Re: Re: 2 sword fighting

From: Mikko Rintasaari <mikrin_at_...>
Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2000 00:03:11 +0300 (EET DST)


On Wed, 5 Jul 2000, Wulf Corbett wrote:

> On Wed, 5 Jul 2000 19:19:49 +0300 (EET DST), Mikko Rintasaari
> <mikrin_at_...> wrote:
>
> >> > Reenactment weapons tend to be poorly made, heavy things. At least
> >> the
> >> > ones I've held. 10 lbs is a lot for a bastard sword.
> >>
> >> You must have held some cheap rubbish then (of which there is, I
> >> agree, a lot!).
> >
> >Indeed I have. I suppose the point is that nobody want's to first take
> >the edge off a fine sword, and then bash it full of noches.
>
> that's exactly the point. No reenactment sword should be of such poor
> quality steel, or manufacture, or so badly kept, as to have even a
> single noticeable notch in it. Notches are sharp, and will rip skin,
> as well as providing weak points in the steel. You'll never get a
> decent reenactment sword by blunting a sharp, that ruins the metal.

 =( seen both kinds, I'm afraid. Especially the Live RPG people here that use steel weapons (a minority, thank god) tend to have swords that have been welded together from fairly ordinary steel. They are heavy things that notch easily.  

> >Most of the ones I've seen are _really_ thick. And this gives them much
> >more weight than the 1 - 1,5 kg one would like to see in a broadsword.
>
> A poor selection then, I'm afraid. Probably unhardened mild steel, the
> sort we don't usually allow on the field (about the quality of bronze,
> in fact...).

Indeed.  

> >For instance a Viking type II sword.
> >
> >Overall length: 39"
> >Weight: 2 lbs 8 oz
>
> that sounds a bit too light for 39", is that a modern weight, with
> high-carbon, lightweight steel?

Vanadium steel, I think. But they try to get close to the estimates of the weights of the found originals. That was a nice light viking sword that one.  

> >here's one good sourse: http://www.albionarmorers.com/swordsmain.htm
>
> Can't connect at present, will try again.
>
> Wulf

It's great for the pictures. And they take their work quite seriously, as far a I know.

        -Adept

Powered by hypermail