The Armour Archive

I LOVE axes, half mace, half sword. the hitting power of a mace, the sharp edge of a swrod ... anyway anyone got a BIG axe for sale? plastic or wood would be cool. thx

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KD7NFY
Think twice, act once, never lose.

Is this weapon for show? Or SCA combat. If it is for SCA combat, IMO it is a waste of time. I never let the guys I am in command of bring big silly weapons onto the field, nor do I allow them to bring bastard swords, and only in rare cases do I allow them to bring 2 swords.

Alaric

I like danish axes and shorter poleaxes on brigdes...

it helps me get around sheild edges when the crush happens...

but the big silly "anime" style stuff....youre right...it is silly.

We had a big discussion about a local group and their predeliction for what I call "silly" weapons. Big hammers, florentine axes, that sort of thing. The locals are adamant about their right to carry whatever they want.

I think it's just plain stupid to take a weapon onto the field that is both un-historical and impossible to win with.

The just say it's fun.

Well, if they want to be crow bait, I don't mind, really, but I don't use them.

f

Freiman, I feel your pain. I hope that those guys will figure out that the fun wears off when you get spanked all the time.. (no, that was not a suggestion)

But back to the main point I guess it depends what you mean by a "big axe". I have seen huscarl-type axes used very effectively - even in tourneys, and not just in Calontir. But those monster huge-o Conan things? I just don't see why anyone would want to be that slow.

I have my Rathbone axe (five inch head) which I love to use at the barrier, but it is certainly the slowest weapon I have. Still, if you're looking for an SCA weapon with authority, I guess those custom made rubber heads are the way to go. They certainly last for ever.

Cheers

Adam
/aethstan /SCA drachenwald

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by adamstjohn:
<B>Freiman, I feel your pain. I hope that those guys will figure out that the fun wears off when you get spanked all the time.. (no, that was not a suggestion)
</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Oh, c'mon, Please? Maybe just a little?

'cause we all know what comes "after the spankings..."

(the above is a joke)
f

Like a broad axe, not a poleaxe or a halberd.

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KD7NFY
Gogetter350@aol.com
Think twice, act once, never lose.

Count Alaric, but..
Oh you know what I am going to say

-Dmitriy

nope, I sure don't...

Freiman

to the peril...heh

Gypsy

Alaric --
Do mutant knights count in that silly weapons ban? Cause Brand is so much more dangerous at war with his ax than sword and shield. And close to same in sigles.

-Dmitriy

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by CountAlaric:
<B>Is this weapon for show? Or SCA combat. If it is for SCA combat, IMO it is a waste of time.

Alaric</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I dunno about that, We have a Duke in our barony who's an expert at Danish war axe, and I encourage him to use it in bridges. He's crazy enough to charge with it sideways and tie up a shield wall. Everyone's swinging for his brass trimmed helmet, while our shields engage them. Sometimes he'll even survive that tactic. It's OK to have a few intermediate length weapons in a lagrge group, but I find that they only become effective in the last 5 minutes of the bridge unless the bearer of the weapon is very fimilar with that particular weapon in that senario.

CountAlaric, im just curious as to why you don't allow bastard swords. i can grasp why u dont like 2 swords, or the sweet, but unrealistic anime stuff, but why bastard swords? thanks.

Just in case anyone was wondering, and I think of ew of you misunderstood my post, I was referring to the BIG axes that MatttheViking was referring to. I have personal knowledge of the devastating effects of a bearded or similar axe being used in the right hands on the field of battle. What I thought Matt might be referring to are the big Conan stayle maces and axes that so many people show up with at wars, you know that ones that are so slow that... well, most of you probably understand. When I was really young, I thought that some of the "silly weapons" were cool, like they might give me an advantage on the field in some way- maybe I thought that people would just see something big and "cool" looking and let me hit them with it, but then I learned (painfully) otherwise.

My ban for axes only goes for the big silly ones not for smaller ones that are reasonable recreations of something that was used to good effect in period...

As far as bastard swords go, I don't see any real advantage tthat they might have to any other weapon on the SCA field (other than a small maul or a dagger)- even a short spear is more useful. Although I love to play with a bastard sword or katana, they lose all range effectiveness, and have no great defensive capability, and have no special abilities, like an axe head for displacing shields. In short, there is nothing that they do that can't be done better by some other weapon system. Figure it this way- if your average guy with a sword and shield can beat a pretty good bastard sword fighter most of the time with in single combat, then probably the same will happen on the field, and since most people on the field are carrying swords, and larger than normal shields, why would I want to send a guy with a bastard sword up against that? Granted, there are exceptions- like Sir Ogami of the East, who used to fade into enemy lines and destroy them with his bastard sword, but that is one guy, not some punk kid who thinks he knows what's a good weapons form because he saw all of season 3 of Highlander.

I guess my mentality is somewhat based around the thoughts that in a war, we are all there, as a team, to win. As team members, we all have jobs- some of us are in the shield wall, some are skirmishers, heavy cav, etc. If you were putting together a team, would you first think of putting someone out there with a bastard sword? great sword, maybe, but even then only in good hands, a polearm or spear probably being a better choice. Two swords? only if the guy is a hot stick, like Sir Balin from the East, or if he can move really fast and is part of a dedicated flanking or harassing unit, but would you even in thise situation let that person take two swords onto a bridge? Hardly... I would say that person is asking to be speared. With a bastard sword, there might be moments where it would be nice to have, but overall, it is a weak weapon choice for the way we play.

As for someone like say, Brand, I would much rather face his sword and shield than him with an axe- although I hear his sword and shield has been getting much better lately.

Alaric

you have sceen some of our handy work then.
inspection at pennsic usulay take me twenty minits and three marshals.
all of them are based on period designs. some more eastern the others but still period. mostly used for broken field and bridge battles or specialized turneys.

home of the suction cup spear and axe made from a mac truck. the axe is very useful for pulling apart shieldwalls and taking away your spears. actualy hiting some one with it is another story.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by CountAlaric:
[I never let the guys I am in command of bring big silly weapons onto the field.

Alaric[/B]</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Alaric,
I thought you were giving up heavy and going over to the light side? So does this mean you aren't going to leave us?

Lodinn

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Lord Lodinn Hrafnarson
Lord of Hus des Silber Rings
Per Pale Sable and Gules two axes in saltire and on a chief embattled Or three ravens proper

I wasn't planning on starting to fight lights... I have been training with 2 swords a lot lately though, and Crown is in a few weeks...

Alaric

im not in any groups but i do alot of pell work with real weapons i like my axe does it sound about right size 4in blad bout 7 in wide with hammer 21 in long metal hafted