Knife set, knife & sheath

Iron scale tang knife with fragmentary remains of wooden handle and leather sheath. The handle was originally formed of two wooden scales attached to the flat scale tang with three solid iron rivets (two of which survive). There is a copper-alloy end cap still in situ at the end of the handle. The blade has a maker's mark stamped on it in the form of an 'X'. Only the upper part of the sheath survives decorated with impressed lines forming squares, each containing a possible letter 'S' outlined by small stamped circles, on the front. The back has simple impressed linear motifs. The sheath appears to have had a lining. No seam is visible and it is likely that the seam has been glued closed.

This knife has been dated to the 14th-15th century by similar examples that have been excavated on archaeological sites (for example, Cowgill et al, 1987, fig. 65) and examples in collections (for example, P. Brown (ed), 'British Cutler', 2001, fig. 20)