New weapons regulations Jan 2011

The Canadian Government likes to bring in new regulations on Jan first, a date which everybody is too hung over to really keep an eye on things. This year was no exception. Check out the complete regulations on this government web site here.

http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/laws/regu/sor-98-462/latest/sor-98-462.html

Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited or Restricted

SOR/98-462

CRIMINAL CODE

His Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Justice, pursuant to the definitions “prohibited ammunition”a, “prohibited device”a, “prohibited firearm”a, “prohibited weapon”a and “restricted firearm”a in subsection 84(1) and to subsection 117.15(1)a of the Criminal Code, hereby makes the annexed Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited or Restricted.

a S.C. 1995, c. 39, s. 139

Registration September 16, 1998

It is part three which is of interest to re-enactors.

PART 3

PROHIBITED WEAPONS

Former Prohibited Weapons Order, No. 1

1. Any device designed to be used for the purpose of injuring, immobilizing or otherwise incapacitating any person by the discharge therefrom of

(a) tear gas, Mace or other gas, or

(b) any liquid, spray, powder or other substance that is capable of injuring, immobilizing or otherwise incapacitating any person.

Former Prohibited Weapons Order, No. 2

2. Any instrument or device commonly known as “nunchaku”, being hard non-flexible sticks, clubs, pipes, or rods linked by a length or lengths of rope, cord, wire or chain, and any similar instrument or device.

3. Any instrument or device commonly known as “shuriken”, being a hard non-flexible plate having three or more radiating points with one or more sharp edges in the shape of a polygon, trefoil, cross, star, diamond or other geometrical shape, and any similar instrument or device.

4. Any instrument or device commonly known as “manrikigusari” or “kusari”, being hexagonal or other geometrically shaped hard weights or hand grips linked by a length or lengths of rope, cord, wire or chain, and any similar instrument or device.

5. Any finger ring that has one or more blades or sharp objects that are capable of being projected from the surface of the ring.

Former Prohibited Weapons Order, No. 3

6. Any device that is designed to be capable of injuring, immobilizing or incapacitating a person or an animal by discharging an electrical charge produced by means of the amplification or accumulation of the electrical current generated by a battery, where the device is designed or altered so that the electrical charge may be discharged when the device is of a length of less than 480 mm, and any similar device.

7. A crossbow or similar device that

(a) is designed or altered to be aimed and fired by the action of one hand, whether or not it has been redesigned or subsequently altered to be aimed and fired by the action of both hands; or

(b) has a length not exceeding 500 mm.

Former Prohibited Weapons Order, No. 4

8. The device known as the “Constant Companion”, being a belt containing a blade capable of being withdrawn from the belt, with the buckle of the belt forming a handle for the blade, and any similar device.

9. Any knife commonly known as a “push-dagger” that is designed in such a fashion that the handle is placed perpendicular to the main cutting edge of the blade and any other similar device other than the aboriginal “ulu” knife.

10. Any device having a length of less than 30 cm and resembling an innocuous object but designed to conceal a knife or blade, including the device commonly known as the “knife-comb”, being a comb with the handle of the comb forming a handle for the knife, and any similar device.

Former Prohibited Weapons Order, No. 5

11. The device commonly known as a “Spiked Wristband”, being a wristband to which a spike or blade is affixed, and any similar device.

Former Prohibited Weapons Order, No. 6

12. The device commonly known as “Yaqua Blowgun”, being a tube or pipe designed for the purpose of shooting arrows or darts by the breath, and any similar device.

Former Prohibited Weapons Order, No. 7

13. The device commonly known as a “Kiyoga Baton” or “Steel Cobra” and any similar device consisting of a manually triggered telescoping spring-loaded steel whip terminated in a heavy calibre striking tip.

14. The device commonly known as a “Morning Star” and any similar device consisting of a ball of metal or other heavy material, studded with spikes and connected to a handle by a length of chain, rope or other flexible material.

Former Prohibited Weapons Order, No. 8

15. The device known as “Brass Knuckles” and any similar device consisting of a band of metal with one or more finger holes designed to fit over the fingers of the hand.

So there you go guys. There is a huge number of other items specifically mentioned...automatic shotguns and that sort of thing, but this is the important legislation.

Just so you know.

Chain mail warrior

I think this picture says why we do this thing!!!
Thanks Matt for the good times.

Forging

A stunning book on decorative hand forging of steel.

http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924020587873#page/n7/mode/2up

Its a go

Hi Bill,
Happy New Year. I hope you had a wonderful holiday overseas.
From....Algonquin College.

This is a quick note to let you know that the above-mentioned course that you are scheduled to teach is a "GO". Currently there are 11 students registered however there may be a few more by the time the course starts. Hopefully we will get enough students and Shane will be able to join you as the second instructor. Your course is scheduled on Wednesday evenings from January 19 - March 2 from 7 - 9:15 for the first 6 classes and 7 - 9:30 p.m. on the last class or a total of 16 hours. You may want to check with your students and if it is easier and they are all able to, we might want to go 2 hours/night for 8 weeks. You can let me know after you first class. Your register and teaching agreement will be available for you to sing and pick up in C137.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or require additional information.

Regards,

Registrar's Office.

(woo hoo!)

Armourers marks

You have to love the world of the interwebs! For instance, all the stuff you can see by going to the armoury in Leeds is all here, in this series of books from the Internet Archive. Almost every single page from this book is fascinating, and I found the below appendix to be VERY interesting....it is a list of armourer's marks.
Click on the images to enlarge.
go here to read the book. http://www.archive.org/stream/inventorysurveyo01ffou#page/n7/mode/2up

Go here to read others in the series. http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=inventory%20and%20survey%20of%20the%20armouries%20in%20the%20tower%20of%20london%20AND%20mediatype%3Atexts




http://www.archive.org/stream/inventorysurveyo01ffou#page/484/mode/2up

Auctions Imperial 2011

Greetings from Auctions Imperial!

We are pleased to announce our March 19, 2011 sale, which will include a fine selection of antique arms and armor, including helmets, shields, and mail coats to swords, daggers, axes, maces, rifles, muskets and pistols. Europe, China, Russia, the Middle East, Persia, India, Indonesia and the American Civil War are represented-- from a fine Imperial Russian Dagger presented to a hero of the Crimean War, to an important 15th century Italian broadsword, a superior Mughal lacquered hide shield to an ivory-hilted Karabela saber, American sabers and Cossack shashkas, there's something for everyone.

Visit our website to view a recent television interview with our director at www.auctionsimperial.com

We will continue to accept consignments until the end of December, any questions please email us at info@auctionsimperial.com

happy holidays,

Auctions Imperial

New classes at Plante Baths Ottawa

This just in from the staff at Plante Baths...January 8 2011

Good Morning Bill

Here are the current numbers for your programs in the Winter 2011 session:

· Chivalrous Sword Handling 1, starting January 16^th at 10:30, has 2 participants registered

· Chivalrous Sword Handling 2, starting January 16^th at 1:30, has 1 participants registered

Hopefully over the next week we will get more registrations. If closer to the date we are not meeting minimum numbers, I will postpone the start date one week.

Have a great weekend,

Budapest Statuary

My favorite period of armour. These statues in Budapest are stunning in their detail! No two armours are the same. This is what makes for good and interesting work, good and interesting sources! You must click on these images to enlarge them.
The first pic, the one above has some interesting features. Firstly, he is holding a really cool axe by the long spear spike at its top. The length of the handle is unusually long. He is wearing an open face helm, and half body armour over his torso only. The fustian shirt is collared, and looks very stylish. I am betting this fellow is a horseman because his legs are encased in chain mail, and that big gap at his belly would close up when he sits down.
The fine mustachio'd figure above wears a lobster tailed pot helm with cheek pieces. He carries a very business like four flanged mace with a very useful wrist strap. That nice cloak is the sign of a commander, and that bezant studded leather cuirass has a large number of floppy decorative bits on the front which no doubt jingle prettily as he walks. He wears no armour on his legs or knees, and the fancy greaves look quite serviceable. Those vambraces are unusual...a steel plate on the top of his forarm seem wrong to me...you don't normally get hit there...I would have thought the steel would have been on the bottom of his forearm instead of the top of it. Artistic licence or perhaps the gentleman prefers wrap arounds with that mace!
This fine gentleman carrying the lion's pelt and Asterix style winged helmet is wearing a light weight leather tunic over his linen gown. His high boots look really serviceable. Really interesting features would be the wonderful triple wrapped sword belt, holding the sword very tightly to his left side. His left hand is reaching for a saw. I am betting he is not a carpenter though.
Mail draped skull cap and spear show this fellow to be an old school warrior. The heavy leather tunic is a simple wrap around, secured by by a wide belt and it shows signs of being reenforced instide with metal plates. The legs are protected by thick wollen drapes, with no indication of any underlying steel. The drapes will prevent an opponent from figuring out where his legs are, which might well give him an advantage in a fight since you would not be able to spot foot changes or stance changes. A sword would simply get tangled in the drapery.

A very well armoured knight. His cloak is obscuring the small scales. His sword scabbard has a detachable feature called a "frog". You don't see his sword (due to weather damage), but it is a fairly long one, and he stands at the "at ease" position. His posture is very straight due to the weight of that scale, and the greaves are a little different in that they are vee notched in front at the top.
This sad looking fellow has a helmet decorated with hawks wings, and has a lion's pelt over his shoulders as a cloak. Very magistrarial. Though he is wearing a sword belt very high waisted, there is no evidence that it actually has a sword attached. All in all, a commander in the chamber rather than a commander in the field.

These statues were all inside a triumphal arch at the "fisherman's bastion" in Budapest.

Othello's Tower

The castle overlooking Famagusta Harbour is popularly known as "Othello's Tower", since the majority of Shakespere's play "Othello" is set there. More than a mere tower, it is an actual castle.
In the above picture, (if you click on the image) you can see the Lion of St. Mark over the iron shod main gate. Thats because the Venetians repaired Guy de Lusignan's castle in 1492.

The central courtyard is just big enough to parade the troops. It is now used as a theatre where they show Shakesperian plays... The wall you see in the picture above is many rooms thick...the main gate is to your right...and is very defensible with many places where stones and such can such be used to injure an invader. Directly ahead is a great room where cannon balls and other ordinance were stored. Most cannon balls were the light marble balls so beloved by mortar men...they could drop a 40 pound one foot diameter marble ball on any ship in the harbour. The ordinance was different on this side because it was the harbour side. The other towers, on the landward side, use steel cannons with iron cannon balls. Too heavy and numerous to pack out, they are all still there.

I like the above picture because the weather has worn the sandstone in organic fashion. The stones at first glance look like piled skulls. Or maybe that is just the ghosts in the castle which are influencing my vision.



Above...the corbels which must have held up a magnificent room.

And the courtyard is littered with remnants of statues.

This is Guy de Llusignian's great hall. Magnificent groin valted hall, once upon a time covered with marble bas relief carvings.

The above and below pictures are of that great hall as seen from outside. Above the hall were the apartments...many of which must have been very comfortable, with window seats and cool stone ceilings. I fear the apartments have been sheared off about the six foot mark. Below, you can see the lintel-less window openings, where the ladies would have sat on window seats, and admired the soldiers drilling in the courtyard below. The modern stairs in back are greatly appreciated, the original stairs are very steep!


As usual, I urge you to click on the pictures to see them a little larger. Because of the amount of detail available, I made these pictures rather larger than the usual ones I post here.

I am planning a walking tour of this tower, which I'll put up on these pages when I find my round tuit.