Jeff Pringle seems like a RuneScape character in real life, and we are pretty sure his Smithing level is 99. Gizmodo runs a series, called “Show Me Your Nerd,” where they highlight people who do extraordinary things, collect a myriad of treasures, and showcase awesome designs. In this case,  it’s Jeff Pringle who’s a jack of all trades when it comes to his collections and creations. Not only does he collect ancient Viking weapons, but he also studies them so he can forge his own. 

When he started this process of acquiring old Viking weapons, Pringle says it was purely accidental. This collection of relics has been used to study the design and metals involved when these ancient weapons were originally forged. Pringle dissects these weapons and uses his knowledge of them to recreate replicas that other historians and fans can purchase. You can check out some of his work and the artifacts he has studied on his personal website. Some of these artifacts include axes and spears from the ninth or tenth century. 

Even though he takes these artifacts apart, Pringle argues that the knowledge gained “is worth the price of admission”. You cannot learn how something functions or works without first taking it apart and studying the inner mechanics. His case for doing this is based on the hobby of swordsmithing, and the belief that, if you want to forge weapons used centuries ago, you need to study the original weapons themselves, in detail. 

   

Pringle even goes through the grueling process of recreating the iron ore. To him, “there’s something significant about taking a pile of sand or rocks and putting it into a vessel and, a couple hours later, coming out with a chunk of metal.” While we were watching cute cat videos, he literally studied the blade. 

What are some things that you nerd out about? Do you have a cool hobby that you look forward to each day? Let us know in the comments below! 

Images: Gizmodo/Youtube

More swords and pokey thingies…

• How a katana can become invisible.
• Watches made from Damascus steel.
• Forging a Black Panther spear.