Viking Bracelet Class

I took a “Viking Bracelet” class from Irene Purificato at Metalsmith’s Symposium 2018,

Using 14 gauge copper, we decorated and created a Viking bracelet.

Tools: rawhide hammer, ball pein hammer, anvil, stamps, mandrel (she had both round and oval), files

Materials:  14g Copper or stiffer

Cut the copper to width and length desired.  Ours were precut to 1” wide by 6” long (which wasn’t really long enough for the majority of us.

Determine the pattern you wish to make.  We used a chisel set to make our patterns.  It was fairly easy to place the chisel on the copper and whack it J 

Once your pattern is complete, file the corners so the bracelet is smooth and the corners are rounded.

Place the bracelet on a bracelet mandrel (I used oval) and using a rawhide mallet, whack it to shape.  Turn the bracelet over and place it back on the anvil and strike again.  Keep doing this until the bracelet is the desired shape / size.  This serves to harden the copper and shape it.

Now you can polish the bracelet and wear it!

The pattern I made and a blank

My completed piece

I just need to wax or seal it so I can wear it.