The mould, or more properly half of a mould, for a tanged knife, with a central rib along the blade, is shown in Fig. 518. It is of close-grained sandstone, and was found near Ballymoney, Co. Antrim. The surface on which the knife has been engraved is ground very smooth, as if to fit another half mould. In this other half there was probably little more than grooves for the central rib and tang, as the mould at the edge of the knife would produce a casting fully 1/16 inch thick, which would require a good deal of hammering out.
—Fig. 518.—Ballymoney. ½ ——————Fig. 519.—Broughshane. ½
Fig. 519 shows the half of a mould for a dagger blade of elegant form. It is of mica slate, and was found near Broughshane, Co. Antrim. It is about 1 inch in thickness; and on the other face are moulds for a small flat chisel with side stops, in total length about 2⅝ inches, for a flat triangular celt-like tool about 1½ inch long, and an unfinished mould for a segment of a flat ring.
Stone moulds for daggers have been found in the Italian terramare.[1687]
—————Fig. 520.—Knighton. ¼ ————Fig. 521.—Knighton. ¼
In Figs. 520 and 521 I have reproduced on the scale of one-fourth the engravings of two stone moulds which were found near Knighton, but in the parish of Hennock, near Chudleigh, Devon, and are published in the Archæological Journal.[1688] They are of a light greenish micaceous schist, such as occurs in Cornwall. The large one is 24½ inches in length by 3 inches in its greatest width, the smaller is 21½ inches long and also 3 inches wide. When found the two halves of each mould were in apposition; the longer mould placed vertically, the shorter horizontally. As will be seen, they are for the production of rapier-shaped blades. In the smaller is a series of small channels, to allow of the escape of air during the process of casting.
