- Joined
- Mar 3, 2001
- Messages
- 14
Cool, Cool Stuff. The Cutting Demonstration began at 2:15 in a grassy field out behind the Hotel at Liberty Con. Hank Reinhardt introduced himself and Eddie Floyd, an old sparring partner he explains, who would be helping out that day. He goes on to relate an amusing sparring story between the two where Hank closes on Eddie and Eddie bites him, to get him to back off. About 50 people attended the cutting demonstration. It was a beautiful day. Hank thanks everyone for coming. And thanks his fiancé, Toni Wyckoff, he said she is the reason he is here today to demonstrate.
Hank begins with a cutting demonstration against a helmet. This is a 16-gauge helmet, even though historically helmet could be thicker or thinner depending on the time period and material, he says. He attaches a balloon to the helmet and then proceeds to make an overhead-slashing cut to the helmet. The helmet goes sailing. This is repeated a couple of times. I am very surprised at the lack of damage to the edge of the sword. One little nick is all. He has marked the edge he is cutting with a marker. The helmet received several dents and one actual cut though the ridge that runs the top of the helmet. The blade used is a Windlass blade, standard high carbon steel, and a copy of a 13th century piece that Eddie has replaced the pommel on. The Original 13th century piece is actually passed around. It was beautiful, double fullered with foliate engraving down both fullers. A simple down swept cross guard and round hollow pommel. It had no handle at the time, so no dry handling to report but it was light and had a good feel to it. The engraving was wonderful. The conclusion is that the helmet withstood the beating and you would have survived but what a headache.
[[Pictures of the Demo can be viewed at http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/thelovelylass When to call up the page hit View: My Briefcase Sorry, I haven't had time to upload them to my site to link them into this review.]]
Next Hank pulls out a huge pork shoulder. The blade is a Raven blade, a riding sword; he has never cut with this sword and wants to see how it will do. He goes on to explain the concept of the sweet spot on a sword for optimal force and how to find it. As well as the concept of tip cutting, from the sweet spot to the tip is viable cutting area but of course the tip will have much less force. The sword cuts fine though flesh and bone. The tip cuts as well but not though bone. He explains also that live bone is easier to cut than dead bone. No damage to the blade at all except it will need a cleaning. Conclusion: sword vs. bare flesh and bone is not a contest. Like the proverbial knife and hot butter and the sword will take little to no damage.
Next they take a piece of mail and a square of gambeson and lay it over the pork shoulder. This blade is a slightly beaten up Windlass that has been through approx. 10 demonstrations already. Hank takes his stance and delivers the same overhead-slashing cut. I do not know if it is butted mail or riveted. It looked like the MRL blackened butted mail. Some of the mail links are broken but the cut did not penetrate the gambeson or cut the flesh. It turned a cutting blow into a blunt trauma. On some cuts the impact was enough to separate the muscle tissue even though it did not cut. The mail developed several holes. The gambeson was fine. Conclusion: Mail and gambeson was good protection vs. a slashing cut but you would take internal injuries and feel like a tenderized piece of meat. The sword will take some damage.
Next he put the mail on the pork shoulder with the gambeson on top of the mail. The gambeson was not cut but the rings became imbedded into the flesh leaving a very interesting pattern, but the mail could be lifted off the flesh. Conclusion: Do not do this.
Next was mail with no gambeson at all. The mail broke driving several rings deep into the flesh. The mail could not be lifted off the flesh. As one man said, Owwwww, tweezers Conclusion: Never do this.
Hank goes one to describe wounds found in the grave remains at the Battle of Visby, one of the few gravesites where the bodies were not striped of their armor before burial. There are cases of huge slashing wounds even in armor. In one case both legs were removed and evidence would seem to prove it was one blow.
Next Hank pulls out a brisket, which is a tougher piece of meat. After a little more cutting with and without armor, Hank lets audience members try their hand at a little cutting with mail/gambeson and unarmored. Then a question and answer session followed. Most questions related to steel types and armor types. Hank explained that the cutting potential of a sword must be evaluated realistically. Some swords cut well. Some thrust and cut OK. And some thrust well. It depends on the design; curves help for optimum cutting because of the angle of incident, the thickness of the blade, the length etc. all play a role in determining the best use of the weapon. He demonstrated some points using telephone books. Hank states, You should never extend so far as to take your sword offline, with a rapier or sword. Some discussion of tactics and archers followed. Then we ran out of time and had to say goodbye to Hank. It was very interesting and very informative. My thanks to Mr. Reinhardt and Mr. Floyd for sharing their knowledge and experience with swords. It was a wonderful afternoon.
Hank begins with a cutting demonstration against a helmet. This is a 16-gauge helmet, even though historically helmet could be thicker or thinner depending on the time period and material, he says. He attaches a balloon to the helmet and then proceeds to make an overhead-slashing cut to the helmet. The helmet goes sailing. This is repeated a couple of times. I am very surprised at the lack of damage to the edge of the sword. One little nick is all. He has marked the edge he is cutting with a marker. The helmet received several dents and one actual cut though the ridge that runs the top of the helmet. The blade used is a Windlass blade, standard high carbon steel, and a copy of a 13th century piece that Eddie has replaced the pommel on. The Original 13th century piece is actually passed around. It was beautiful, double fullered with foliate engraving down both fullers. A simple down swept cross guard and round hollow pommel. It had no handle at the time, so no dry handling to report but it was light and had a good feel to it. The engraving was wonderful. The conclusion is that the helmet withstood the beating and you would have survived but what a headache.
[[Pictures of the Demo can be viewed at http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/thelovelylass When to call up the page hit View: My Briefcase Sorry, I haven't had time to upload them to my site to link them into this review.]]
Next Hank pulls out a huge pork shoulder. The blade is a Raven blade, a riding sword; he has never cut with this sword and wants to see how it will do. He goes on to explain the concept of the sweet spot on a sword for optimal force and how to find it. As well as the concept of tip cutting, from the sweet spot to the tip is viable cutting area but of course the tip will have much less force. The sword cuts fine though flesh and bone. The tip cuts as well but not though bone. He explains also that live bone is easier to cut than dead bone. No damage to the blade at all except it will need a cleaning. Conclusion: sword vs. bare flesh and bone is not a contest. Like the proverbial knife and hot butter and the sword will take little to no damage.
Next they take a piece of mail and a square of gambeson and lay it over the pork shoulder. This blade is a slightly beaten up Windlass that has been through approx. 10 demonstrations already. Hank takes his stance and delivers the same overhead-slashing cut. I do not know if it is butted mail or riveted. It looked like the MRL blackened butted mail. Some of the mail links are broken but the cut did not penetrate the gambeson or cut the flesh. It turned a cutting blow into a blunt trauma. On some cuts the impact was enough to separate the muscle tissue even though it did not cut. The mail developed several holes. The gambeson was fine. Conclusion: Mail and gambeson was good protection vs. a slashing cut but you would take internal injuries and feel like a tenderized piece of meat. The sword will take some damage.
Next he put the mail on the pork shoulder with the gambeson on top of the mail. The gambeson was not cut but the rings became imbedded into the flesh leaving a very interesting pattern, but the mail could be lifted off the flesh. Conclusion: Do not do this.
Next was mail with no gambeson at all. The mail broke driving several rings deep into the flesh. The mail could not be lifted off the flesh. As one man said, Owwwww, tweezers Conclusion: Never do this.
Hank goes one to describe wounds found in the grave remains at the Battle of Visby, one of the few gravesites where the bodies were not striped of their armor before burial. There are cases of huge slashing wounds even in armor. In one case both legs were removed and evidence would seem to prove it was one blow.
Next Hank pulls out a brisket, which is a tougher piece of meat. After a little more cutting with and without armor, Hank lets audience members try their hand at a little cutting with mail/gambeson and unarmored. Then a question and answer session followed. Most questions related to steel types and armor types. Hank explained that the cutting potential of a sword must be evaluated realistically. Some swords cut well. Some thrust and cut OK. And some thrust well. It depends on the design; curves help for optimum cutting because of the angle of incident, the thickness of the blade, the length etc. all play a role in determining the best use of the weapon. He demonstrated some points using telephone books. Hank states, You should never extend so far as to take your sword offline, with a rapier or sword. Some discussion of tactics and archers followed. Then we ran out of time and had to say goodbye to Hank. It was very interesting and very informative. My thanks to Mr. Reinhardt and Mr. Floyd for sharing their knowledge and experience with swords. It was a wonderful afternoon.