Bill Grandy

“The Great Hunt” Casket

This red oak box was reclaimed from a hardwood floor. The hunting themed carvings are heavily inspired by a 15th century German bone-carved piece that I’ve long admired at the Walters Art Museum (you can compare it to the original here: https://art.thewalters.org/detail/9461/box-for-board-games/ ). Mine is not an exact recreation, though my carvings are meant toContinue reading ““The Great Hunt” Casket”

Maximilian Scabbard

A scabbard for an Albion Maximilian. I chose to use a floral pattern that was not only popular during the period. Albion made the sword with a purple grip, and I liked the analogous color combination with the “wine” red shade.

DeKoven Medieval Stool

I made this stool as a prize for the Save DeKoven Fundraiser to help preserve the DeKoven Center, site of the Western Martial Arts Workshop. The basic form is inspired by a 15th century stool currently located at the Cloisters in NYC. The decorations are inspired by early 15th century art while simultaneously honoring theContinue reading “DeKoven Medieval Stool”

“Sonnenstrahl” Longsword Scabbard

A scabbard for my “Sonnenstrahl” (Sun Ray) project, where I heavily modified an Albion Munich. The wooden core was made by Jesse Belsky back before I was making my own, but the leatherwork is all mine. Hand tooled veg tanned leather with gold leaf applied onto key areas.

“Meyer” Tooled Leather Case for Book

This style of leather case was quite popular in the late medieval and early Renaissance eras throughout Europe. I made this and tooled it with an image inspired by Joachim Meyer’s fencing treatise of 1570. This was a prize for the Sword Without Borders raffle in 2020, which raised funds for Doctors Without Borders.

Blue and Gold Scabbard

A scabbard for an Arms & Armor Black Prince longsword. Poplar core covered in veg tanned leather. Tooled with a typical late medieval pattern with gold leaf applied.

Dagger Sheath

A sheath made for a Jesse Belsky rondel dagger. The bronze chape came from Todd’s Workshop. The leather inscription is a 15th century German verse from medieval sword master Johannes Liechtenauer and translates to “Indes, that is a sharp word”. “Indes”, or “in the moment”, is an important martial concept in this fighting style.

Phoenix Engraved Box

This was the first time I ever tried to carve a picture into wood. The wood is some kind of unknown scrap softwood, and I felt it needed to be stained in order to look right (even though staining isn’t really historical for something medieval). The phoenix is inspired by a 12th century illustration.

Toddler’s Medieval Stool

This is the first woodworking project I ever did. Based loosely off of a 15th century stool that resides in the Cloisters in NYC. I made it for my 3 year old son. The Latin says, “I will love you always”, and the engraving is inspired by a 15th century German woodprint showing corn farmingContinue reading “Toddler’s Medieval Stool”

Old Culture Made New

This site is a brand new work in progress to share some of my work. I like to create medieval and Renaissance styled items, from scabbards to boxes. I love creating, but I also love recreating – the process of looking at a historical object and trying to understand the culture it existed in, theContinue reading “Old Culture Made New”