Polishing
Sharpening and Polishing: The Beach as a Toolkit.
The abrasive toolkit used within The Lothu Wistoft Project costs nothing, it comes from its local coastline. As shown within the Geological article the mineral deposits between Anglo Saxon Lowestoft and Norse Scandinavia where the same. They would have used both resources in the same way. The coastline holds a naturally varied collection of stones that cover varying levels of abrasives, known today as Grits. These Grits work for stock removal all the way through to fine finishing. Sand stones for wood and Quartzite for metalwork.
All working today in the same way it did a thousand years ago, connecting the past with the present in this manner helps us to sit in the same shoes they did. The principles as to how this works is simple, the abrasive must be harder than the subject to be worked. Quartz is harder than steel, 7 Mohs, hardened 1095 steel would range from 5.5 to 6.5 Mohs. These types of stones have been empirically tested and categorized though their use not the measurement stated but the measurement serves as context as to how this happens not the why. Using these stones via a grit that is felt not measured you progressively work towards the desired finish, not the socially required finish.
Water applied to the stone surface acts as a lubricant allowing for smooth and steady strokes and reduce the heat build up in certain areas of the blade as this can remove the temper in small, isolated spots.
Personal Whetstones, as is the name given to stones that are used in this manner, are directly evidenced in the Viking age as a matter of archaeological record. Small portable stones carried on the belt for field maintenance of the edges. Quartzite and quartz are specifically documented among these period whetstone assemblages. Used for the quick and rough sharpening needs through to finishing work.
Many of these however would have been imported Norwegian schist, traded from across the north sea because the quality of stone outweighed the convenience of the stones found at the beach, but this only means those who had the money and the need would have brought them and most in fact would have decided to use the more accessible option as most of us would do today in different areas of life.
It is worth pointing out however what a finish meant for the period in time. The Cawood sword is perfect example of not just a finish but a valued finish on a sword of value. The Cawood Sword is from 1100 AD that is being held in the York Museum at the end of the Viking era exhibit and is still to this day one of the best-preserved swords of the Norse and Anglo-Saxon smithing tradition. The finish shows significant surface pitting visible file and abrasive marks across the flat and imperfect geometry. It is not a poorly made sword and is considered a quality piece. The abrasive process produced a working edge and a serviceable surface. It did not produce a mirror polish. The beach stones produce exactly that standard; honest, functional, period appropriate.
Modern replicas are replicas of the image not reconstruction of the methodology used.
It is acknowledged that the Cawood sword sits outside of the Projects remit, However due to its unique preservation and being close to the time it is well within the use of evidence of finish and that it sits where smithing had more time to become better it stands to reason that blades from a time before and not targeted at the wealthy man who could afford it would sit underneath the finish of this particular sword
Norwegian schist whetstone trade:
Quartz and quartzite specifically documented as Viking Age abrasive material: https://www.sciencedirect.com/article/abs/pii/S2352409X25001221
The Cawood Sword — Yorkshire Museum:
https://www.yorkshiremuseum.org.uk/collections/collections-highlights/the-cawood-sword/
Sharpening
