Some very clean props...

Caribou bone needle case and awl, with bird
bone needles, bone thimble, antler toggle, sinew,
sealskin.  This is one of the pieces that didn't
require any substitutions.

I'm wrapping up a set of film props based on Inuit artifacts this week.  Working with the props master, I tried to keep the reproductions as faithful as possible.  Some of the pieces are exact reproductions with all of the original materials and styles exactly duplicated.  Others swap out some materials that should be indistinguishable on film, but save on cost or make for more durable or weather resistant props.  I have most of the pieces assembled and I'll spend the next couple of days giving them a bit of usewear.  I don't want to do too much antiquing - they shouldn't look 250 years old in the TV show, but they also shouldn't look like they were made yesterday.  I don't know exactly what I'll do to give them a worn look, but it'll probably involved fire and knocking them around a lot.   

This harpoon head is a little anachronistic for the time period, but maybe it was a hand me down?  The form is right, but all of the materials are substitutions - the harpoon head is antler instead of ivory, the lashings are artificial sinew and the foreshaft is wood instead of whalebone or ivory.  

Slate knife with a whalebone handle.  This one is based on artifacts from Northern Labrador.  The time period allows for a fun mix of stone and metal blades.

A sealing harpoon head.  Ground slate and sealskin line, but the harpoon head is antler (instead of ivory) and the endblade is held in place with epoxy.  

A slate adze with a whalebone socket, wood handle and rawhide lashings.  I like the shape of this one, but it's going to need a good coating of grease, scars, and dirt to make it look like a well worn tool and not something fresh from a workbench.

Photo Credits: Tim Rast