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Nathan Robinson
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PostPosted: Fri 07 May, 2004 11:34 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Okay.. So.. a few weeks ago Eric Myers and James Nordstrom stopped by to pick up the prize sword. While they were here, we talked a lot about the types of swordsmanship they practiced and I told Eric he could take his pick between the new A&A German Bastard Sword, a new A&A Dürer Bastard Sword, and a new A&A English Longsword.

After playing with all three swords for quite awhile, Eric chose the Dürer, as it seems to be a better match for his preferences and abilities as a martial artist.

So, Eric took my personal Dürer home with him and the German Bastard Sword has now become a permanent piece of my own collection.

I love win/win situations!

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Michael Sigman
Industry Professional



Location: New Glarus, WI
Joined: 18 Aug 2003

Posts: 275

PostPosted: Fri 07 May, 2004 11:55 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I know a good home in Wisconsin for it if you don't have enough room. Wink I would love to own that. Exclamation
Mike Sigman
Albion Swords
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Mike Fletcher




Location: Auburn, CA USA
Joined: 21 Aug 2003

Posts: 102

PostPosted: Sun 09 May, 2004 8:07 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Nathan Robinson wrote:
Okay.. So.. a few weeks ago Eric Myers and James Nordstrom stopped by to pick up the prize sword. While they were here, we talked a lot about the types of swordsmanship they practiced and I told Eric he could take his pick between the new A&A German Bastard Sword, a new A&A Dürer Bastard Sword, and a new A&A English Longsword.

After playing with all three swords for quite awhile, Eric chose the Dürer, as it seems to be a better match for his preferences and abilities as a martial artist.

So, Eric took my personal Dürer home with him and the German Bastard Sword has now become a permanent piece of my own collection.

I love win/win situations!


Very cool! Cool

Mike
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Eric Myers




Location: Sacramento, CA
Joined: 23 Aug 2003

Posts: 214

PostPosted: Mon 10 May, 2004 10:02 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Well, Nathan beat me to the telling.

I met Nathan last year at Not-Livermore, so I pretty excited when he extended an offer of a visit instead of just shipping the sword to me. Along with me, I took Jim Nordstrom, the co-founder of our school. We had an absolutely wonderful time visiting with Nathan, swinging his swords around, and talking about all sorts of things, though largely focusing on sword handling, design, use and usage, etc.

As Nathan said, he offered me a choice of the German Bastard Sword, the Dürer, and the English Longsword. In the end I opted for the Dürer because it is the best fit for what we practice, but all three are very impressive swords. I'll talk a bit about each one in a moment, but first I need to emphasize the workmanship and attention to detail that went into them. Arms & Armor does fantastic work, and if you haven't experienced it, you should try and find a few to handle.

I'll start off with German Bastard Sword, since it was the one in the drawing. This is a hefty piece, as Bill Grandy says in his review. It also exceptionally well balanced and quite maneuverable -- it's easy to see why everyone is so fond of it. What it isn't is quick. A lighter weight sword would have a huge advantage in an unarmoured fight, simply due to speed. But I don't think that's what this sword is about. It's mass (inertia) would defintely help in an armoured situation, but just as important, it would be a huge asset against heavier weapons -- pikes and halberds came to mind. This sword would have no problem putting a pike aside and thrusting into the gap. In fact, while I'm sure this sword is quite a cutter, it also really shone in thrusts (no target contact). It goes right where you aim it, and it mass would be worrisome even to those wearing some protection. I asked Craig Johnson about this, and he agreed that the original was probably a sword for the battelfield or the lists. He also said that while they did not have the original in their hands, it was part of the collection of Ewart Oakeshott's uncle and they worked from pictures, notes, and his remembrances to create this version. This is quite a sword, but definitely a bit specialized. I would love to hear what some other people think who have used it armoured or unarmoured.

Next, the Dürer. I fell in love with this sword immediately, and the more I use it, the more I love it. The German longsword work I practice is mostly Ringneck, and this sword works beautifully for it - deliciously quick to start or change directions, quite manueverable with one or two hands, nice broad blade that cuts well, great tip for cuts and thrusts. In my test cuts, it performed beautifully. See Bill Grandy's review for more info. Arms & Armor designed this piece from Dürer's artwork, and I honestly think they have matched his art in this sword.

The third sword is the English Longsword. I found this to be a very interesting sword. First, it is small and nimble enough to be used as a single handed sword. I'm not sure if this is by design or if it was intended for smaller sized people (I'm 6'2"). Second, there is a different sort of blade presence than I am used to, as the point of rotation (moment of inertia), is just a few inches away from the tip. Most 2 handed swords I have used have a point of rotation relatively close to the COP, although as an interesting side note, Nathan reported that on Peter Johnson's Svante Sture sword the point of rotation is pretty much at the tip. If you haven't swung around and played with a sword like this, I'm not really sure how I would describe it to you. Its a little distracting at first because it seems like there is some alien presence out there in the blade of your sword, but then you get used to it. It is a very different sort of blade presence than simple mass imparts to a sword. With mass, many swords' blade presence comes to be felt most as you are extending the sword out towards your cut, but with this sword, the blade presence is constant, though not heavy at all. I would love to try cutting with a sword like this. Maybe on a future trip to visit Nathan ;-)

Thanks again to Arms and Armor for making this drawing possible, and for extending the discount offer to those who participated. Also, a huge thanks to Nathan for the chance to visit and choose among several swords![/url]

Eric Myers
Sacramento Sword School
ViaHup.com - Wiki di Scherma Italiana
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M Enwia





Joined: 15 May 2004

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Posts: 37

PostPosted: Tue 18 May, 2004 7:45 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Well done Erik - os should we call you Erik the Red from now on . . .

M Enwia
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