Weapons
A suit of armour isn't complete without a few medieval weapons. Folks back then used a variety of weapons depending on their personal preference, training, wealth, status, and what was popular at a particular time. The weapons I will recreate will all have dull edges, and will be for show only.
Medieval Knights often used a powerful offensive weapon in their right hand (the strength hand) and a defensive weapon in the other. The offensive weapon was typically a 1-handed sword. The defensive weapon was often a shield, buckler (smaller shield), or dagger. Whacking swords together (like they do in the movies) would have quickly destroyed the usefulness of each opponent's weapon, so the defensive weapon was used for blocking so that the sword could be kept free for its primary purpose (to try and hurt the other guy). Some Knights preferred to use a 1-1/2 or 2-handed sword. These swords were very large and very heavy. They required both hands for the Knight to wield them.
Medieval Knights often used a powerful offensive weapon in their right hand (the strength hand) and a defensive weapon in the other. The offensive weapon was typically a 1-handed sword. The defensive weapon was often a shield, buckler (smaller shield), or dagger. Whacking swords together (like they do in the movies) would have quickly destroyed the usefulness of each opponent's weapon, so the defensive weapon was used for blocking so that the sword could be kept free for its primary purpose (to try and hurt the other guy). Some Knights preferred to use a 1-1/2 or 2-handed sword. These swords were very large and very heavy. They required both hands for the Knight to wield them.
Dagger:
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I got a piece of mild steel from the hardware store, and cut it in uneven halves. The shorter piece will be for the dagger blade and tang, if I have my terminology right. Cutting ferrous metal like steel is quite fun because of all the sparks that get made. Each spark is a metal filing so hot that it glows. But they're so small, that they don't have enough energy to actually burn anything that isn't highly combustible. Here are the components I used to make the dagger. You can see that I've already begun shaping the blade and tang. Also present are the two brass pieces that will be the cross-guard and pommel. I used a steel tube to reinforce and enlarge the tang, and I decided to use brass wire to make the grip. Here is the final assembly. I plan to use the same materials to make a matching sword. |