Posts: 5,739 Location: Wichita, Kansas
Tue 08 Nov, 2005 8:38 am
Quote: |
hehehe ya i just got teh coif a day before the event. the plan is to attach it, split the front and back. trim the sleeves to elbows and add a ventail.... i'm scared... dont wanna screw up my forth armoury (shakeing hehehe) |
Sure, sure, excuses............... :p
I know what you mean about screwing things up. The original hauberk I did all the alterations on cost less than $300. On the other hand the GDFB coif was nearly as expensive as the hauberk so I'm more reluctant to start chopping that up. Please share some photos when you've attached the coif, I'd like to see that.
Posts: 1,244 Location: New Glarus, WI
Tue 08 Nov, 2005 9:55 am
Patrick Kelly wrote: |
Please share some photos when you've attached the coif, I'd like to see that. |
Wow, did we drift way away from the... what was it? Oh yeah... the Reeve! :p
I just did a lot of work (and then rework, and then re-rework :wtf: ) putting an integrated coif on a hauberk. Not as simple as I had expected... getting it adjusted to hang properly, allow you to turn the head, and still get it on and off is a real treat. Still not sure I am completely satisfied...
Glad as heck it was butted.
Not to bring dispair and gloom... just realize it has to be looser than you might think, and try it out throughout the process.
Posts: 5,739 Location: Wichita, Kansas
Tue 08 Nov, 2005 9:58 am
Aaron Schnatterly wrote: |
Wow, did we drift way away from the... what was it? Oh yeah... the Reeve! :p |
Well, you can only say "Gee that's neat!" so many times!
Quote: |
I just did a lot of work (and then rework, and then re-rework :wtf: ) putting an integrated coif on a hauberk. Not as simple as I had expected... getting it adjusted to hang properly, allow you to turn the head, and still get it on and off is a real treat. Still not sure I am completely satisfied...
Glad as heck it was butted.
Not to bring dispair and gloom... just realize it has to be looser than you might think, and try it out throughout the process. |
All very true, and some of the reasons why I haven't tackled it yet. Although now that the hauberk is finished I have fewer excuses. :D
Now back the the Reeve................................
Posts: 51
Tue 08 Nov, 2005 4:16 pm
Would anyone from Albion like to tell us how this beautiful blade handles? PLEASE!!!!!!!!!! :-)
Posts: 5,739 Location: Wichita, Kansas
Tue 08 Nov, 2005 4:52 pm
Jonathan Harton wrote: |
Would anyone from Albion like to tell us how this beautiful blade handles? PLEASE!!!!!!!!!! :-) |
Have patience, hopefully I'll find out by the end of the week. :D
Posts: 1,757 Location: Storvreta, Sweden
Tue 08 Nov, 2005 5:11 pm
Jonathan Harton wrote: |
Would anyone from Albion like to tell us how this beautiful blade handles? PLEASE!!!!!!!!!! :-) |
This blade that is used for the Reeve and Bayeaux and shortened for the Thegn, was designed to meet the need of those who appreciate lighter and quicker weapons.
I was shooting for a weight around 1 kilo for the bigger swords, but found out that the blade could actually carry an even heavier pommel than anticipated. This made total weight greater, but allowed for even quicker recovery and agility.
The idea was to make swords that offered as pleasant and forgiving heft as possible without compromizing the neccessary soft pull forwards in the cut that these swords need.
The prototype blades I worked with, trying out different pommel weights, showed what was possible in the way of quickness and agility with retained cutting performance and presence.
The feel of the Reeve and the Bayeaux are quite similar. The Reeve might have ever so slightly more pull in the blade.
The low over all weight and the slim point area make both swords smooth and pleasant to manouver.
The blade is slim in cross section with a thin edge bevel. The final sharpness is shaped in the very last margin of the bevel making the most of the material.
I do think they are best suited for lighter targets. As they are low weight swords they are not really intended to deal with heavier stuff anyway, but they are dedicated for devastating presision cuts on those exposed areas of face, neck, arms and legs where armour is minimal or absent.
Quickness and control are needed to deliver cuts in an instant when the opponent makes a mistake. This is the misson of these designs.
When studying actual originals you will see the whole spectrum from can openers to near filet knives in edge geometry and cross section. These new type X blades are somewhat past the middle of this range leaning towards the finer geometries. You need to appreciate this to use these swords to best effect: they are not helmet cleavers but leg biters, face splitters and wrist choppers.
The bigger and heavier Gaddhjalt and Norman are beefier in all respects, but are also slower weapons that will perform best when used from horseback or together with a large shield and good coverage of mail (you will not be terribly quick if you are wearing a large amount of mail and a great long shield anyway, so you can make good use of a slower but also very powerful weapon).
These new type X swords are going to be at home in the hands of a ligher armed infantry man. Mobility, agility, speed and precision are the main characteristics. Cutting performance is more a matter of placing and speed. You will lack somewhat in sheer power to demolish mail (something that is difficult in any situation, but you will still hurt the guy inside!). The fine geometry will make cutting of more exposed areas pretty effortless.
This is my impression and intention of these designs. I am eager to hear what reenactors think when they use this sword with different period armour and equipment. Further testing might show other charactersitics beyond what I´ve described above.
This is another aspect of test cutting that is seldom explored: performing cutting training wearing proper armour and perhaps even a shield. This will tell what kind of mobility is possible and what effort it takes to deliver effective cuts.
Posts: 1,244 Location: New Glarus, WI
Tue 08 Nov, 2005 5:35 pm
Peter Johnsson wrote: |
When studying actual originals you will see the whole spectrum from can openers to near filet knives in edge geometry and cross section. These new type X blades are somewhat past the middle of this range leaning towards the finer geometries. You need to appreciate this to use these swords to best effect: they are not helmet cleavers but leg biters, face splitters and wrist choppers....
... These new type X swords are going to be at home in the hands of a ligher armed infantry man. Mobility, agility, speed and precision are the main characteristics. Cutting performance is more a matter of placing and speed. You will lack somewhat in sheer power to demolish mail (something that is difficult in any situation, but you will still hurt the guy inside!). The fine geometry will make cutting of more exposed areas pretty effortless...
... This is my impression and intention of these designs. I am eager to hear what reenactors think when they use this sword with different period armour and equipment. Further testing might show other charactersitics beyond what I´ve described above.
This is another aspect of test cutting that is seldom explored: performing cutting training wearing proper armour and perhaps even a shield. This will tell what kind of mobility is possible and what effort it takes to deliver effective cuts. |
This sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun, Peter! Thanks for the outstanding description of some of the finer points to this piece.
As for giving it a thorough workout - both in and out of appropriate period armour, I'll be more than happy to. I just needed to wait until the weather started to cool down a bit - and that time is just around the corner. :D I, too, would love to hear people's experiences!
Posts: 5,739 Location: Wichita, Kansas
Tue 08 Nov, 2005 6:48 pm
Peter wrote: |
This is another aspect of test cutting that is seldom explored: performing cutting training wearing proper armour and perhaps even a shield. This will tell what kind of mobility is possible and what effort it takes to deliver effective cuts. |
It's interesting that you should mention this Peter. I've been doing a bit of this very thing as my 11th century kit has come together and I'm anxious to try it with the Reeve.
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