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Craig Peters
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 Posted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 2:11 pm Post subject: Disproportionate Interest In European Weapons |
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Is there any reason why the vast majority of people on this forum appear to be primarily interested in European arms and armour? While myArmoury is dedicated to any sort of historical weapons, it seems that most of the threads are on European rather than Asian weapons.
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Joachim Nilsson
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| Posted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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Perhaps the people with Asian weapons as their primary interest hangs out at other forums that are more purely dedicated to Asian weaponry.
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Elling Polden
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| Posted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 2:54 pm Post subject: |
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That, and the fact that the admin team seems to be mostly into european arms (judging from their colections...),
which leads to most of the content of the site being about these weapons when it first started, which again attracts people interested in western weapons, who contribute more content about the same, and so on?
Just the way it turns out...
"this [fight] looks curious, almost like a game. See, they are looking around them before they fall, to find a dry spot to fall on, or they are falling on their shields. Can you see blood on their cloths and weapons? No. This must be trickery."
-Reidar Sendeman, from King Sverre's Saga, 1201
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Joe Fults
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| Posted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 3:47 pm Post subject: |
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Avoids culture clash! 
"The goal shouldn’t be to avoid being evil; it should be to actively do good." - Danah Boyd
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Chris Lampe
Location: United States Joined: 07 Mar 2005
Posts: 211
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| Posted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 4:39 pm Post subject: |
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Once I get my antique Chinese jian fully restored I hope to provide a little taste of the Orient to myArmoury.com. 
In the meantime, myArmoury.com is by far the best resourse available for indulging my interest in western European arms.
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Gary Grzybek
Location: Stillwater N.J. Joined: 25 Aug 2003
Posts: 559
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| Posted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 4:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Joe Fults wrote: | | Avoids culture clash! |
Hmmm.... yea, and we know where that can lead
Gary Grzybek
ARMA Northern N.J.
www.armastudy.org
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Alexander Hinman
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| Posted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 4:43 pm Post subject: |
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It also is focused on weapons from x date BC to around 1700 AD, primarily. I would like to know a bit more about some of them there mid-19th c. rifles, but that is probably being discussed elsewhere entirely.
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Chad Arnow
myArmoury Team
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| Posted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 4:52 pm Post subject: |
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We would love to branch out. We have tried to branch out. We are in the process of branching out. 
The bottom line is that the vast majority of the people who have been willing to contribute articles/reviews (admin, team members, other readers) are into Euro items. We would probably publish non-Euro-heavy collections if people ever showed us their collections and were willing to go through the lengthy process of documenting it. Not having many non-Euro items doesn't mean we won't publish other things or that we don't want to publish other things. We simply haven't had the items to publish to this point. The recent call for articles has put some new areas into the lineup for down the road, though.
If you want to discuss non-Euro items, go ahead. If you want to write about non-Euro items, contact us and we'll work out details. If no one volunteers to write about or posts about non-Euro items, then the one-sided appearance of the site may remain.
I'm not going to review a katana because I don't have access to one. I'm not going to write a spotlight on Chinese armour because I don't have the resources in my library. I won't add a jambiya to my collection because it falls outside my area of interest, either. But I'm not the only one with a word-processing program, camera, and a few spare hours....
Catch my drift?
ChadA
http://chadarnow.com/
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Jeremiah Swanger
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| Posted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 4:55 pm Post subject: Re: Disproportionate Interest In European Weapons |
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| Craig Peters wrote: | | Is there any reason why the vast majority of people on this forum appear to be primarily interested in European arms and armour? While myArmoury is dedicated to any sort of historical weapons, it seems that most of the threads are on European rather than Asian weapons. |
Because just about every other sword arts forum is the exact opposite, perhaps?
Even though I know that Nathan and the rest of the myArmoury team want to encompass all cultures, I find the inadvertant focus on western weaponry to be very refreshing.
Does this mean I find collectors and practitioners of the oriental sword unwelcome? No, of course not. They have much to contribute to the knowledge pool, as do the rest of us.
I'm just saying that it's nice to have one forum where the Western sword is the focus (whether intentionally or not) and not an afterthought.
"Rhaegar fought nobly.
Rhaegar fought valiantly.
Rhaegar fought honorably.
And Rhaegar died."
- G.R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire
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Jeremiah Swanger
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| Posted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 4:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Gary Grzybek wrote: | | Joe Fults wrote: | | Avoids culture clash! |
Hmmm.... yea, and we know where that can lead |
How about a round of "Knight vs. Samurai", anyone?
Muwahahahahahaha
"Rhaegar fought nobly.
Rhaegar fought valiantly.
Rhaegar fought honorably.
And Rhaegar died."
- G.R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire
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Chad Arnow
myArmoury Team
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| Posted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 4:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Alexander Hinman wrote: | | It also is focused on weapons from x date BC to around 1700 AD, primarily. I would like to know a bit more about some of them there mid-19th c. rifles, but that is probably being discussed elsewhere entirely. |
Alex,
Please see this post: http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=5645
We do have some later period items published and more in the works. But... If you would like to know more on those time periods, then do some reading and then contact us about sharing your knowledge with others via this site. We don't lack ideas or a desire to cover other eras/areas, we lack people willing to step up and contribute articles and reviews. Our very small volunteer team writes about what interests them most. If more authors volunteered, our content base would expand. It's pretty simple.
ChadA
http://chadarnow.com/
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Edward Hitchens
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| Posted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 10:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Jeremiah Swanger wrote: |
How about a round of "Knight vs. Samurai", anyone? |
Thou shalt not get me started on that.  Through my years of collecting and reading, I've never come across an actual engagement between the chivalrous knight and the honorable samurai. I have heard countless people say that a samurai sword can cut thru plate armor as if it were butter. Sorry, but I won't believe that until I see it!
Craig brought up a good point. I'd love to see some things about Asian arms. I have no doubt that a Japanese katana (and its like) has just as much myth surrounding it as "our" European longsword (i.e. being light as a feather, yet able to cut a Chevrolet in half  ). It may be worth it to contrast the knight v. samurai to something that may generate less biased speculation and disagreement: Say for instance, longsword v. katana.
Which reminds me ... John Clements did an article for SFI about a Japanese samurai vs. a European with a rapier (the archtype cutting sword and the archtype thrusting sword). You can read it here: swordforum.com/summer99/kat-vs-rap.html. -Ted
"The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest." Thomas Jefferson
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Scott Byler
Location: New Mexico Joined: 20 Aug 2003
Posts: 209
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| Posted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 10:35 pm Post subject: |
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No chance to head off the dreaded knight vs. samurai. Not even by trying to focus on the swords alone, since comparing apples and oranges tends to bring folks back to the notion that it is the skill of the use that makes the big difference. So, just say no....
Now, on to the subject of whether the site is too Eurocentric.... Maybe, but it is sometimes nice to have a dedicated place to one thing. Still, there is a world out there outside this and it is a good thing to be aware of it. I think many weapons do not get the time they need. The katana and associated weapons do see a lot of discussion all over the net. Chinese weapons and other mid and far eastern types deserve a deeper understanding, I think. But, the folks with the expertise to bring the katana, the dao, the kilic, etc. have to pony up to the task. It is hard to get really good solid education on these from folks that don''t know a lot about them. So the experts need to chime in....
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Taylor Ellis
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| Posted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 11:06 pm Post subject: |
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I actually really like the fact that myArmoury's front forum page isn't filled with questions about various chinese made kats.
However, Keith Larman pops in time to time with some really interesting stuff on the Japanese side of the sword world.
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Carl Goff
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| Posted: Wed 08 Feb, 2006 12:35 am Post subject: |
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| Jeremiah Swanger wrote: |
Hmmm.... yea, and we know where that can lead
How about a round of "Knight vs. Samurai", anyone?
Muwahahahahahaha
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Knight's armor stops katana cut, and he proceeds to kill the samurai with a half-sworded thrust. Knight wins.
*ducks for cover*
But seriously, I would be interested in reading articles on Middle to Far Eastern arms and armor, even though I'm fonder of Western styles in general. We just have a Western focus here at the moment. Things may well (probably will, judging from a few other responses in this thread) even out in time.
Besides, don't we have something of a resource on Chinese weaponry in Lancelot Chan?
Oh, East of sands and sunlit gulf, your blood is thin, your gods are few;
You could not break the Northern wolf and now the wolf has turned on you.
The fires that light the coasts of Spain fling shadows on the Eastern strand.
Master, your slave has come again with torch and axe in his right hand!
-Robert E. Howard
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Elling Polden
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| Posted: Wed 08 Feb, 2006 2:07 am Post subject: |
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How about Ninjas Vs Pirates...
or my favorite;
Shaolin warrior monks vs Knights Templar
You can say a lot of nice things about the katana, but in the end they, well, all look the same...
I would be more interested in continental, Chinese weapons, where there is more variation...
"this [fight] looks curious, almost like a game. See, they are looking around them before they fall, to find a dry spot to fall on, or they are falling on their shields. Can you see blood on their cloths and weapons? No. This must be trickery."
-Reidar Sendeman, from King Sverre's Saga, 1201
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Jean Thibodeau
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| Posted: Wed 08 Feb, 2006 5:16 am Post subject: |
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For variety we could also have discussions about firearms from the very earliest handgonnes to modern assault rifles.
I don't think any period or region is off limits but there are other sites that specialize about firearms or Japanese weapons and armour etc ....... Personally exploring these subject here would also be worth while, but I do appreciate the mostly Medieval European content here that is more in depth than in most other sites.
The possible subjects can be even wider if one includes fortification / castles, warships from the earliest galley to galleon to 19th century ironclads to WWI / WWII battleships.
Tactics, battles, strategy .......... Well just about all of human history is at least distantly related to weapons and warfare: The history of the World is the history of war.
My point ! Hmmmmmm ..... I'm not sure??? Only that it is possible that trying to cover everything would overdilute what makes this site work ! Just some thoughts: Not sure if they are very helpful. 
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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Gary Grzybek
Location: Stillwater N.J. Joined: 25 Aug 2003
Posts: 559
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| Posted: Wed 08 Feb, 2006 5:41 am Post subject: |
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| Jeremiah Swanger wrote: | | Gary Grzybek wrote: | | Joe Fults wrote: | | Avoids culture clash! |
Hmmm.... yea, and we know where that can lead |
How about a round of "Knight vs. Samurai", anyone?
Muwahahahahahaha
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Please, I don't think I could bare another one 
Gary Grzybek
ARMA Northern N.J.
www.armastudy.org
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Jeremiah Swanger
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| Posted: Wed 08 Feb, 2006 10:06 am Post subject: |
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| Elling Polden wrote: |
You can say a lot of nice things about the katana, but in the end they, well, all look the same...
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With my politically-incorrect sense of humor, you have no idea how hard I laughed at that one...
"Rhaegar fought nobly.
Rhaegar fought valiantly.
Rhaegar fought honorably.
And Rhaegar died."
- G.R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire
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Eric Allen
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| Posted: Wed 08 Feb, 2006 10:31 am Post subject: |
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There's more bias than just being Eurocentric (and I do not mean just at this site either)...
When talking about Western arms and armor, the attention seems to be focused on the swords. Swords of every size, shape, and description. Roman swords, Viking swords, longswords, rapiers. Swords everywhere. Occasionally armor, but mostly swords.
Precious little attention seems to be given to the other weapons common in Europe at the time--axes, spears, maces, polearms, hammers, shields, etc. Sure, they pop up every now and then, but they seem to be "left out of the loop" so to speak by "sword-mania." Both by reviewers, enthusiasts, and even reproduction manufacturers. Admittedly, they're not completely left out, but they just don't seem to garner as much attention.
just my $0.02 to throw out there.
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This is a standard topic