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Post by antoine99 on Jan 13, 2018 23:55:49 GMT
Hey everyone! Call me crazy for obsessing about something that costs under $30, but I always like getting other people's opinions to learn stuff. I have a real gladius by KoA, and thought I'd better get a dull training version to practice with, but it was difficult finding one with the same weight. Mine is just under 2 pounds, and most of the trainers I've seen are around 1 pound or so, but this one looks pretty good: www.ebay.com/itm/Cold-Steel-Gladius-Trainer-92BKGM/192381034767?epid=2254777552&hash=item2ccacda10f:g:Un4AAOSwQcJaH5~CProduct weight: 2.25 pounds. That's probably with shipping container/box and everything, but they all seem about the same. I actually prefer something slightly heavier than the real one for training, so this seems perfect, since it's not THAT much more than 2 pounds. Cold Steel trainers seem to be the most numerous thing I encounter when typing "gladius trainer", and I keep seeing people praise their durability, so I thought this would be the most logical choice for my needs. The blade length is 2 inches shorter than mine, but I don't mind. I do not plan on striking anything with it, testing it, etc., I just want to go through the motions with more confidence than a real thing. What do you think? Thanks
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Post by antoine99 on Jan 13, 2018 23:43:16 GMT
If you want to „stand your ground“, form a wedge with the outstretched arms and/or shield and aim at one of the rushing opponent’s outer corners. This is likely to let them loose their balance. Then you can take the back. At least it’s a good way to take out some force of their initial attack. ...Might - not - work on moose or dogs. Yeah, that'll work on a person just flat out running at you (for whatever reason), but the moose is so much bigger and stronger than you that it simply doesn't give a damn, and dogs or wolves or similar predators will try to go around the shield rather than charge blindly straight at it. Of course, if you can keep the shield between you and them that can still work out for you, at least for a moment... Opening and closing an umbrella works well with dogs. I might say super well especially when advancing. I’ve used the technique on several occasions. The time I was talking about above was when visiting a friend and somehow we got separated. I was entering his rear door when his dog charged from the garage. I remember his wife being present nearby in the yard and the expression on her face. The dog was aggressive dog and had bitten several people. I was on the top step and had the height advantage. I was carrying my sword umbrella but never drew the blade. Partly out of respect for my friend, and the wife was watching. And then I found that it wasn’t necessary. After a several unsuccessful attempts to get around the tip he gave up and went back into the garage. His wife calmed in short order when she saw that it was a standoff and neither of us was getting hurt. I think it's the same thing as with horses - they're generally just smart enough not to run into plainly visible things like umbrellas or pike hedges. Haha, yeah. I mostly was just thinking about like a smaller deer or similar sized animal or something, not really a moose. I have no experience being attacked by wild animals of course so I guess I underestimated their intelligence too. Also elephants. That encounter with the dog you describe was such a gentlemanly fight, sounds like something out of the Kingsmen
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Post by antoine99 on Jan 12, 2018 20:10:03 GMT
Alright, I guess I underestimated the force involved in a charge. About the dogs, yes I've heard that umbrella technique works, I think you are supposed to open it or something to scare it off also though? Not to discredit the pointy end A moose would scare the Hell out of me though! I'd just give it my wallet and walk away.
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Post by antoine99 on Jan 12, 2018 4:08:22 GMT
Keep in mind, too, that charges were generally not intended to plow *into* opposing soldiers but rather push near them and sweep past to give point or slash at high speed, over and over again until the line breaks and the horsemen can have their choice of targets. A pike wall prevents them from closing measure. The individual soldiers do not have to be strong enough to physically stop a horse pile-driving into the points. Yes, against horses I understand. But what if (this might sound pretty stupid) you are being charged by a wild animal, such as a deer? I'm sure it happened where an individual soldier on leave or something in the countryside was charged by something, I hear boars are especially dangerous. Would you still do it as described above, the same as against a human opponent? Or would you anchor your shield in the ground and sink lower behind it and brace it hoping to daze the target and have it run off? Let's imagine for this scenario that you only have your shield, and no weapon. What would be the best position for maximum resistance, but also to avoid injuring yourself from the impact?
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Post by antoine99 on Jan 12, 2018 0:40:47 GMT
Wow, great info there thanks guys, makes sense!
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Post by antoine99 on Jan 11, 2018 22:40:42 GMT
Hey everyone! I was just wondering how soldiers would brace themselves to receive a charge (against other humans). I doubt there would be much material on this but I was wondering what the Roman and Greek tactics were specifically? With the Romans, I assume it would involve anchoring your shield on the ground since it is so huge, but then what, do you use your shoulder to brace it, keeping your gladius behind the shield on the side or something? Would that potentially injure your shoulder? As for the Greeks, I'm wondering about the hoplon. It doesn't seem like that can be anchored like that. It seems like it would be much harder to brace than an anchored Roman scutum. Maybe there's more documentation about this in the medieval period, what's the most effective way? How resilient would these techniques be? What if you are charged by a deer or something and you use this technique (not to kill it, just to survive)? Thanks!
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Post by antoine99 on Dec 31, 2017 21:14:16 GMT
Thanks again for all the advice everyone
So for an effective piece of lamellar armor, what would be the best gauge? 20 gauge steel? I know that the idea is that plates overlap so theoretically if one plate somehow gets penetrated there's another one behind it, but I'm just wondering?
Browsing the Home Depot website I found some mending braces, zinc plated steel, at 0.0625 inch thickness, but in their own description it says "3 gauge", so I looked it up on a gauge chart and 0.0625 or 1/16 of an inch is actually 16 gauge? That's probably a bit thick but I'm trying to make this stuff out of stuff from a hardware store to see if I can do it that way.
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Post by antoine99 on Dec 30, 2017 1:24:43 GMT
As Fred Sanford would say, "You old battle-axe!"
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Post by antoine99 on Dec 29, 2017 20:33:22 GMT
Or you might buy a spear try it and if you think a weight would enhance it buy a weight. I have two spears with no butt weight. One of the spears I thought surely I'd need one and found I didn't. Both balance well enough and are probably a bit faster without it. I am not familiar with Condor's spear but the products I've heard about are good. My engineer bolo is well made. 5' is generally short for a spear but the haft can be changed if you got a case of "gotta have it" for that spear. Hmm, well I do actually like the look (and longer length) of the other spear I mentioned, how hard would it be to add a weight to it? On the other hand the spear that was suggested already is the cheapest and probably easiest option.
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Post by antoine99 on Dec 28, 2017 4:12:58 GMT
Wow, alright thanks guys, lots of info here to take in!
I guess the ringmesh shirts are looking like the best bet for my needs then. I want to try making my own armor for a fun, easy DIY project first though. Even if it turns out ok (by some miracle) I will probably get that shirt in the near future based on your thoughts.
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Post by antoine99 on Dec 28, 2017 2:53:36 GMT
Either buy plates made for armour, or DIY (buy sheet steel, cut and clean up edges, punch/drill and clean up edges). You might find something OK from a hardware store, but look at commercially available lamellae first. This will give you a good idea of what to look for at the hardware store and how cheap it has to be to be worthwhile. For steel/iron, 0.8mm to 1mm thick is good for historical, but will dent in re-enactment fighting. For modern armour, you can go thinner than that (if you want to stop arrows from 100lb bows, you want that thickness). Note that lamellar typically has 100% overlap left-to-right, i.e., a single row presents a double thickness everywhere. Up-down overlap can be (and often is) 100% as well, so incoming attacks need to defeat 4 thicknesses. That's why the historical stuff is thin - 4 layers of thin steel/iron works well enough, and is already heavier than you want it to be. Some commercial lamellae: www.warlordsports.com/metal-armor-platesplasticlamellar.worldsecuresystems.com/Platessteel-mastery.com/lamellar-plates-100-plates-in-set.htmlOk thanks! Yeah I definitely don't plan on reenacting anything, just for a combination of fun project and actually effective defense against street melee weapons as an added bonus. Can I ask what you think about that shirt I linked? These: www.ringmesh.com/ChainMail_Shirts_and_Vests_s/25.htmSpecifically either the vest or the short sleeve version, but they are the same thing, just the arms obviously. I can't see how long the vest is, I'd rather buy something that I don't have to shorten myself, and on closer inspection it looks like the short sleeve shirt actually does go below the waist. Would it be possible to wear that long version tucked into jeans with a belt, under a shirt, or would it bunch up a lot and be extremely uncomfortable? I've never owned any maille or armor so this will be my first experience with it.
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Post by antoine99 on Dec 28, 2017 1:41:27 GMT
What do you suggest I use for the individual pieces if I were to attempt that lamellar armor? By that I mean metal pieces that can be bought at, for example, a hardware store. Searching "DIY Lamellar Armor" I came up with simple mending braces (first time I've ever heard of those, lol). Those look alright.
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Post by antoine99 on Dec 27, 2017 23:45:00 GMT
Why not make Lamellar armour? It looks easy enough for anyone to do. I, myself, am planning on slowly building up pieces of armour I make with each months purchase of Lamellar plates That actually looks really nice, I don't know if I could wear that under clothing but I'll look into that, thanks. I guess it's super modular so maybe I could make it fit
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Post by antoine99 on Dec 27, 2017 23:36:51 GMT
I wouldn't go with the ace hardware maille plan. I don't think the ovals would work very well to make chainmaille out of. I personally don't know how much i would trust small welds for holding up against prolonged attack, however for a once in a thousand chance of being stabbed it could work I suppose. Have you seen this site? It advertises riveted maille for around the same price bracket. allbeststuff.com/Chain-Mail-Armour/16-Gauge-9-mm-Full-Round-Riveted-Chain-Maille-Hauberk-Chest-40Oh that does look nice, my problem is that because I want to wear this under a regular shirt, and tucked in, I have a really hard time finding something like that, which is just like a shirt, that doesn't go below the waist, so I have to be careful of the specs. I think the term hauberk can refer to a number of lengths, including below the waist, so it gets pretty confusing, is that one just waist length or? EDIT: Also yes I'm not expecting that homemade armor to stand up to a mock battle or anything like that, just normal street threats. Like a ballista Do those homemade steel links look strong enough though? Assuming of course you can overlap enough of them so a thrust can't slip through. If I do try it, I'd just buy different lengths of chain and basically drape myself with them, I wouldn't take individual links apart.
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Post by antoine99 on Dec 27, 2017 23:13:20 GMT
Hey everyone! I was watching some videos about DIY armor just for fun, this guy made some really great looking armor from an aluminum street sign (1/8" thick), and it was extremely effective, lying flat on the ground it stopped a spear plunging into it from above. So being sad that I'm completely unhandy unlike the guy in the video, I was just thinking for fun what else could be used to make "armor". So I immediately thought of those long lengths of (HEAVY) steel chains on those rolls they have at home improvement stores. For example, something like this: www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-2-x-1-ft-Steel-Straight-Link-Chain-806446/204630488Now I know those links are huge and you would need to cross them over each other to close the gaps otherwise it would be pointless, and it would probably end up being extremely heavy, but otherwise, how do you think that would work against swords, axes, knives, etc.? They have all kinds of different sizes so I don't mean exactly like in the link, the links could be smaller, but those, at least to my inexperienced eyes, seem extremely tough, and welded (which is good for traditional chainmail). This is probably totally impractical to wear but I thought it would be a fun project just like as a proof of concept, or when I'm bored. And for my second question, I found this website that sells really nice looking functional chainmail shirts and vests, but they don't really give a ton of information about it; www.ringmesh.com/ChainMail_Shirts_and_Vests_s/25.htmAll it tells you is: Features 100% Stainless Steel Incredibly Lightweight 100% Welded Rings Incredibly Durable Easy to Maintain Unique in Look and Feel It doesn't tell you the gauge, size of the rings, etc. I really want to buy the short sleeve version and wear it under a long sleeve shirt, it looks really nice, maybe not historical but I really like it, not to mention protective. If I DID wear it under a shirt daily, do I have to worry about links coming apart from sitting in a car, walking, using a belt, etc.? I plan on wearing this with a tucked in shirt if I do. I'm just wondering about the protection factor, as in how well would this protect you against melee threats (knives, etc.) on the street etc. It DOES say that it's welded so that's good, but still, I think they should give a bit more information. Thanks everyone!
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Post by antoine99 on Dec 26, 2017 4:09:39 GMT
Dear God, my OCD would not permit me to own anywhere near that many swords lol, I'd go crazy Yes I am just lightly handling them, as in not actually hitting/cutting/stabbing anything, just practicing strikes and stuff like that. But you're right I'm just trying to get some good habits down. OCD? Officer Correctional Discipline? Often critically difficult? Overbearing Chocolate Dromadery? Merry Christmas Open to Chocolately Deaths?
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Post by antoine99 on Dec 25, 2017 4:24:55 GMT
Dear God, my OCD would not permit me to own anywhere near that many swords lol, I'd go crazy
Yes I am just lightly handling them, as in not actually hitting/cutting/stabbing anything, just practicing strikes and stuff like that. But you're right I'm just trying to get some good habits down.
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Post by antoine99 on Dec 24, 2017 21:34:46 GMT
^ Thanks! I should have noticed a problem when I wiped it with the cloth and got some black residue on it, I forgot to even mention that. I guess I'll clean it a few more times. EDIT: By the way, someone mentioned before making a sheath out of cardboard, can I just make a super minimalist sheath by getting two pieces of cardboard and letting it rest in between those? That's more appealing to me than the "wrap it in towels" method yeah your cloth should wipe clean. Residue means it isn’t clean. Can make a makeshift scabbard out of many things. Haha, alright sounds good, thanks again
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Post by antoine99 on Dec 24, 2017 19:25:08 GMT
^ Thanks!
I should have noticed a problem when I wiped it with the cloth and got some black residue on it, I forgot to even mention that. I guess I'll clean it a few more times.
EDIT: By the way, someone mentioned before making a sheath out of cardboard, can I just make a super minimalist sheath by getting two pieces of cardboard and letting it rest in between those? That's more appealing to me than the "wrap it in towels" method
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Post by antoine99 on Dec 24, 2017 19:04:11 GMT
Little follow-up question;
I just got my gun and reel cloth and 91% isopropyl alcohol, so I put some alcohol on a paper towel and wiped the blade down with it, then used a few more paper towels and dried it off, then I went over it a few times with the gun and reel cloth, which made it look quite nice, and put it back in the sheath. So this morning I checked it and it had a little bit of watery residue here and there, so I figured I made some sort of mistake. I'm thinking maybe:
1. Was I supposed to wipe off any excess from the gun and reel cloth with a dry paper towel? 2. Was I not supposed to store it back in the sheath after applying that stuff, maybe it makes it easier to sweat?
So I took some dry paper towels and dried the watery spots off (but I didn't remove the layer with alcohol, or reapply anything) and it looked fine, and put it back in the sheath to see if maybe the problem was excess use of the gun cloth.
I'm also going to order some lemon oil for the wooden guard and pommel, what about the bone handle though, I can probably just leave that?
Thanks
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