Toledo native crafts scabbard, finishes sword for Scottish presentation to King Charles III

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A Toledo area missionary was able to lend his skills in the making of the Scottish scabbard for the Elizabeth Sword, which was recently forged for the new king.<\/p>\n

The previous sword of state, crafted in 1507, was too fragile to be presented to King Charles III.<\/p>\n

The new king was awarded the Honors of Scotland — the crown, scepter, and sword of state — during a July 5 service at St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh.<\/p>\n

Among the 100 invited to the ceremony was Dane Vogelpohl, whose company, Vogie Forge, crafted the scabbard and provided the finishing touches to the sword.<\/p>\n

\"The ceremony was a surreal experience for me personally. Obviously, a great honor to be even a small part of,\" he said.<\/p>\n

Ceremonial history<\/strong><\/p>\n

The previous sword of state was made by Italian artist Domenico da Sutri and gifted to King James IV from Pope Julius II. <\/p>\n

The religious overtones carried by the original sword through the centuries impacted Mr. Vogelpohl, who is descended from followers of Richard Cameron, a group of Presbyterians known as Covenanters. The followers were persecuted by King Charles II, and many eventually fled to America.<\/p>\n

\"It was at the ceremony that it finally dawned on me what the sword was all about. I spent many hours inscribing and gilding the ancient Scottish motto, 'In my defens God me defend' on the blade. Knowing only that it came from an old Scottish prayer or poem, I pondered what it could mean,\" said Mr. Vogelpohl, who contributed 250 hours to the project.<\/p>\n

\"What's significant is that this King Charles [III], unlike the last King Charles [II], is a 'Defender of all Faiths' rather than 'Defender of The Faith' [The Church of England]. As I walked down the capital city's Royal Mile in the procession, I realized that hundreds of Christian 'Covenanters' walked down the very same street, not in celebration, but to their deaths for the cause of religious freedom,\" he said of the historical route in Edinburgh. \"The gallows and guillotine were executing them on that same church property the last time a Charles was in charge 350 years ago.<\/p>\n

\"I was overwhelmed with thankfulness as I considered that now there is a king who claims he will not punish a person for what they believe. So for me personally, the motto was a perfect way of saying 'thank you' for allowing me to enter the U.K. and publicly preach the gospel those first 11 years during Elizabeth's reign, as well as a chance to send a reminder to the new monarch that the Elizabeth Sword is a symbol to ensure peace [not violence], religious liberty, and a separation of church and state.\"<\/p>\n

Mr. Vogelpohl and his wife, Angie, both natives of Toledo who attended Genoa High School together, were sent to Scotland by Hope Baptist Church, 6250 South Ave., in Toledo.<\/p>\n

\"I brought my family to Scotland in 2012 as a missionary mainly to spread the good news of how Christ died for our sins and rose again,\" said Mr. Vogelpohl, noting that he and his wife founded KJV Bible Believing Church in Glasgow City Centre, Scotland.<\/p>\n

Scotland is also where he founded Vogie Forge when inflation began to outpace his limited income.<\/p>\n

A grandfather's inspiration<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr. Vogelpohl’s interest in swords got its first jab from his grandfather “Vogie,” a shortened and Americanized version of Vogelpohl, who had kept the sword, issued in 1865, of an ancestor from the Civil War. As a boy, Mr. Vogelpohl was fascinated by the relic.<\/p>\n

\"I studied its every detail and tried to replicate its craftsmanship in my own rudimentary childhood works at home,\" he said. \"When Vogie died in 2007, he left me the sword and his collection of hand tools handed down to him, still in use at Vogie Forge<\/a>.\"<\/p>\n

Before entering the ministry, Mr. Vogelpohl worked at Chippewa Tool and Die in Woodville, Ohio.<\/p>\n

\"I gained about a decade of experience in various woodworking and metalworking occupations while living in America,\" he said.<\/p>\n

His aunt Karen McCreery, of Maumee, can corroborate her nephew's enthusiasm for such crafts.<\/p>\n

\"He has always been really talented in woodworking and metalworking,\" she said, noting that the family is thrilled by the honor earned by Dane, son to Darla and Chris Vogelpohl of Curtice, Ohio.<\/p>\n

While the blade itself was designed more than 20 years ago by another Scottish swordmaker, Mark Dennis, Mr. Vogelpohl finished it, polished it, and inscribed the gold-plated mottoes down both sides of the blade. He made the scabbard of oak, the mounts of copper, and his wife Angie sewed purple velvet onto the scabbard.<\/p>\n