Swamp Pirate EDC

G

grafton

Well-Known Member
Had some fun with this one.

Perfect for defending against orks, zombies, nosy Walmart greeters, etc..

Blade is the other half of that old brush axe. Stock removal and forging. Sharpened on all sides. About 11" blade. Shape reminds me of some African tribal blades I have seen.

Looks like it was made by someone who has been in the swamp too long and gone a little crazy. Practical? perhaps not but fun to put together.

Guard is from an old ring off some tack.

Handle is wrapped jute with home tanned snapping turtle leg skin, shaped to fit my hand perfectly. (yeah, the old snapper was a big one).

Cross draw sheath is old saddle leather and snapping turtle tail skin with tack ring hangers and some copper wire. Welt is from tack also. Leather brought back to life with oil & wax. Sewed with waxed cotton thread. Hangs at an angle from the left side like a short sword with a belt going through both rings.

Thanks for looking!

IMG_5323.jpg


IMG_5332.jpg


IMG_5346.jpg


IMG_5349.jpg


IMG_5350.jpg


IMG_5369.jpg


IMG_5396.jpg


IMG_5399.jpg
 
I love it and the sheath. Bet it would be handy for cleaning a gator gar. The pics look like they could have been made in my back yard. Where are you from? Is that shell from a Loggerhead or a huge snapper? Thanks for showing it. Cheers.

Darrin
 
Thanks. A large old common snapper. I would guess over 35 pounds. Those suckers are heavy for their size. Im in south central VA. My home is not in the swamp but swamps and marshes are some of my favorite places to be. Most folks do not like to get their feet wet so you can really find some quiet little pieces of paradise with little trouble. I'm sure it is same in your neck of the woods.
 
Wow Grafton, that is some chopper you've made!! From the size of that snapper shell it must have been one big turtle. That's some of the best eating a fella could ask for, in my opinion. My Dad and I used to hunt turtles in backwaters and sloughs. We would wade in, each with a pitchfork turned upside down so the tines were pointing down, and probe the bottom until we heard a "thunk". Then it was a scramble to lift the turtle out and pitch it up onto the bank. Then it was another scramble to get onto the bank before Mr. Snapper got back into the water. Dad would put the heart on a fence post when he cleaned the turtle and it would still be beating the next day.
 
Denny, that is a good idea using a pitchfork. I have used my feet to find them but the pitchfork sounds better. Just make sure you know which end you are grabbing :)

They do have a zest for living. Very prehistoric the way they are wired. The nervous system does not want to quit. They will try to swim away as you are skinning them, long after they are dead. Makes sense as they go dormant under the mud when it is cold and the system keeps on ticking. I have noticed the heart thing too.

They are good eating. Lots of good meat. Makes a really good sausage ground up with some fat. A pot to boil water in and a good supply of snappers will keep a man alive a long time. Most people would be amazed how many are around. Easy to find them around here, or catch with hook and line or traps. I think they live a long time too. I would make the bet that the one above was swimming around before I was born.

While we are on the subject, another natural history factoid for those that do not know, snappers can not put their head all the way into their shell like other turtles (the bottom carapace does not come up under the chin to seal the shell up.) Kind of explains their bad attitude and bite. Interesting critter.

Old timers around here used to say "when you get bit they will not let go until it thunders" Not true but I am sure it seems like a hell of a long time if you are wearing one.

Thanks for the comments folks.
 
Last edited:
Looks like it was made by someone who has been in the swamp too long and gone a little crazy.
Click to expand...
Need we say more? Awesome my Brother, you said you were having fun but I didn't know it was to this extent! That is Mutant! I like the tail skin on the sheath. When we said re-use, you have to wait for it to stop wiggling first! Your forging is looking good.
You have taken the Tribal cake and run with it. Taxidermy and blade making have crashed together . I hope I don't have one of those flashbacks I've been promised while I'm thinking of holding the Snappers foot-handle.......Randy
 
Thanks Randy. It was fun projec.....oh wait, got to go...the prop guy for The Hills Have Eyes is calling.....:)
 
Last edited:
Now that is something else. I'd love to see a picture of it hanging at your side, get a good feel of how you wear it.
 
oh wait, got to go...the prop guy for The Hills Have Eyes is calling
Click to expand...
Did I see this on the trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Cannibal Turtle XX1 - Raphael Eats Big Daddy Rat
 
Last edited:
That is one cool piece sir.
I once caught a big snapper crossing my yard.My Mother had asked all the family to come
the following week,that she was going to fix gumbo.I asked would she put the turtle in the gumbo,
not being a big eater of wild game,she said she was not going to ruin her gumbo,but that she would
fir a seperate pot of gumbo with the turtle.At mealtime,the pot with the turtle was cleaned out,only
one person eat out of the other.We all had a good laugh.

God bless,Keith
 
Thanks guys. Keith, gumbo sounds like a good way to do it. I will try that.

Here ya go Stormcrow.

IMG_5471.jpg


IMG_5481.jpg


Sometimes you feel like a nut..........sometimes ya don't.

signed, glossy 8 x 10's available upon request.
 
Last edited:
Wow the saying about not letting go til it thunders is an old saying around here too. Makes me wonder how old that saying actually is. And for the folks who dont believe what he said about the heart still beating the next day, I guarantee it is fact. And here's another tip for those who love to eat turtle. When you butcher a female if you save the yellow eggs that she hasn't layed yet you can put them in the soup or gravy about 20-25 minutes before you eat it and they are awesome. Just remember to only use the yellow ones the white ones are no good.
 
Randy, the axe is a semi bearded axe I got a while ago from Wolf Creek Forge, "Kentucky". Turtle skin wrap handle:) Really like it.

Will have to work up to the skill set to make hawks/axes. I am not there yet. Will get there eventually I am sure.

Thanks.
 
Or a helmet, Archer Moon, depending on the size. :D Grafton, if you walked around in public wearing that thing, small children would burst into terrified wails and grownups would carefully edge away. I approve!
 
Grafton, if you walked around in public wearing that thing, small children would burst into terrified wails and grownups would carefully edge away. I approve!
Click to expand...
And the knife might scare them also
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top