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Craig Peters




PostPosted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 2:11 pm    Post subject: Disproportionate Interest In European Weapons         Reply with quote

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





Joined: 29 Sep 2003

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PostPosted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 2:24 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

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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PostPosted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 2:54 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

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




Location: Midwest
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PostPosted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 3:47 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Avoids culture clash! Wink
"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
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PostPosted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 4:39 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Once I get my antique Chinese jian fully restored I hope to provide a little taste of the Orient to myArmoury.com. Big Grin

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.
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PostPosted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 4:39 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Joe Fults wrote:
Avoids culture clash! Wink



Hmmm.... yea, and we know where that can lead Wink

Gary Grzybek
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Alexander Hinman




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PostPosted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 4:43 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

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


myArmoury Team

PostPosted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 4:52 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

We would love to branch out. We have tried to branch out. We are in the process of branching out. Happy

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.... Happy

Catch my drift? Wink

Happy

ChadA

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Jeremiah Swanger




Location: Central PA
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PostPosted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 4:55 pm    Post subject: Re: Disproportionate Interest In European Weapons         Reply with quote

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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PostPosted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 4:57 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Gary Grzybek wrote:
Joe Fults wrote:
Avoids culture clash! Wink



Hmmm.... yea, and we know where that can lead Wink


How about a round of "Knight vs. Samurai", anyone?

Muwahahahahahaha

Laughing Out Loud

"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


myArmoury Team

PostPosted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 4:57 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

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. Happy

Happy

ChadA

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Edward Hitchens




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PostPosted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 10:21 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Jeremiah Swanger wrote:

How about a round of "Knight vs. Samurai", anyone?


Thou shalt not get me started on that. Confused 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 WTF?! ). 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. Happy -Ted

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Scott Byler




Location: New Mexico
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Posts: 209

PostPosted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 10:35 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

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.... Big Grin

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




PostPosted: Tue 07 Feb, 2006 11:06 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I actually really like the fact that myArmoury's front forum page isn't filled with questions about various chinese made kats. Wink

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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PostPosted: Wed 08 Feb, 2006 12:35 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Jeremiah Swanger wrote:


Hmmm.... yea, and we know where that can lead Wink

How about a round of "Knight vs. Samurai", anyone?

Muwahahahahahaha

Laughing Out Loud


Knight's armor stops katana cut, and he proceeds to kill the samurai with a half-sworded thrust. Knight wins.

*ducks for cover* Wink

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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PostPosted: Wed 08 Feb, 2006 2:07 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

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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PostPosted: Wed 08 Feb, 2006 5:16 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

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. Eek!

You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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Gary Grzybek




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PostPosted: Wed 08 Feb, 2006 5:41 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Jeremiah Swanger wrote:
Gary Grzybek wrote:
Joe Fults wrote:
Avoids culture clash! Wink



Hmmm.... yea, and we know where that can lead Wink


How about a round of "Knight vs. Samurai", anyone?

Muwahahahahahaha

Laughing Out Loud




Please, I don't think I could bare another one Cry

Gary Grzybek
ARMA Northern N.J.
www.armastudy.org
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Jeremiah Swanger




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PostPosted: Wed 08 Feb, 2006 10:06 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Elling Polden wrote:

You can say a lot of nice things about the katana, but in the end they, well, all look the same...


With my politically-incorrect sense of humor, you have no idea how hard I laughed at that one... Laughing Out Loud

"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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PostPosted: Wed 08 Feb, 2006 10:31 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

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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