House Reverie SCA

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Some articles on sca heavy combat

armoured vs unarmoured training

frozen man quarter speed is a kind of slow unarmoured training, where you train to complete a blow. As opposed to every blow being blocked, as is normally the case for quarter speed training.

hints from brandywine

oldcastle sword and shield

on being a new fighter

Bladeswift

polearms

sword and shield manual

heavy combat for short people

primer on defense

everything SCA combat

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Single Sword construction

Here's how I put together my latest set of swords for SCA heavy florentine (two-sword)

These are pretty long swords, in fact they are almost longsword (bastard sword) length.

I was aiming for something along the lines of the albion poitiers XV style sword in terms of length, weight and balance.

The final measurements are:

overall length : 105cm

blade length 84cm

center of balance 4.5cm from cross

overall weight 1.1kg

Parts required:

1.25" diameter rattan approx 1m length

square Cross aluminium 0.75 pounds

Wheel pommel pewter 0.8 pounds

silver duct tape or white hockey stick tape

black blade tape or black hockey stick tape

glass fibre tape

tennis racket grip tape

quick grip glue

high density closed cell foam

Tools required:

spoke shave

angle grinder

clamps

drill

file

mallet/hammer

NOTE: I took the photos after the majority of the work was done, so some of the photos are actually of a different piece of rattan, different cross or pommel.

sword shape

Ideally the rattan is already at around 1.25" diameter with the skin on (for strength and durability). If it's not, we will generally shave down the sides (not the blade) to lighten the rattan, and give it a more sword-like shape. Use a spoke shave, or plane, or angle grinder can work too. Make sure your cross will actually fit on the rattan.

grip

I based the grip on my synthetic waster from cold steel. Which is tapered towards the pommel, but flat in profile; with a thin center indicator raised section. The pommel is similar too.

Place your cross on the sword and mark out where the grip will be, as well as the cross. Use the angle grinder to make the grip shaped like the pictures below. Leave a short section for the pommel to attach to.

pommel

The pommels I got had a rounded shape, but I wanted to make sure that the pommel wouldn't twist on the sword. The idea is to square out the hole in the pommel. I used the file on the sides so that there were large notches in either side. I then made the corresponding shape on the rattan end, so that when the pommel is placed on the stick, it can't twist at all. After a small pilot hole is drilled, the pommel can then screw into the end, and won't move at all.

cross

The cross was also a round shape, and it's even more important that it doesn't twist. I used the file to make the blade edge sides flat. I also flattened the blade sides on the rattan, where the cross would sit. This way, with a small wedge of wood jammed between the cross and the stick, where the flat sections are; the cross would be held in place. I added some glue in the gaps to help hold it all in place, and covered it all with duct tape so I didn't get glue everywhere. I then left it to dry overnight

tape

I cover the blade in one layer of fibre tape, twisting around the stick. I added an extra lengthwise strip to the blade edge.

A single layer of silver duct tape is then wrapped around the blade, followed by thin, black blade tape.

I used black tennis racket grip tape on the grip. It tends to help grip the sword, and provides a small amount of shock absorption.

thrusting tip

I cut three discs of high density closed cell foam, slightly larger in diameter than the rattan, and tape it to the end of the stick with fibre tape. These low-profile thrusting tips only last about 3 training sessions, but they're easy to tape back on; and they weigh almost nothing.
In this photo, I've tried to glue a fourth disc on the outside, to help prevent thrusts from slipping (due to the tape surface), (which you can see duct tape to help the gluing process). This doesn't work very well though, as the glue I used doesn't stick to the fibre tape.

As you can see from the last picture, my gauntlet fits almost exactly between the pommel and cross. My hand has some room to move within the gauntlet and on the grip however.

We've since bought some hockey stick tape, and retaped our swords with it instead of duct tape. I went for a spiraled taping, giving two layers of tape total.

I think the thrusting tips will last a bit longer, as well as being better looking IMHO. The hockey stick tape has a much rougher surface, so it thrusts should slip a lot less.

I've gone for a white sword with black edge, while gib has gone for the reverse colour scheme.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

interesting SCA equipment

Thursday, June 30, 2011

medieval-european-martial-arts

http://willscommonplacebook.blogspot.com/2011/06/medieval-european-martial-arts.html

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Stages of Pell Work

Pell work is significant throughout medieval sword fighting with frequent reference:

Of fight the disciplyne and exercise,
Was this. To have a pale or pile upright
Of mannys light, thus writeth old and wise,
Therewith a bacheler, or a yong knyght,
Shal first be taught to stonde and lerne to fight
And fanne of double wight tak him his shelde'
Of double wight a mace of tre to welde.

This fanne and mace whiche either double wight
Of shelde, and swayed in conflicte, or bataile,
Shal exercise as well swordmen, as knyghtes,
And noe man, as they sayn, is seyn prevaile,
In field, or in castell, though he assayle,
That with the pile, nethe first grete exercise,
thus writeth werrouris olde and wyse.

Have eche his pile or pale upfixed fast
And as it were uppon his mortal foe:
With mightyness and weapon most be cast
To fight stronge, that he ne skape him fro.
On hym with shelde, and sword avised so,
That thou be cloos, and Preste thy foe to smyte,
Lest of thyne own dethe thou be wite.

Empeche his head, his face, have at his gorge,
Beare at the brest, or sperne him on the side,
With myghte knyghtly poost ene as Seynt George,
lepe o thy foe, look if he dare abide;
Will he not flee? Wounde him, make his wounds wide,
Hew of his honde, his legge, his theys, his armys,
Is this the Turk, though he be sleyn, noon harm is.

Cotton library: Titus A, xxiii fol 6 and 7 (early 15th century.)

To this end I have begun using my own pell (simply made from treated pine post, i'll blog it shortly). While reference to why a pell is useful less content is available for exactly what work should be conducted on the pell.