Filling in the Blanks Ewart Oakeshott’s typology may be one of the most useful tools in documenting and understanding the Medieval arms race, but it is far from a complete picture of the development of the Medieval sword. In order to complete one’s picture of the sword, one must also look at the hilts of […]
Tracking the Medieval Arms Race Ewart Oakeshott’s (1916-2002) typology is far more than just a means for cataloguing variations on the Medieval sword. It also tells a story – a chronicle of an arms race centuries ago that pitted armorers against bladesmiths in an ongoing battle to push military technology to its limits. One cannot […]
Debunking the Myth of the Medieval Sword When it comes to the study of the Medieval sword, Ewart Oakeshott ( 25 may 1916- 30th September 2002) was arguably the man who did more than any other to bring the study of arms and armour into the 20th century as a serious field of study. […]
So the box has just arrived, and inside is your brand new sword. Perhaps you’re planning to put it on your wall, or use it for cutting practice. Regardless of what you’re planning to do, we have compiled a short list of things you can do and things that you should avoid doing with your […]
The most common “how to” question sword collectors pose is categorically about sword maintenance. As such, we have written this brief overview to assist collectors protect their swords from rust corrosion and offer simple to follow tips to maintain their sword fittings and blades. It should first be noted however, that this blog article is […]
In Hollywood, Medieval battle scenes are fought with different weapons. However, very few weapons spur such intense clashes as the sword. Movie swords have long been popular among collectors. The following list is our staff’s top 10 favorite Hollywood swords of all time. #10 The Atlantean Sword, ‘’Conan the Barbarian’’ Arguably one of the ugliest […]
The origin of the expression ‘throwing down the gauntlet’ stems from medieval times and is literally a declaration of war. One look at the weapon, that often featured knuckledusters designed to maximize punishment when delivering a punch to an enemy and it’s easy to understand how the gauntlet became a symbolic call to arms. Early […]
By John Clements There is a truth to this modern-day study of swords that eludes many students and enthusiasts. It is a simple fact that virtually no one ever gets to use a quality sharp blade full force on realistic target materials. That is, to cut, cleave, chop, hack, slice, and slash against portions of raw […]
By Eyal Azerad Simply stated, swords are made of many different types of metals, the most prevailing being steel. Although a proper steel is required for creating a high quality sword, many technical considerations, such as how the steel was prepared and processed, should also be factored. The following article will examine the most common […]
