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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2009 15:27:08 GMT
That is a good lookin sword you got there, Mike...but I'm not crazy about the rings on the guard. Never liked them on any sword I've seen them on...but its personal taste. I can still appreciate a good (looking) sword.
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Post by ShooterMike on Jul 30, 2009 16:15:56 GMT
I can understand that point of view. They are definitely not from the era most of us think of as "the medieval times" since they don't really become common until the 1500s. I really think if them as early Renaissance longswords. I have always liked the way the complex-hilt longswords look, historically speaking. IMO they are among the most beautiful examples from history. I'm sure a lot of that is because they are the most recent and frequently in the best preserved condition. But the value of the side rings was really driven home to me after I did a little longsword training with Adam Sharp. He really stressed keeping the point in-line with the opponent. When both are really focused on that, the blades frequently cross at very close angles as the two combatants wind for advantage. I could wind with him, but he was always able to get his edge onto the top of my thumb or index finger knuckles and back-slice me as he disengaged. It was very disconcerting. The side rings totally eliminate that as a worry, since they keep the edge an inch or two away from the knuckles. So now I love them for two reasons.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2009 16:42:38 GMT
Practicality...thanks for the enlightenment; had I found myself in a similar situation, I'd appreciate them all the more as well.
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Post by brotherbanzai on Jul 30, 2009 18:08:17 GMT
Hey Shooter, that's a gorgeous sword! I especially like the grip length. I felt the same as you when I first started studying long sword; kept getting my fingers "sliced". I even went so far as to make a couple of my wasters with ring guards on them. However, I discovered that the more you train, the less you need the ring and then eventually it's just in the way. At first I thought "Wow, why doesn't every sword have this!" and later thought, "Oh, now I see why". I still really like the way the complex hilts look though, and that one of yours looks great.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2009 10:09:35 GMT
I quite agree with Mike about the practicality of the the double side rings.....this video shows a chap using a modified (rounded edges and lengthened grip) Windlass 15th c. l/s for sparring. It's what helped sell me on buying one. After corresponding with him some, said it's held up rather well even against the "big boys mfg" of the sword world
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Post by brotherbanzai on Jul 31, 2009 18:34:13 GMT
Hey billiam, I think you showed me that clip back when I was trying to decide which of two swords to get. I still really like the look of the Windlass 15th century I bought, I just don't find it very useful for me personally.
One of my best training partners uses one of the wasters I made with a ring guard while I've gone back to using one without. No matter who we are sparring, he still seems to get his fingers hit a lot more than I. Odd huh?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2009 18:55:49 GMT
Ok, so I just got back from viewing Mike's (ShooterMike) collection and I have a question for him.
Mike, you got any ugly swords you could show us?
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Post by ShooterMike on Jul 31, 2009 20:23:24 GMT
Ok, so I just got back from viewing Mike's (ShooterMike) collection and I have a question for him. Mike, you got any ugly swords you could show us? Oh YEAH! I do have some real dogs. But isn't my "first sword" ugly enough?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2009 21:00:23 GMT
Hey billiam, I think you showed me that clip back when I was trying to decide which of two swords to get. I still really like the look of the Windlass 15th century I bought, I just don't find it very useful for me personally. One of my best training partners uses one of the wasters I made with a ring guard while I've gone back to using one without. No matter who we are sparring, he still seems to get his fingers hit a lot more than I. Odd huh? interesting indeed....but yeah...it's a personal preference thingy. I have my obsession of mortuary hilts ,but don't care for Scottish basket-hilts.
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Post by hotspur on Aug 1, 2009 6:14:39 GMT
There used to be a fairly regular forumite named Claudio in the past who did some great pictures of the A&A GBS. I don't know what ever happend to his German sword site but he had amassed quite an archive these double ring swords. Here is one picture of his I always liked. Here are some associated book pictures, along with a shot of some quite long longswords. Here are some GBS swords, a couple with rings. Some may be tired of seeing these next pictures. Conyer falchion under a DT 5157, 2160 and the A&A GBS. Then as compared to my A&A BBP (bronze BP). I am very found of the little guy and like to poke stuff with it. More on that another time. One more picture I found in my files from Claudio's work The A&A GBS is a bit of a beast but if kept in motion, not too bad. I have always liked it for a morning stretch. About as big a bastard as terminology might imply. Better though of as a short two hander. The DT 5157 is about a pound lighter and is a couple of inches longer. The blade on the A&A GBS changed back around 2002. The previous incarnation was a bit lighter but also a bit flexier in blade properties. The DT 5157 has a fair amount flex but stil handles and cuts well. Christian Tobler adopted one at some point a few (some) years ago and has liked playing with it. One reaction with the 5157 is giggling. I don't know if Bill giggles when fondling his 5155 but I wouldn't be suprised. Cheers Hotspur; I like 'em all
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2009 10:53:52 GMT
Hotspur, thanks for the photo's....never get tired of them...especially seeing the DT 2160....love that thing. Yes, do get the "giggles" when handling my DT 5155....like using it for my solo form drills. and where di you get this pic? files.myopera.com/3sails/albums/834777/bayerisches_museum.jpgthe Gothic in the middle....is it the one from the Royal Armouries display? If not, then certainly not an original vintage piece, since all the stories I've read say there isn't such. Another double ring guard in my collection isn't a longsword, but my dis-continued Windlass backsword that I bought from Nathan Robinson years ago. I call it the singing sword because when stuck with a knuckle, it rings like a tuning fork. cheers, Bill
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Post by hotspur on Aug 1, 2009 21:01:54 GMT
Hi Bill, I.m not sure where I first saw the photo you see. The link explains the provenance www.bayerisches-nationalmuseum.de/Engl/b.htmI had pulled the picture either from Bjorn's old article or a thread from one place or another. It was reference to that the likely inspiration for the piece at the Wallace reflected known example of the crystal pommel jobbies. It is not a picture from Wallace, but of the other museum. While we're thinking of it and it shows some more neat pictures, in a kind of abstract in the two aricles woirht checking out refarding Ernst Scmidt www.myarmoury.com/feature_schmidt_comp.htmlwww.myarmoury.com/feature_schmidt.htmlCheers Hotspur; In a round about fashion, kind of refering back to your question of the Wallace sword (known recreation).
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