Question for Ken Cook

[uncle]

Two questions:
1- Ken, how do the live blade bouts and training work? Who does it and where?
2- I got a Museum Replicas rapier. This is my first carbon steel blade outside the USFA fencing types and I was surprised at how whippy it is. I could probabaly flick with this thing. Is that normal and the way they really were? I know it is generally a thrusting weapon, but if you needed to cut it would be difficult to get much force behind it because the whippiness causes the blade to act as a propeller and twist as it cuts throught the air. Makes it feel a little unstable.

 

[Ferrous Wheel]

..but i do note that the thing shouldn't be that whippy. I have not had much luck with the MRL swords, tho. If the sword is too whippy, what good would it do to thrust with such a blade? How will it stay in line to deliver the necessary attack? A sword that flexes too much will bend ouut of line when encountering a target material on the thrust. A rigid blade is called for in the world of thrust.

For a few hunderd more bucks, check out some serious makers like Arms & Armor, they make excellent rapiers, sword, axes and spears. And they're made right here by hand in the US of A (Minnesota). Ive handled many swords, and the A&A swords outperform MRL and even Kris Cutlery (who I like a lot and own a lot of their stuff). A&A makes blades based on the functional and cosmetic parameters of historic swords, right down to the weight, physical characteristics, etc. MRL makes historically styled pieces, which often outweigh and underperform when compared to the original historic piece.

I'm sure there are other good makers like Criswell or Angus Trim, and oodles of custom makers which I dare not mention for the sake of brevity.

Keith

 

[StealthAndCamo]

.

 

[Arvind]

In addition to Arms & Armor, you can also check out Albion Armorers in New Glarus, Wisconsin. They are releasing a line of swords based on Peter Johnson's designs. Kevin Cashen is a fine custom smith if you decide to go custom.

Arvind