Weaponry

This is a section I'd like to fill out more. There are lots of things I'd like to try. Here's what I've done so far.

Swords

Sword wall

This is my sword wall from last year. Every college dorm needs one. Trust me. I use the bokken as wasters. If you look closely, you might be able to tell some of them have already been wasted. This year's new and improved sword wall still awaits my finding enough scrap lumber.

Early swords

Early Bastard sword

I forged the hilt for this stage combat blade. I was going for an approximate type XIIIa blade with type 2 cross and I1 pommel (see Records of the Medieval Sword, Oakeshott). This could be a 13-14th century weapon. I did not make the blade, so there's no fuller nor distil taper, but it also shouldn't break under reasonable use. This sword is mostly to be used for demos and staged steel shows.

Rattan sword

This is a sword I made using cast brass parts from Mandrake armoury. Admittedly, all I did was shape the rattan, wrap the handle in leather, and tape it, but I still like it.

Later swords

Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3

The swords in pictures 1 and 2 are my primary fencing weapons (often with buckler). I made everything but the blades. The quillions on the second sword can do evil things. The third picture shows a particularly ugly hilt. The main purpose of this one is to have an example of a town sword that can be worn flat against the body. It is also used in staged fights, but I tend to reach for one of my other swords first. All three of these pommels were ground instead of forged.

Prize Hilts

I made this set of 5 shlager hilts for a 5-man tourney prize. The tourney was at Assessment, held by the Barony of Black Diamond in 2002. I made sure they would fit epees as well, but they are intended to encourage the use of the heavier rapiers in Atlantia. They are based off of a 16th century design. The handles in the picture are for show, as they're too long.

Pole Weapons

Spear:

Picture Close-up

This is my first pole weapon. It was not based off of any particular model, it was mostly just a learning experience. This is mild steel and started life as round stock. Don't ask, it's just what I had laying around. This went through a number of design changes before one worked.

Knives

Daggers

I've made a few mild steel daggers for practice. They are very similar to the spear I made at the same time. All are out of mild steel round stock. The only equivalent high carbon steel stock I had was a coil spring which seems to have a lot of stress fractures in it already. There must have been a reason the last person got rid of it. I guess I should go back to the scrap yard.

Gonnes

Hand cannon

This is a early 15th century hand cannon, slightly modified to shoot surgical tubing. I was seeing too many 17th century pistols on the rapier field so I made this. It went over well at the fort battles at Pennsic, particularly with the people who recognized that it's supposed to look like this. It fires by rotating the pin out of the way, near the flash pan. It's a little backwards to fire by taking the fuse away from the weapon, but that's the best I could come up with. It also has what is probably a fairly realistic accuracy. I tend to fire at crowds just in case.

Fork

I don't remember the official name for these at the moment, but I forged one of these for a RBG musket that a couple friends of mine built.