Introduction

[Frank Crist]

Hi everyone, just wanted to introduce myself. I'm a novelist living in Chicago who was drawn to ARMA for research purposes. I've been quite impressed with what I've seen, not only in the content of the site, but with the design of it as well. Everything is very well-written and easy to read. Kudos!

I'm writing a novel that is set in the modern day and involves swordplay of the European variety--rapiers mostly, but subject to change. I have two questions for the forum:

1. Where can I find actual historical accounts of duels fought and recorded? I'd like to not only emulate some of the language of the time--especially with reference to stances, combat actions, and so forth--but also to have a realistic idea of the length of time two opponents spend in the contest. I am well aware that the "Princess Bride" style of long, drawn-out contests is far beyond the reality of a duel, and would like to adhere to historical accuracy as much as is possible.

2. Does anyone have any information about the "flame" rapier on the "Questions & Answers About the Rapier" page? (The direct link to the image is http://www.thearma.org/Youth/RapierQandA/heymr44.jpg) When I saw that blade its dramatic potential jumped out at me, even though I would think it somewhat impractical in an actual contest.

Thanks!

f.

[Matthew Miller]

http://www.thearma.org/Manuals/NewManua ... oferro.htm

Those are plates from one of the most well known rapier manuals

http://www.thearma.org/essays/digby.html

and that is an account of a street fight, you may find it useful

[Matthew Miller]

http://www.thearma.org/essays/EnglishLit.htm

that should also be helpful, I found it to be a great read, very educational.

[Michael Olsen]

2. Does anyone have any information about the "flame" rapier on the "Questions & Answers About the Rapier" page? (The direct link to the image is http://www.thearma.org/Youth/RapierQandA/heymr44.jpg) When I saw that blade its dramatic potential jumped out at me, even though I would think it somewhat impractical in an actual contest.

Thanks!

f.

This "flamberge" style blade has been of some interest to me ever since I learned it actually existed. I always thought it was merely a creation of the Dungeons and Dragons world, but no. Such blades do exist on historic weapons. From my understanding of reading on this site and others, there is no real loss of functionality with the flame-blade, nor any real gain in capability (contrary to myth, the flamberge blades do not cut especially deeper).

The ARMA page on sword definitions expounds somewhat on this (see "Flamberge").

It seems that this style of blade was created for just that - style. No doubt there was added expense in its creation, marking its wearer or wielder as a society member of some considerable fortune.

It may also be noteworthy that the same style appears on more cutting oriented swords like the Renaissance Two-Handers and other weapons.

[Frank Crist]

Thanks so much for your replies thus far, and please keep them coming with regards to recorded fights. Going back through the forums, I found this link:

http://www.classicalfencing.com/articles/royal.php

which I add to this discussion for posterity.

Re: the flamberge--

Because of the "grabbish" nature of the edge, would a fighter savvy against such a blade have an advantage over the wielder? I would think that a parry against a flamberge would be capable of directing it moreso than a normal blade since its ability to slide along the length is impaired. Does anyone have any experience using such a blade (or similar blades)?

(And I found a decent entry in Wikipedia on the flamberge, which I was happy to see linked back to the ARMA terms page Mr. Olsen provided.)

f.

[LafayetteCCurtis]

Well, this review:

http://www.myarmoury.com/review_dw_tranrap.html

is of a reproduction rather than a historical piece, but it might be helpful. I also engage in novel writing in my spare time, and I find that the experience of actually studying and practicing the European martial arts has helped greatly in improving my writing.

[Will Adamson]

I didn't realize that there was such a thing as a one handed flamberge. I thought that the two handed variety was used to defeat pike formations. The non-smooth edge would probably help a tad in preventing the pike shaft from sliding off in the instant it would take to knock it aside.

Of course the group I saw demonstrate this did alot of goofy things, so should not be taken as entirely accurate. My thought was why doesn't someone from the back of the formation just stab the guy?

[Allen Johnson]

possibly check out, "The History of Duelling: Including narratives of the most remarkable personal encounters, that have taken place from the earliest period to the present time" Vol. 1 &2 by JG MIllingen. I have vol 1 and it has some interesting accounts in it.