Stockholm Seminar & Research Trip

[John_Clements]

Our recent Sweden seminar was a smashing success and we got to do some killer research while there. Here are just a few quick pics from the many we'll post. As I said last year, Sweden is one of the most active and important locations for historical fencing studies and after this trip I am even more convinced than ever this is true.
Below are some shots of swords and pole arms in the Swedish Royal Armory store room where we had the incredible opportunity to view close up almost one thousand real swords and weapons, handle some 100 and closely examine about 30 choice specimens, including some truly spectacular pieces. More to come in our full report.

[John_Clements]

Below here are a few shots of the weekend, including some attendees handling one of Peter Johnson's exquisite replicas, training in sword & buckler and half-swording, Peter himself lecturing on swords, and my incredible opportunity to view originals of important period fencing works including an original 1553 edition of Camillo Agrippa's fencing treatise as well as that by Huessler among others.

[Derek Wassom]

Man, I wish I could have made it this time, it looks like you guys had a blast.
Are you guys going to do this again next year?

[Joachim Nilsson]

Yeah, the seminar was really, really great. I'm really looking forward to the full report. BTW John, check your mail if you haven't done that already.

And yes Derek, hopefully we'll do it again next year. If I can have my say I would even like to get together for a new seminar as soon as this coming fall. But that's perhaps just me -always up for more. <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" />

He he, I see that I even got to be on one of the pictures this time. Halfswording fun! Me like sword. <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />

[TimSheetz]

Hi John,

Looks excellent! Are you now going through "sword withdraw"?

I hope to be in Europe and definitely want to visit Sweden! Looking forward to hearing more about the trip.

Peace,

Tim

[Guest]

Great pics John!
this seminar was awesome and covered everything that ARMA is about, training, researching, handling great replicas ( everyone smiles when holding a Peter Johnson sword...) and handling antiques. The trip to Royal armouries was extraordinary.
I will mail ( snail ) you some pics that I took later.
We now have 5 ARMA groups in Sweden and more to come.

[Guest]

I'm happy everything went well (except for Per-Åke's (non-seminar) mishap), and that the poor weather resulted in us being allowed into the storage. The curator didn't want to move the dozen or so swords to the study room, so we had to visit the storage instead. I didn't hear anyone complain. Having Peter as a lecturer is always a treat, and everything combined made the weekend real fun and full of learning. The off-seminar stuff was great, too. John's Don Corleone impersonation really cracked us up!

[John_Clements]

The phrase "kid in a candy store" does not do justice to how we all felt. Imagine the opportunity for sword nuts like us being let loose for several hours amidst hundreds of fine swords. Seven ARMA guys just went nuts, and although they gave us white handling gloves and plastic shoe covers, there was nothing to sop up all our drool.

[John_Clements]

Neils finds true love among the two-handers. ...Crazy Swede!

[John_Clements]

Bjorn showing off one of several superb early 17th century Swedish military cut &amp; thrust swords, delightful agile and light but robust and quite capable of serious shearing blows.

[John_Clements]

The intriguing case of back swords and baskethilts.

[John_Clements]

Per-Ake plays with another fine late 16th century Swedish cut &amp; thrust shearing sword/field sword.

[John_Clements]

An array of 15th century longswords and other weapons in mostly excavated condition.

[John_Clements]

Hans displays one of the finest swords I have ever handled...an unusual 16th century weapon, possibley a form of Grosssabel, with a long handle,. long slightly curved single edged blade widening at the forte, sharpened one quarter of the false edge, and with a knuckle guard connecting to a fish tail pommel, with two assymetrical pierced-dish side plates, and a thumb ring!

[John_Clements]

This superb weapon was phenomenally light and incredibly well-balanced, it sung! Fast, agile, maneuverable, with a good heft that screamed "used me!" It's size and mass defied its featherweight feel easy play. I could not put it down. Truly a masterpiece.