In years past, I have displayed at Atlantia's KASF as part of a group--the first time with my household, and the second time with the Barony of Lochmere. This year, I displayed by myself, as the A&S Champion for the Barony of Concordia of the Snows. Because I'm a champion of the East and not Atlantia, I did not participate in the Inter-Baronial Champions' Competition. Rather, I entered the open display. I received some delightful feedback about my work, particularly from the Baron of Nottinghill Coill (who was also astounded when he learned I had traveled from upstate NY to attend the event!).
Documentation text:
Comparing Copper and Silver as Used in Viking Wire Weave
A few years
ago at Pennsic, an old friend sat down with me beneath our baronial
pavilion and taught me to make Viking Wire Weave chains (sometimes
also called Viking Knit or Trichinopoly). I took to it almost
immediately, and began entering pieces in A&S competitions and
displays shortly thereafter.
In one such competition at the Feast
for St. Brigit in the Barony of Lochmere, I entered two necklaces.
These were woven of what had become my go-to material: 26-gauge, dead
soft, enameled copper wire. I like that it was inexpensive but still
easy to work with – less prone to kinks and tangles than cheaper
options at my local Michael's. I also like the array of color options
available, because I could achieve a period look (most extant
examples are woven of silver wire) or a less-period, heraldic chain,
as desired.
Copper was a solid and reasonable
substitute for silver, with valid reasons for its selection. On a
molecular level, copper is very similar to silver and behaves in much
the same way when worked. Additionally, as stated above, it was
available in a silver-colored enamel. And, of course, it was far less
expensive than actual silver wire.
In her judge's feedback that day,
Mistress Mary Isabel of Heatherstone suggested I try working in real
silver, even if only once, so that I could gain a deeper
understanding of how it differs from copper by actually feeling it as
I work, rather than just reading about the differences.
It has taken me two years to work up
the courage, make the investment, and take that plunge. I have to
admit that I was skeptical before I started. How different could it
actually be, anyway? By this point, I had worked with copper in
gauges ranging from 20 to 28 and in tempers from dead soft to half
hard. I expected this experiment to demonstrate only which temper
produced a similar feel, and perhaps to reveal a slight difference in
the silver color of the chains.
Boy, was I in for a surprise.
For the purposes of this experiment, I
selected 28-gauge, dead soft wire in enameled copper and sterling
silver. I used the same mandrel, and wove identical chains of
six-loop, double-weave knit. I began with the copper chain.
From the moment I began to weave with
the silver, I could feel a difference. Though it was the same gauge
as the copper, it felt more substantial in my fingers. More stable,
perhaps. It was certainly less prone to kinking as I worked with it.
It was somehow smoother, too. It made me think of satin. I was
somewhat confounded as I continued to work. How could something be
sturdier and softer, at the same time?
Unlike with the enameled copper, I
didn't have to worry about friction with the silver as I wove. With
the copper, there's a risk that the scraping will damage the enamel
finish, causing the color to flake off.
Containing the loose ends of each
piece of wire seemed easier with the silver as well. In running my
hands along the woven chain, there are noticeably fewer “poky bits”
protruding from the silver than from the copper (You are welcome to
try that on these pieces, but please slide your fingers lightly and
slowly! I wouldn't want you to injure yourself).
For this display, I left the chains
incomplete (when finished, they will be necklaces). I drew them
through a wooden drawplate for about half of their length, so that I
would have examples of the chains both drawn and undrawn.
The finished pieces are all enameled
copper, displayed to show the variety of weaves and designs possible
with Viking Wire Weave.
I look forward to working more in
silver (as finances allow) in the future – it was a true pleasure
to work with!