Research and Discussion Forums

I was only pointing out that armor to the exclusion of another weapon doesn't make sense. to use your sword and buckler reference, why bother taking a buckler but no sword? That said, you're absolutely right in that there should be no separation between offense and defense in a fight and that anythi...

"The use of plate armor as a weapon itself definitely would fit into many of the images of judicial duels we've seen, but I freely confess I've no idea how it would fit into the world of battlefield combat, or how common the grand suits of plate were on the field, as opposed to in judicial duel...

I'll check it out, thank you.

Yeah. Anaheim, CA. How far is right around the corner? I'm staying up on Ball road, bout a mile from the Honda Center. Where is your group located and when do they meet?

Hello everyone. I've recently moved out here to Anaheim to go to school. I'm looking for a group or school with which to train. My primary area of interest is italian rapier but I'm game for any weapon. I've got grappling experience, a little bit of Army Combatives (which is basically BJJ), and I've...

Thanks, your answers have really helped clear this up. Based on what Stacey said, it really sounds like titanium would be more advantageous for a knife than a sword as a knife doesn't need the mass for cutting strikes that a sword would. Either way, your response basically confirms what my suspicion...

I remember a long time ago, reading an ad in, I believe it was Brigade Quartermaster or one of those other catalogs that sell tactical knives and such things. One of the products was a titanium-bladed knife with a rather unconventional "point". Rather than a point in the usual sense, it ha...

Check these guys out. They're so sloppy, I bet they haven't trained in months! The guy on the left even looks like he trains... rapier! :roll: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKQtlJ-iI38 (I'm the guy on the left. and it is silly. But consider it a "test run." Forgive the sloppiness. Enjoy!)

Hey there, Amanda! Congratulations on your finding and beginning your study in the chivalric arts! My father and I have had to work in a lot of do-it-yourself weapons and a lot of them work out pretty well. If you wouldn't mind posting some measurements (specifically of the weapon's length, width an...

Nejrael, Did you mean a flail in each hand or a single flail with two balls? I can imagine using a flail in conjunction with another blade but not two at once. It would take a great deal of concentration to keep the chains from tangling :shock: Also, Jonathan, rapiers are very capable defensive weap...

First off, I'd like to congratulate you and wish you the best of luck. As far as the equipment and texts you're going to use, you should get in touch with your group and ask them. At least at first, you want to be using the same material they are. Being a rapierist, I can't give any advice oh whose ...

My friend is shopping for a new sword and wants a baskethilt sword or a mortuary sword. He was looking at a Hanwei mortuary sword as it is inexpensive and looks very nice. I know some SCAdians would swear by Hanwei rapiers and I know you here at ARMA are unimpressed by the longswords they offer. How...

Stacy, I like your answer very much. It makes sense that way. Now, the downsides of the thrust are just as apparent as the downsides of cuts. This is why I was puzzled as to why one would be "superior" to the other since they are used for totally different reasons and to accomplish differe...

Well, Steve, I didn't know that. But the question in my mind then, is this: Why would the thrust be superior to the cut if the use of either is situational? I mean, I haven't read any of the authors you mentioned. All I know is what Fabris said about cutting Vs thrusting. It makes no sense to me for...

Hey guys..just had a thought. I remember a lot of quotes and refutations about the point being superior to the edge in sword combat. Now, Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't a lot of the masters who spoke of the superiority of the thrust masters of thrusting weapons? If that is true, then it makes ...