These five fossil ivory nalbinding needles were recently added to our Etsy.com shop.  Four of them were crafted by Dave from fossil mammoth ivory, and the fifth from fossil walrus ivory.  At the suggestion of some of our wonderful customers who are active participants in the SCA, Dave has tried to create an authentic looking replica of a Medieval tool.

Medieval Norse Fossil Mammoth Ivory Nalbinding Needle

Dave has carved this 5 inch nalbinding needle from fossil mammoth ivory. This particular piece of fossil ivory had a unique curve that Dave accentuated to make a perfect knitting tool. At the suggestion of some of our wonderful customers who are active participants in the SCA, Dave has tried to create an authentic looking replica of a Medieval tool.  We have photographed both sides of this needle to show the uniqueness of the ancient mammoth ivory.   Additional photos can be found at the Etsy listing for this fiber art tool.

**What is Nalbinding?**

The excerpt below is from Wikipedia and gives an explanation of this ancient art form:

"Nålebinding (Danish: literally "binding with a needle" or "needle-binding", also naalbinding or naalebinding) is a fabric creation technique predating both knitting and crochet. Also known in English as "knotless netting," "knotless knitting," [1]or "single needle knitting," the technique is distinct from crochet in that it involves passing the full length of the working thread through each loop, unlike crochet where the work is formed only of loops, never involving the free end.

Medieval Norse Fossil Walrus Jaw Bone Nalbinding Needles

Three new nalbinding needles were added to our Etsy shop today!  Dave carved these unique knitting needles from fossil walrus jaw bone.  Due to export restrictions, these beautiful tools can only be shipped within the U.S.  If you'd like to view additional photos of these nalbinding needles, please visit our Etsy shop.

Medieval Norse Mammoth Ivory Nalbinding Needles

We have added two new medieval Norse fossil mammoth ivory nalbinding needles to our Etsy shop.  One measures 2 3/4 inches in length, and the other 4 1/2 inches.  More photos of these uniques knitting needles can be found at the listing for each needle.

Fossil Ivory Nalbinding Needles

We have just listed five new fossil ivory nalbinding needles in our Etsy shop!  Each of these needles measures about 2 3/4 inches in length.  Please visit the "Nalbinding Needles" of our shop to see more photos of these medieval Norse knitting tools.

Medieval Norse Mammoth Ivory Nalbinding Rug Needle

Medieval Norse Mammoth Ivory Nalbinding Rug Needle

Dave has carved this 5 3/4 inches long nalbinding rug needle from fossil mammoth ivory. At the suggestion of some of our wonderful customers who are active participants in the SCA, Dave has tried to create an authentic looking replica of a Medieval tool. 

Medieval Norse Fossil Mammoth Ivory Nalbinding Needle

Medieval Norse Fossil Mammoth Ivory Nalbinding Needle

Dave has carved this 4 1/2 inch nalbinding needle from fossil mammoth ivory. At the suggestion of some of our wonderful customers who are active participants in the SCA, Dave has tried to create an authentic looking replica of a Medieval tool.

Each nalbinding needle has been initialed by Dave, and comes in its own velour drawstring bag. An additional photo can be viewed in our "GrizzlyMountainArts" Etsy shop.

12 New Nalbinding Needles!

Dave has been busy! He has just completed 12 new nalbinding needles that are now listed in the "Fiber Art Tools" section of our Etsy shop.

Some of our wonderful customers had mentioned that they use their needles during SCA events, so with that in mind, Dave has tried to create needles that look like ancient Medieval Norse relics. No two shards of fossil walrus ivory are alike, so each handcrafted needle is a one of a kind treasure.

Fossil Ivory Nalbinding Needles

Made with love on Grizzly Mountain!

Jo has just added 8 new fossil ivory nalbinding needles to our Grizzly Mountain Arts Etsy Shop! You'll find a variety of sizes and materials, including fossil walrus and mammoth ivory and deer antler.

Dave has carved the 4 inch, 102mm nalbinding needle above, from fossil mammoth ivory and has hand polished it to a high gloss. We have photographed both sides of this needle to show the uniqueness of the ancient ivory. Each nalbinding needle has been initialed by Dave and comes in it's own velour drawstring bag.

Mammoth Ivory Bodkin Nalbinding Needle with Case

This larger ivory nalbinding needle is 4 inches long and comes with a Rosewood case. Larger needles are used for projects using heavier materials such as for nalbinding rugs. Dave hand carved this out of a shard of ancient woolly mammoth ivory from Siberia Russia. He used a new pen case he had on hand and fashioned a engraved brass needle to mount on the top of the case, making it a neat presentation gift or treat for yourself. The ivory is at least 10,000 years old. It is initialed by Dave, the maker.

You can find this Mammoth Ivory Nalbinding Needle currently up for auction on Ebay.

This medieval Norse inspired nalbinding needle was carved from a piece of "blue" fossil mammoth ivory. The arrow design has been inlaced (also called inlay) with brass.

What is "blue" ivory?

Blue mammoth ivory is usually the outer bark ivory of the tusk and gets its color from leaching elements in the soil and ice where it has beed buried for thousands of years. The different patterns makes each needle a one-of-a- kind. Blue mammoth ivory is the most prized in jewelry making and for making expensive knife handles and pistol grips.

New Nalbinding Needles!

Somebody's been making up for lost time in the studio!

These three newest nalbinding needles were just added to our Etsy shop. All of our nalbinding needles are hand carved from ancient ivory and have been hand polished to a high gloss. Each nalbinding needle has been initialed by Dave and comes in it's own velour drawstring bag.

Even More New Nalbinding Needles!

Dave just handed me three new Nalbinding Needles to list in the Fiber Art Tool Section of our Etsy.com shop!

All of our handmade nalbinding needles are carved from ancient ivory and have been polished to a high gloss finish. As no two pieces of ancient ivory are alike, each needle Dave creates is a truly unique piece of art.

Speckled BLUE Mammoth Nalbinding Knitting Needle

NEED A LITTLE LONGER NEEDLE? Dave hand carved this nalbinding knitting needle out of rare ancient BLUE speckled woolly mammoth ivory from Siberia Russia. The patterns of these colorful mammoth ivory shards makes each needle truely one of a kind. He also accented this needle with a diamond inlay of Mother of Pearl.

The ivory is at least 10,000 years old. Blue mammoth ivory gets its color from elements in the soil and ice where it has been buried for thousands of years. Blue mammoth ivory is the most prized in jewelry making and for making expensive knife handles and pistol grips.

This nalbinding needle is 3 3/4 inches long and comes with a velour pouch. It is initialed by Dave, the maker and is currently up for auction on Ebay.

Rare Blue Mammoth Ivory Nalbinding Needle

Dave hand carved this nalbinding knitting needle out of rare ancient BLUE woolly mammoth ivory from Siberia Russia. The ivory is at least 10,000 years old. Blue mammoth ivory gets its color from elements in the soil and ice where it has beed buried for thousands of years. Blue mammoth ivory is the most prized in jewelry making and for making expensive knife handles and pistol grips. It is 2 3/4 inches long and comes with a velour pouch. It is initialed by Dave, the maker.

This blue mammoth ivory nalbinding needle is currently up for auction on Ebay.

Ancient Ivory Medieval Norse Nalbinding Needles

Dave was recently contacted by a fiber artist who asked if he had ever made any medieval Norse nalbinding needles. He hadn't, but immediately began researching this tool as he loves adding new fiber art tools to his repertoire. All of our nalbinding needles are hand carved from ancient ivory and can be viewed in the Fiber Art Tools section of our online Etsy shop.

If you are like us and have never heard of "Nalbinding", which can be spelled several different ways, the excerpt below is from Wikipedia and gives an explanation of this ancient art form:

"Nålebinding (Danish: literally "binding with a needle" or "needle-binding", also naalbinding or naalebinding) is a fabric creation technique predating both knitting and crochet. Also known in English as "knotless netting," "knotless knitting," [1]or "single needle knitting," the technique is distinct from crochet in that it involves passing the full length of the working thread through each loop, unlike crochet where the work is formed only of loops, never involving the free end.

More information on this medieval art can be found here.