the hilt end, but I was more thinking on making the whole peice out of one peice, just to cut out the overall shape, blade and hilt in one, and then to put holes through the crossguard and pommel to attach the wood grip, so its on the grip and teh cross...