- Joined
- Oct 8, 2006
- Messages
- 2,097
Raymond1000
Lady Vivamus
In Glory Road Oscar described Lady Vivamus.
I FOUND THERE THE BLADE THAT SUITED ME THE WAY EXCALIBUR SUITED ARTHUR.
I'VE NEVER SEEN ONE QUITE LIKE IT, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO CALL IT. A SABER, I SUPPOSE, AS THE BLADE WAS FAINTLY CURVED AND RAZOR SHARP ON THE EDGE AND SHARP RATHER FAR ON THE BACK. BUT IT HAD A POINT AS DEADLY AS A RAPIER AND THE CURVE WAS NOT ENOUGH TO KEEP IT FROM BEING USED FOR THRUST AND COUNTER QUITE AS WELL AS CHOPPING AWAY MEAT-AXE STYLE. THE GUARD WAS A BELL CURVED BACK AROUND THE KNUCKLES INTO A SEMI-BASKET BUT CUT AWAY ENOUGH TO PERMIT FULL MOULINET FROM ANY GUARD.
IT BALANCED IN THE FORTE LESS THAN TWO INCHES FROM THE GUARD, YET THE BLADE WAS HEAVY ENOUGH TO CHOP BONE. IT WAS THE SORT OF SWORD THAT FEELS LIKE AN EXTENSION OF YOUR BODY.
THE GRIP WAS HONEST SHARKSKIN, MOLDED TO MY HAND. THERE WAS A MOTTO CHASED ON TO THE BLADE BUT IT WAS SO BURIED IN CURLICUES THAT I DID NOT TAKE TIME TO STUDY IT OUT. THIS GIRL WAS MINE, WE FITTED! I RETURNED IT AND BUCKLED BELT AND SCABBARD TO MY BARE WAIST, WANTING THE TOUCH OF IT AND FEELING LIKE CAPTAIN JOHN CARTER, AND THE GASCON AND HIS THREE FRIENDS ALL IN ONE."
"I DREW MY SWORD AND GLANCED ALONG IT, FEELING ITS EXQUISITE BALANCE WHILE NOTING AGAIN THE FAINT RIPPLES LEFT BY THE FEATHER-SOFT HAMMERBLOWS OF SOME MASTER SWORDSMITH. I TOSSED IT AND CAUGHT IT BY THE FORTE. "READ THE MOTTO, STAR."
SHE TRACED IT OUT. "DUM VIVIMUS, VIVAMUS! -- 'WHILE WE LIVE, LET US LIVE!' "
Avalon Swords memorably recreated Oscars Lady, to the tune of $3,000.00
Then someone stirred coals. In 1981 Heinlein wrote that Lady Vivamus already existed. It was his Naval Dress Sword, with a 31" blade. I have to wonder if the coal stirrer was RAH.
Oscar mentions that Star carried a 36 blade. A big sword for a woman, but Star was a big woman. If you think Oscar carried a 31 sword I want to sell you a bridge in Brooklyn.
Heinlein says he was a champion with the dueling sword. What did that mean at that time? Who was the preeminent exponent of the dueling and cavalry sword in that era?
Who else but Patton? George Patton was an Olympic contender who spent years in Europe, studying the best exponents of cavalry saber. A sword to be used on foot and mounted.
IN THE PENINSULA WAR THE ENGLISH NEARLY ALWAYS USED THE SWORD FOR CUTTING. THE FRENCH DRAGOONS, ON THE CONTRARY, USED ONLY THE POINT WHICH, WITH THEIR LONG STRAIGHT SWORDS CAUSED ALMOST ALWAYS A FATAL WOUND. THIS MADE THE ENGLISH PROTEST THAT THE FRENCH DID NOT FIGHT FAIR. MARSHAL SAXE WISHED TO ARM THE FRENCH CAVALRY WITH A BLADE OF A TRIANGULAR CROSS SECTION SO AS TO MAKE THE USE OF THE POINT OBLIGATORY. AT WAGRAM, WHEN THE CAVALRY OF THE GUARD PASSED IN REVIEW BEFORE A CHARGE, NAPOLEON CALLED TO THEM, "DON'T CUT! THE POINT! THE POINT!"
Gentleman, I submit to you that you can own the Lady Vivamus for less than $200.00. Simply buy the Patton Sword.
horseclover
The two are entirely two different swords. As is the Albion Vivamus very different than the WWI period US m1852 naval sword. As are the Patton swords entirely different than a Napoleonic pallasch.
Dave Kelly over at SBG likes his Vivamus and feels he would like it as a cavalry sword.
The Patton is toy like compared to the big continental pallasches, The Patton 1913 is closer to the Swedish 1893 trooper sword than the Spanish and English straight jobs. That would make sense, as he fenced there in Sweden for the US Olympics team.
Tom Maringer (who hasn't posted here in ages) had correspondence with Heinlein
My baby 1854 French dragoon pallasch. The blade twice the width of the Patton.
Compare that to a "wristbreaker" of the American Civil War era.
Then the Patton with a couple of small medieval type swords.
You can find WWI era US naval swords (the inspiration for the Vivamus) for modest prices and reproductions of the wider bladed quite similar ACW swords for the same prices as the Patton repro. Why choose a Patton instead of a sword closer to the inspiration? Listing the Patton as a substitute for the novel sword seems a bit shortsighted.
Cheers
GC
Raymond1000
Did you miss the part about Heinlein being a fencing champion?
Did you miss the part about the 1913 being the last official cavalry saber ever commissioned?
Did you miss the part about Patton's manual of arms, which includes mounted and foot combat?
If you would rather $3,000 for that gorgeous Albion piece, I can only envy you.
Lady Vivamus
In Glory Road Oscar described Lady Vivamus.
I FOUND THERE THE BLADE THAT SUITED ME THE WAY EXCALIBUR SUITED ARTHUR.
I'VE NEVER SEEN ONE QUITE LIKE IT, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO CALL IT. A SABER, I SUPPOSE, AS THE BLADE WAS FAINTLY CURVED AND RAZOR SHARP ON THE EDGE AND SHARP RATHER FAR ON THE BACK. BUT IT HAD A POINT AS DEADLY AS A RAPIER AND THE CURVE WAS NOT ENOUGH TO KEEP IT FROM BEING USED FOR THRUST AND COUNTER QUITE AS WELL AS CHOPPING AWAY MEAT-AXE STYLE. THE GUARD WAS A BELL CURVED BACK AROUND THE KNUCKLES INTO A SEMI-BASKET BUT CUT AWAY ENOUGH TO PERMIT FULL MOULINET FROM ANY GUARD.
IT BALANCED IN THE FORTE LESS THAN TWO INCHES FROM THE GUARD, YET THE BLADE WAS HEAVY ENOUGH TO CHOP BONE. IT WAS THE SORT OF SWORD THAT FEELS LIKE AN EXTENSION OF YOUR BODY.
THE GRIP WAS HONEST SHARKSKIN, MOLDED TO MY HAND. THERE WAS A MOTTO CHASED ON TO THE BLADE BUT IT WAS SO BURIED IN CURLICUES THAT I DID NOT TAKE TIME TO STUDY IT OUT. THIS GIRL WAS MINE, WE FITTED! I RETURNED IT AND BUCKLED BELT AND SCABBARD TO MY BARE WAIST, WANTING THE TOUCH OF IT AND FEELING LIKE CAPTAIN JOHN CARTER, AND THE GASCON AND HIS THREE FRIENDS ALL IN ONE."
"I DREW MY SWORD AND GLANCED ALONG IT, FEELING ITS EXQUISITE BALANCE WHILE NOTING AGAIN THE FAINT RIPPLES LEFT BY THE FEATHER-SOFT HAMMERBLOWS OF SOME MASTER SWORDSMITH. I TOSSED IT AND CAUGHT IT BY THE FORTE. "READ THE MOTTO, STAR."
SHE TRACED IT OUT. "DUM VIVIMUS, VIVAMUS! -- 'WHILE WE LIVE, LET US LIVE!' "
Avalon Swords memorably recreated Oscars Lady, to the tune of $3,000.00
Then someone stirred coals. In 1981 Heinlein wrote that Lady Vivamus already existed. It was his Naval Dress Sword, with a 31" blade. I have to wonder if the coal stirrer was RAH.
Oscar mentions that Star carried a 36 blade. A big sword for a woman, but Star was a big woman. If you think Oscar carried a 31 sword I want to sell you a bridge in Brooklyn.
Heinlein says he was a champion with the dueling sword. What did that mean at that time? Who was the preeminent exponent of the dueling and cavalry sword in that era?
Who else but Patton? George Patton was an Olympic contender who spent years in Europe, studying the best exponents of cavalry saber. A sword to be used on foot and mounted.
IN THE PENINSULA WAR THE ENGLISH NEARLY ALWAYS USED THE SWORD FOR CUTTING. THE FRENCH DRAGOONS, ON THE CONTRARY, USED ONLY THE POINT WHICH, WITH THEIR LONG STRAIGHT SWORDS CAUSED ALMOST ALWAYS A FATAL WOUND. THIS MADE THE ENGLISH PROTEST THAT THE FRENCH DID NOT FIGHT FAIR. MARSHAL SAXE WISHED TO ARM THE FRENCH CAVALRY WITH A BLADE OF A TRIANGULAR CROSS SECTION SO AS TO MAKE THE USE OF THE POINT OBLIGATORY. AT WAGRAM, WHEN THE CAVALRY OF THE GUARD PASSED IN REVIEW BEFORE A CHARGE, NAPOLEON CALLED TO THEM, "DON'T CUT! THE POINT! THE POINT!"
Gentleman, I submit to you that you can own the Lady Vivamus for less than $200.00. Simply buy the Patton Sword.
horseclover
The two are entirely two different swords. As is the Albion Vivamus very different than the WWI period US m1852 naval sword. As are the Patton swords entirely different than a Napoleonic pallasch.
Dave Kelly over at SBG likes his Vivamus and feels he would like it as a cavalry sword.
The Patton is toy like compared to the big continental pallasches, The Patton 1913 is closer to the Swedish 1893 trooper sword than the Spanish and English straight jobs. That would make sense, as he fenced there in Sweden for the US Olympics team.
Tom Maringer (who hasn't posted here in ages) had correspondence with Heinlein
My baby 1854 French dragoon pallasch. The blade twice the width of the Patton.
Compare that to a "wristbreaker" of the American Civil War era.
Then the Patton with a couple of small medieval type swords.
You can find WWI era US naval swords (the inspiration for the Vivamus) for modest prices and reproductions of the wider bladed quite similar ACW swords for the same prices as the Patton repro. Why choose a Patton instead of a sword closer to the inspiration? Listing the Patton as a substitute for the novel sword seems a bit shortsighted.
Cheers
GC
Raymond1000
Did you miss the part about Heinlein being a fencing champion?
Did you miss the part about the 1913 being the last official cavalry saber ever commissioned?
Did you miss the part about Patton's manual of arms, which includes mounted and foot combat?
If you would rather $3,000 for that gorgeous Albion piece, I can only envy you.