A sword for the day

[Grant Hall]

I still believe that a greatsword or large longsword (Keep in mind I am a tall lad, thus like my toys to be BIG <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" /> ) slung on your back would deter potential assailants.
Walking around with a "walking Stick" could potentially invite attacks, espeacially if you are on your way down to the bakery with a purse full of money.

Example: (With modern Weapons) Imagine it is legal to walk arround with guns on your hips, ANY KIND OF GUN! including machine guns and assault rifles and such.
Now take a group of young thugs armed with handguns. If they see a man with no conspicuous weapon (say his gun is under his shirt) forking out money at the CD shop, they may be tempted to follow him down an alley a try to rob him.
However if the same thugs saw the same man walk into the CD shop with a firearm on his hip and an AK in his hands I doubt they would want to try robbing him.

I use this example to show that simply having a Greatsword with you, along with a shorter nimbler sword and/or dagger, could prevent potential conflicts. Thats why I'd choose a larger sword, with a good back up weapon, over an inconspicuous or concealed weapon. (Remember in the hypothetical question you can carry whatever you want, you dont have to be shy <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" /> )

[JeffGentry]

Hey Grant

I still believe that a greatsword or large longsword (Keep in mind I am a tall lad, thus like my toys to be BIG ) slung on your back would deter potential assailants.

Putting a sword on your back is a mistake try drawing a sword out of the sheath/scabbard from your back, if i saw some one walking down the street this way and was looking to rob someone i might choose that person because they could not get to there weapon quickly.

We have tried this in ARMA and the back is not the place to have your sword if you might need to use it.

Jeff

[Grant Hall]

<img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" /> I was wondering about this, as I have often tried visualizing pulling a 5' blade from over my shoulder and found it to be, "anatomically dereft of senses"?
but do tell, where does one sheathe his two hander?

(On the over the back thing, what if you had a set up like william wallace's from braveheart, with the long ricasso and the sheathe low on your back? I just dont know where your supposed to put them... surely you cant sheathe it at your side???? I would find it very difficult to walk anywhere (let alone in a crowd) with a five foot long hard metalic tail.. <img src="/forum/images/icons/crazy.gif" alt="" /> protruding from my hind quarters...

hmmmm,. <img src="/forum/images/icons/confused.gif" alt="" />

[Mike Chidester]

You'd carry it on your horse or draw it well before you reached the battle. You can, however, carry a greatsword on your hip quite easily.

[Stacy Clifford]

George Silver believed that the staff was the best of all weapons, save possibly the forest bill. Joseph Swetnam shows how even basic training with a staff can adequately defend you against not only another staff, but sword and dagger and rapier as well. A single-hand thrust will easily cave in your face faster than you can blink, and some of the big German strikes are extremely intimidating and deadly. Englishman Richard Peeke was given his choice of weapons to face three Spanish rapier men. He chose a staff and quickly dispatched all three.

The speed of a staff is going to be relative to its length obviously, but a staff of Silver's "perfect length" (about 6-8 feet depending on your height) can be wickedly fast when used correctly. It's extremely versatile and can thrust in a narrow alley or whirl about in the open. It could of course be damaged by a sword cut and can be defeated with good tactics, but again, used properly, they won't get much of a chance to get that close.

Given a choice, I would definitely carry a staff, with a cut and thrust or messer as a backup weapon (because I'm not the only one who knows how to close on a staff).

[Grant Hall]

Alright firstly, a note to any further replies, I am a person who learns best through argument, or rather deep discussion, (I love to prove people wrong, and to be proved wrong so I in turn may later prove poeple wrong and be proved wrong. I know, it is a viscous circle, but it is how my mind works and the most effective way for me to learn.)

that being said.
For arguments sake say one did not have a horse (Which I agree would be a very effective way of storing a doppelhander) I still dont see a real issue with carrying a two handed sword on your back. when one looks at a large (six foot) two handed sword, you may note the extended ricasso and the flukes, on some swords the flukes were almost centralized, (3' from pommel and 3' from point) if one was to sheate this sword it would only be housed up to the flukes.
So, being the idiot i am I strapped a belt arround my lower back and sheathed my two-handed (home made waster) sword up to the flukes, and tried drawing it. at first it was disasterous but after a little adjusting the blade came out smoothly and placed me directly into Zornhut. I then tried drawing from my hip and the best it did was put me into a possition where I could attain olber (my lowering the tip) pflug (by raising the tip) or into tag (by raising the entire blade which seemed like a waste of econmy of movement.)

I think it could be feasable and pratical to sheathe a Two-handed sword on your back...

I would be interested to hear what kind of tests you performed Jeff..

sorry for the off topic orientation of this post, i am just curious. After all I dont want to look like a fool when my blade gets stuck on my back and I get cut down by my practice partners <img src="/forum/images/icons/blush.gif" alt="" />
thankyou in advance for any forth coming replies

[Rod-Thornton]

Stacy:

What are some of the best sources for studying the staff?

[Grant Hall]

Hey again.

Now to a more serious matter, and in keeping with the staffs (staves?) I was wondering how effective are they against a man in armour? Are their blows suffiect enough to injure a man in fullplate?

any info would be appreiciated (Im actually considering giving the staff a look in now <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" /> )

thanks in advance

[Shane Smith]

After seeing Stacy in action with a staff and training under him in Houston, I agree with Silver as well.The staff seems a superior weapon in many cases.

[Shane Smith]

Now to a more serious matter, and in keeping with the staffs (staves?) I was wondering how effective are they against a man in armour? Are their blows suffiect enough to injure a man in fullplate?

Give me a week or two and I'll have an answer for you first-hand <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/icons/cool.gif" alt="" />

[Grant Hall]

<img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" /> thanks, I dont know if I would be much good with a staff, but I think it is seriously worth taking a look at, I might show my brother some of the info Im gathering too. He self taught himself how to spin a poolque and to date I haven't seem many people better than him, (Even in movies) I think if he takes that same commitment and puts it to serious use in training with a staff in its proper techniques he would be highly formidable.

I think he wanted to learn how to weild two swords, but since most people on here say its either too inefective or just plain too much trouble I think I'll reintroduce the staff to him.

thanks again.

[s_taillebois]

Interesting thing is that some of the warding and strikes which are suitable for a longsword, are easily adapted (and very similar) to that of a staff.
Probably one of the additional reasons Silver and the English were so fond of the quarter/half/ etc staffs...it was a way to be effectively armed, without being overtly armed.
And really, carrying a full measure weapon about all the time can be wearing, and so not uncommon for people to find alternatives. Hence it seems the older popularity of stylets, daggers and staffs...a way to be prepared without having to have the engagement (psychological and physical) of battle gear. Especially since these were a group of people for whom long term intermittent wars were a condition. (in france the cattle had even become conditioned to come in when the alarm bells were rung). So at times, even the armed people, preferred not to have the hardware hanging at their sides.

[s_taillebois]

Oh, and forgot to mention, if it were conceptually possible for people to go about in the modern day with rapiers, swords, and such..we'd have to develop a code stating when and how certain weapons could be worn.
For example, in the late medieval period, in peacetime, all it took to enforce a certain discretion with weapons was a falcon. To travel to another aristocrat while you were bearing a falcon indicated peaceful intentions, a visit or negotiation. And so, to have gotten too obvious with a battlefield weapon or attitude, would have been considered duplicitous, or an outright insult. (Actually there's a scene in the Bayauex tapestry referring to the falcon symbols...partially it was also the reason they took them to church...a token of good behavior)
So in a related term to the initial question, how would our conjectural modern 'sword bearer' develop a code of symbols regulating conduct?

[Jake_Norwood]

Actually, Stacy, I think Silver stated that the "Welch Hooke" was the best of all weapons, but that the Staff was the best for day-to-day carry.

Jake

[Robert Rolph]

I think I would use something that easy to carry around like a short sword...perhaps a spanish sword that the Romans used. It's broad and is used for thrusting into the enemy's belly and hacking. Or maybe I'd go with a Thai sword...again for similar purposes, except it curves slightly with only one cutting edge. Both of these are excellent for using in closing combat. A very long sword would have difficulty fighting at these range if the enemies happened to be using it. You can get pass the long sword striking very easily with very fast foot work, incombination with blocking, and attacking techniques. I would also learn the deadly art of Krabi-krabong or Muay Thai which focus on quick, decisive, and realistic self-defense with weapons and unarmed.