This cutting board is actually inspired by the famous whale bone clothes smoothing board from viking times.the design on my board is Fenrir( the wolf of Ragnarok) done in Urnes style , based on a silver brooch found in a woman's grave and now in the viking museum in Oslo Norway. The runes are Elder Futhark are and are an encouragement to" Share food with friends, feel your bellies, enjoy the day, (and that) Rollo (me) made the board"
Based on the whale bone plaque found in a boat burial in Sanday in the Orkney islands
The wood in Linden wood.
I did use a drill and scroll saw to make the holes on the piece, but the rest was entirely carved using hand chisels. The runes were carved using a small "u" shaped chisel and red powder tint used to fill the runes
I might use an electric sander next time...sanding took for ever
The other technique are regular wood carving techniques, probably the same used hundreds of years ago.
