The Story of the Merman’s Wrath:

Ever since the first taverns opened in what is now known as the city-state of Tark, sailors spun tales of their encounters with a race of Merfolk residing beneath the shifting sea. Evil water spirts with eyes set on dragging men to a watery grave was the unifying theme of all the stories. In one reoccurring tale a sailor bests an unusually large Vodnik that attacked his ship on the shifting sea.  During the fight, the sailor relieved the spirit of a beautiful and mesmerizing weapon.  Gold of hilt with the likeness of a merman and a leviathan splayed across the blade, a dagger that became the sailor’s prize.  Tragically, a sea serpent set upon that seaman’s vessel on his very next voyage and he was never heard from again.  Yet somehow the beautiful blade finds its way into the hands of another sailor.  To this very day seamen blinded by greed never realize that the blade in question is, The Merman’s Wrath; Fair to the eye when looked upon, but ever so foul to don at one’s side.  Each time a new sailor boards a ship wearing The Merman’s Wrath, the vessel is set upon by sea monsters and many a man drowns, yet the blade continues to survive as if it has a will of it own.  Another tavern, another sailor, telling another tale of conquest and plunder where a brave man now sports a golden hilt blade he acquired from a merman.  The cycle continues, “The Merman’s Wrath.”   

Actual Design and Construction:

The original blade blank was forged by Windlass Steelcrafts using 1085 high carbon steel.  I substantially altered the shape of the blade and added a deep curved choil.   I hand etched my drawings of a merman and a leviathan onto both sides of the blade.  The guard is fashioned from solid brass as is the first spacer.   I carved the handle from African quilted sapele.  Steel lineup pins assure these three pieces always remain true.  I threaded the top of the tang and added a nut which holds the first three handle pieces securely.  Next is another brass spacer in the shape of a hollowed-out dome which I also tapped to cover the securing nut.   Finally, I carved a brass pommel in the form of a merman’s tail.  This piece is also tapped and screws onto the threaded tang, completing the blade’s take-down design. 

Specifications:

Blade length: 12 inches

Overall length: 19 inches

Hand grip length: 4 inches

Blade width at widest point: 1.5 inches

Guard width: 5 inches

Weight: 19.5 ounces

Balance point: At the guard

Sheath Construction:

The sheath is a traditional dagger design (wet formed to the blade with hand stitching down the back spine.  I constructed this sheath from 4-5 oz premium veg tan leather upon which I bonded a layer of natural fish leather, tanned from the skin of a salmon.  One can see the individual scale in the fish leather adding to the merman theme.