GEN0088 Chivalrous Swordhanding is a "GO"

Hi Bill,
Just a quick note to let you know that the above-mentioned course that you are scheduled to teach is a "GO". Currently there are 13 students registered however there may be a few more by the time the course starts. Your course is scheduled on Wednesdays from May 4 - June 15 from 7 - 9:15 and 7 - 9:30 on the last day.


woo hoo! This is the Basic Chivalrous Sword Handling Course.


And a further note...the advanced Chiv Handling Course GEN 0105 has been cancelled due to insufficient sign ups. Ahh well...

Eric's Breastplate.

The elbow cops
gauntlets
I am wondering if these are actually too long in the forearm!


The scales to the gauntlets

The knee cops.

The gauntlet thumbs are supported by the top rivet and the pairs near the barrel of the hinge are slotted, so the whole thumb slides back and forth. Its hard to get any articulation in that joint...but I got some! And if the lance sticks on the thumb, it will not tear the thumb away...because when the armour joint moves to its maximum, it won't move any more.

A look at the left hand gauntlet.
Click on the images to enlarge them.

shadow fighting

http://www.todaysbigthing.com/2011/02/18

How to fight shadows....

Over the Hills

Queen Anne's version is more a marching song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTnaD7VtzGo&NR=1

But I still prefer John Tams version. As does Kit I think!
(But its not as much fun to march to!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Fy3tSim3to&feature=related

George Simmons was Commander of the 95th Rifles....and his biography is, well, remarkable. This is from his diary and I have to admit that his career was bloody, brutal, and very long and surprisingly civilized.
http://www.archive.org/stream/abritishriflema00simmgoog#page/n7/mode/1up


A stark contrast is the Diary of Rifleman Harris. If you are a fan of Cornwell's books, you will know of Rifleman Harris...the literate one! He was all that, and much more. His biography of the same actions as Simmons makes you realize the remarkable gulf between the soldiers and their officers which existed during the height of the British Empire.
This book is a series of diaries of soldiers...Lieutenants like Kinkaid, and riflemen like Harris.

http://www.archive.org/stream/wellingtonsmenso00fitcuoft#page/n0/mode/2up


Kincaid's moving account of the wounded Captain Barnard who recovered from a sucking chest wound (page 82) is hardly in contrast to the story of a rifleman who shot a hare instead of an enemy combatant...and his flippant answer to his lieutenant when rebuked! (page 39)

Enjoy the reading. It is lighter than you might suppose considering the startling and violent nature of the job they were doing, and they often make better reading than Mr. Cornwell's books because, well, they were there and were describing real events. The Spanish lady who became Major Smith's wife, and later lent her name to the city of "LadySmith" in South Africa is told on page 103. Ahhh, you could not make this stuff up!!!


(The picture is not from Spain OR Portugal...I have never been there. It is in fact, the Paphos Gate looking into the city of Nicocea in Cyprus. But it is a suitable martial picture for the music!)

Grads, March 2011

The blacksmith blues...

Ella Mae Morse sings the Blacksmith Blues...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD_6bDfaSPw&feature=related

With a little help from Donald Duck...blacksmith of the ages...grin!

And a little bonus from Tennessee Ford....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4HZOm1cyJ4&feature=related

Vulcan said to Lucifer (Songs for Iron Workers)

John Tams and Barry Cooper sing "Goin' down to Steelo" and "Vulcan said to Lucifer"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzTQo1pkvxM&feature=related


VULCAN AND LUCIFER by JOHN TAMS

Vulcan sez to Lucifer, "Tha's fallen into t'neet
It's me as meks this valley ring and keeps these flames aleet".
Lucifer to Vulcan sez, "I'm still the gaffa here
I've signed up another demon and it's 'im you'll come to fear
So it's nowt to do wi' me owd lad." Vulcan sez "I know thee game
I bet Thatcher's got a hand in this." Sez Lucifer "For shame!"
"Come on Lucy, what's the beggar called?" He answered wi a grin
"Maggie sez his name's MacGregor. It wont be t'last you'll hear of 'im."



STEELOS
John Tams

I 'ad no choice, and if I 'ad, I'd still 'av chosen steel.
They can do their worst agenst us. They'll not change the way we feel.
Me father's father did it and I know it's all but gone.
There were a 100,000 of us along the Rother and the Don.

CHORUS: Goin' down to Steelo's, get mesen a start.
Dunna ler it cobble. It'll tear the place apart.
Catch it as it's comin', throw the bugger back,
Keep your tongs upon the metal and your eyes upon the track.

I got a start at Steelo's. Me dad put in a word.
His dad 'ad done the same for 'im. That's how the work got shared.
The mill roared like a dragon's den. The Tongmen prove their power
Catchin' white-hot metal comin' 40 mile an hour.

CHORUS: Goin' down to Steelo's, get mesen a start.
Dunna ler it cobble. It'll tear the place apart.
Catch it as it's comin', throw the bugger back,
Keep your tongs upon the metal and your eyes upon the track.

Publishing: Topic Records

(I love the imagery of the rolling mills and their flying white hot metal!)

Reginald's Armour

Almost done. What is missing is of course, the shoes, gloves, and the backs of the lower legs.

The armour is held closed by hasps.

Here is a hasp under the arm...the hinge flap of the hasp is not installed. Yet.

The pins which hold the shoulders on.

Not bad from the back (above without flash, below with)



Usually the backs of the armour suffers from a lack of attention. Not so here.


Those shoulders look pretty kick ass to me!

Interestingly enough, there is no sanding at all...this is "from the hammer".

And the final view. Not so shabby after all.

Eric's Armour

Jouster's armour.

Still in progress. Will have to shorten the bottom ... oh heck have to do a hundred things yet, but it is starting to look like a breast plate.


A little squeeze in the front to make him look slim....



And the reason for all the drama.....
Yes
That is a fourteen gauge keeled breast plate.

Reginald's Armour Revisited

This is Reginald's Fantasy armour, with some updates. The shoulders are all sixteen gauge, and are supposed to look blocky and tough. It was hard to come up with ways to allow it to actually move with a person inside of it. Took AJ about 4 tries to get it right, and she was nearly yanking her hair out with the frustration. I am pleased to know a person who fought through the difficulties. But now it looks like the picture!



I think the posts look really tough!




And below, you can see where she modified the cod piece to allow Reginald to be able to walk...a swivel hinge.

Dates for Spring Algonquin

GEN0088
>
> Chivalrous Swordhandling
>
> Wed
>
> 04-May-11
>
> 15-Jun-11
>
> 07:00 PM
>
> 09:15 PM
>
> GEN0105
>
> Advanced Chivalrous Swordhandling
>
> Fri
>
> 06-May-11
>
> 17-Jun-11
>
> 07:00 PM
>
> 09:15 PM

Fire at the Hanwei Factory

Looks like things might be getting a little dicey at the CAS Hanwei factory...seems a fire has wiped out the factory and most of the in stock inventory!

Expect sword prices to rise.

Gauntlets

This is a close up of the roping. Not too shabby I think.


These complicated and big items weigh in at a whopping zero point nine pounds each. Ahhh...the magic of aluminum!!!