Weapons of the Norman Invasion

3D-Models made for Historic VR. Featured in "Guildford Castle VR". https://youtu.be/wBup-FJa6IA
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The Norman Invasion of England in 1066 and the Battle of Hastings marked a significant moment in English history. On the battlefields you would have seen a number of different weapons. Among them the famous Broad Axe, colloquially known as Dane Axe, one-handed swords with tea cosy or brazil nut shaped pommels, spears, bow & arrow and more.
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The two-handed broad axe is a reconstruction of the find from grave 8 in Langeid, Norway which most likely dates to the first half of the 11th Century. This reconstruction has primarily been inspired by the research and the reconstructions of Vegard Vike, archaeological conservator at Kulturhistorisk Museum. An intriguing feature of the axe is the copper alloy band that goes around the wooden haft. A few other and quite similar examples from the Thames were also found with metal banding. The haft is made from cherry wood. Relevant finds from two-handed axes measure around 110 cm in length, being much shorter than often assumed.
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The brazil nut sword is based on the SININIS sword from southern Germany. Many thanks to Roland Warzecha for providing very interesting & helpful insights on his research of this sword. See his video about the sword here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mJ94NO1w_A
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I challenged myself to not use any ZBrush on this project and do all the height details and damage in Substance Painter instead. This approach saved time and also allowed me to make use of previously created smart-materials that utilize the anchor and non-destructive tools in Substance Painter, to easily add and adjust various details, such as wear & tear, in a flexible and reusable manner.
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3D-Models made for Historic VR. Featured in "Guildford Castle VR". https://youtu.be/wBup-FJa6IA