I'm looking to get my first pair of pants, and the SPES locus look like a good option

they arent too pricey, I've seen other people at my club use them, and they have the mounts for the SPES knee guards which I would love since my knee guards I burrow from the club slip all the time and its annoying.

The problem is sizing, and I know I can get custom sizing, and that it's an option, but if I don't have to I don't want to, cause it saves money

I'm a stocky guy, but also a relatively short guy. I'm 5 foot 7 inches. According to the size chart, the size that fits me for waist and hip is a large, but the height measurement is 5 foot 11 inches - 6 foot 2 inches

the thing is... it's not like these are normal pants that go all the way down to your ankle, they ideally stop just below the knee, and theres suspenders so I can adjust and set them super high if need be...

do yall think I could get away with the large size and just set it to be really high up with the suspenders? or is doing the custom fit and coughing up the extra money a neccessity?

Bassically, how integral is the height measurement for the LOCUS pants which arent designed to go all the way down

We may have just cut the Gordian Knot! Proof of a continuation in the Bolognese fencing tradition, from its height under the Bentivoglio to the publications of its later authors; ie. Spezioli, dall'Agocchie, and Viggiani.

This article is chalk full of intrigues:

—A possible explanation for elements in Marozzo's title page. —Composition of the Bolognese Army in 1493. —Revealing new details about Giovanni Filoteo Achillini. —More Occult Necromantia! —The Knights of Viola!

This might be the most consequential article I've ever written, you won't want to miss out!

https://open.substack.com/pub/theartofarms/p/the-knights-of-viola?r=1e0ent&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Let’s say plate armor co to Jed to be used and evolved well past the introduction of gunpowder, and industrialization made armor much easier to produce and maintain. In my fantasy story, common soldiers use mass produced, standardized armor.

Some innovations include:

-“Slip on” arm and leg plates instead of individual pieces needing to be strapped on one at a time

-Velcro and slide-release buckles instead of conventional belts and metal buckles

-Adjustable armor pieces that could for different users

-“Locking” mechanisms that secure the helmet, and can only be unlocked by the user using both hands [rationale: in a fight, the attacker would have to use both their hands in order to unlock the helmet, which is more difficult]

-Large drab or camo coats that can be worn over the armor to conceal troops and provide warmth

-“Standardized” interchangeable parts that could be easily replaced

-Removable crests, insignia, and decorations that would make it easier for troops to recognize each other on the field

-Utility belts for soldiers to keep wallets, ammunition, and canteens within reach without having to remove their armor

Are there any perks traditional, authentic, bespoke armor has over “user-friendly” mass produced armor? Aside from look and feel, of course.

[Traditional armor still exists for the richer, more prestigious who are willing to pay for bespoke armor]

I have looked at previous posts, however they seem to be several years old and I am not sure if they're still relevant or not. After a training session today, my Regenyei messer resembles a saw and I am in the market for a new one. The two that I have seen recommended are the Sigi messer and the Landsknecht Emporium Gottfried with a thick edge. The messer would need to withstand hard sparring. Are this still good buys or do you have any additional recommendations? I'm in the US.

That title's a mouthful. Anyway, this is a review of a new-style Regenyei sidesword.

Full disclosure: I'm not affiliated with Regenyei, but I have a Hungarian clubmate who absolutely is. Through him I got to try out some prototypes from this new series, and I got to give some feedback. Mostly though it affected the specs I ended up choosing.

Picture

The specs I went with:

• Firenze Trainer blade, 90cm
• Spatulated tip
• Single-ringed, straight guard
• 13cm "grip" (Reg include the pommel in the grip length, so the actual grip length is 9cm)
• Sphere pommel

I'm not a stats guy in terms of weight and PoB. Neither of those stats really tell you much about the sword handles. The sword ended up being around 1040g with a PoB just past 10cm from what I remember. The flex feels like the advertised 8.5kg.

Anyway, on to the actual review:

I've tried to really put this sword through the wringer. I've used it against other sideswords, sabres, arming swords, and feders. I've used it both alone and with a buckler so far.

This is a massive departure from the old style of Regenyei sidesword. No more hand-and-a-half grips, excellent flex, pleasant handling. As I mentioned, I handled two prototypes, and they were still very different, being much stiffer and generally more crowbar-like.

I opted for the narrowest blade in the hopes that I'd still get a decently gentle sword. The result is a sword that is more than just decently gentle, everyone I've fenced with says it's a fantastically polite thing to get hit by. The flex is also bang on. I consider this the single most important thing for a sidesword, since far too many of them hit too hard, especially if you want to fence at any sort of decent pace.

Handling-wise, it's also great. I can't say how much of it is down to the exact specs I went with, and how much is innate to this new series of swords, but it's fantastically agile and controllable, while still having the required heft to make it flowy and give nice feedback. There's none of that awful "hilt with no blade" feel you get with some swords. The controllability is one reason why it's so gentle, it's kind of longsword-like in terms of how easy it is to pull a blow even when fencing at a very high intensity.

The blade design is essentially feder-like: Flat, with thick edges. I honestly don't understand why this isn't the standard everyone goes with. The thick edges basically don't burr at all, and help to make the sword gentler. It also has an elegant simplicity about it, it's quite pleasing to the eye. 100% superior to the much more common diamond cross-section. As I said above, I've really tried to abuse it, even pitting it against feders at a high intensity. The edge is pretty much undamaged.

Finally, the only negative aspect: The guard. The guard is the least-changed aspect compared to the old series and still has that annoying twist in it. If it comes into contact with your index finger, it can even cause blisters. Just like with the old swords, the solution is to file it down. It's annoying that you still have to do that. It's also disappointing that there's no knucklebow-free option as of this review.

All in all, at least in this exact spec, this is a fantastic sparring sword. In many ways it's like a less fancy, but sturdier Malleus Martialis. From now on I'm recommending this in my club.

I could not find any book reviews related to it and at $50 I am curious if it is decent book before purchasing it.I am mostly interested in the messer content.

https://www.freelanceacademypress.com/LanceSpearSwordAndMesser.aspx

Hey there,

It was released recently. Anyone got it already and can share opinions about it? Minireview?

Let's call our fighters the soldier and the bandit.

Both have experience; the soldier is formally trained while the bandit is self-taught.

The soldier has an unarmored uniform, the bandit is in leather.

The soldier has a rapier and flintlock, the bandit has a bastard sword and slingshot.

Suppose fleeing is for cowards. What tactic would you advise for each in fighting each other?

Back when I started attending tournaments and workshops and so on, it was often confidently asserted that the Gesellschaft Liechtenauer was a mercenary company deployed to action in the Hussite Wars.

There was a widespread belief that a dusack was just the messer junior.

Meyer taught a fencing sport to effete townsmen because the gun had destroyed the culture of lethal fencing.

Fiorists could be identified by more or less always closing to grapple no matter what.

Tournaments were explicitly designed to simulate real fights to the death with sharp swords.

All fencing actions could, should, and often were judged according to Silver's principle of True Time.

Of course, all the best fencers sampled freely from all available sources and remixed what worked and discarded the rest, like Bruce Lee told us to. That no one had actually bothered to understand any individual element of the systems they were freely mixing was seldom commented upon.

Liechtenauer, of course, was a secret kung fu known only to the elite (veterans of the Hussite Wars, I assume) and had been concocted specifically to defeat the "common fencer," who was either a careless rube or someone who had learned a coherent "common" system that either left no record at all anywhere, or was actually, shockingly, just Fiore (or Wallerstein or Paurnfeindt or or or).

Lots of these ideas aren't very coherent, very few of them had any documentation apart from someone's first smart-sounding idea they cooked up while half-listening to someone else prattle on about how kids these days don't hit hard enough.

All in all there were quite a lot of ideas out there in the world and some of these hoary old truisms still exist in various forms. Recently I've been talking more to my club about my personal history with HEMA, and about how ideas and interpretations have changed (largely for the better) in a rather short period of time.

As a historian by vocation and occasionally by profession, I'm interested in the course and development of the current iteration of HEMA, both because I know that it might last some time, and if so knowledge of our dark and ignorant origins can only help to continue to improve, uplift, and promote the hobby. On the other hand, we know from the Egerton Castle days that it won't take much more than a world war to annihilate whole generations of would-be historical fencers, and set everything back another hundred years or so. Hell, a prolonged blackout would do that, we don't even need a world war.

And so to that end, I'm curious about what other spurious, errant, misleading truisms were around when folks here first got started. I can only speak to the little bubble I was involved in, in the midwest and in maybe the second or third generation of the post 2k hobby. I know there were many more folks here that got their start a lot earlier and in different places.

Edit: This has been a really enjoyable thread, thanks y'all!

I’m writing a story with an underdog main character who was bullied and ostracised because he did not fit in with the knightly traditions of his culture.

The character finds that he is very skilled in a style of sword fighting that is generally considered to be inferior (maybe even unmanly) by his people, but he proves skilled enough that he can competently counter opponents using the traditional weapon of his people - a large, well-engineered longsword.

In my mind I was thinking it would be a one-handed sword.

I’m aware that comparing wildly different styles of sword is reductive, but would love to hear some experts’ thoughts…

I saw them being called different even though they look similar

Hey folks,

I recently came across a deal where someone was selling some Steel Feders by Silk Fencer for around half the price of any other Feder available in my country (I live in Australia and HEMA equipment is costly). My club does have loaner feders for our once per week sessions, but I was wondering if it would be a good investment for solo drilling and some light sparring/drills. The club I go to mainly uses Liechtenauer's Treatise. Would it be worth it or should I save up for a regenyei standard?

I’m trying to find a two handed great sword to train with that’s between $300-$650 that isn’t foam. When I look for swords online I keep seeing long swords, short swords, katanas…etc. when I do find a Zweihänder/Montante it’s $750+. Is this just the starting price for a steel sword in this size category?

Edit: thank you everyone :)

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What are your favorite non-gear items for HEMA something that's always in your bag that makes the hobby more enjoyable or helps you out in some way.

I'm don't like lighter flex Olympic weapons because of tip lag. Is this an issue in longswords with lighter flexes like 9kg?

EDIT: I'm specifically talking about tip lag for thrusting.

Does anyone know why black knight saber gloves are more expensive on their producers site (HF armory) than on faitsdarmes? Doe it mean defects? or sth else?

https://preview.redd.it/k5j4x0hruo3e1.png?width=700&format=png&auto=webp&s=83ba9ff2082a09ebf4f1d081073fa908510f2111

Hey all! Recently started doing HEMA again after a 9 year hiatus and I've finally begun learning rapier. I already own a decent gambeson and I ordered myself a sword today but I still need a mask and gloves.

Budget is pretty tight for me and I'm based in Australia so international stuff (outside of Asia, at least) tends to be a nightmare for shipping. That said, I've been able to source a few decently priced 350N masks online.

Since I'm learning rapier pretty much exclusively, is 350N good enough? I've heard that the rating is for the fabric bib and not the mesh itself (would love some clarification on this) and apparently the club loaner masks I've been using so far are all 350N, but a lot of online sources say I should go for 1600N instead. Will I be okay with a 350N or should I just stick with the club masks until I can afford something beefier?

Cheers!

I was just looking for thier website and I see it's down. Are the still operating?

I've been considering getting the hanwei tinker practical rapier with 43 inch blade ever since I started HEMA two years ago. I find it very aesthetically pleasing, and long and heavy rapiers are my thing. Does anyone have any experience with it? If so, what can you tell me about it? In most stores I have seen it in oscilates between 250€ and 350€, is it worth the money? Are there better alternatives?
Thanks

Is there a trend of people of certain ancestry or familiarity with a culture leaning towards a specific style? Like do practitioners in Italy mainly do Italian longsword and rapier because it’s “closer to home?” Is Polish saber more popular in Eastern Europe than anywhere else?

The post earlier got me thinking, what would I pay to have a fully decked out club? Let’s say there’s a big hard floor for classes, maybe a smaller room with padded floors for grappling work or for one on one duels, a fitness area with free weights, a smith machine or some cable machines. A shower/locker area and a small lounge/kitchen area for multi purpose use like snacking, gaming, lectures etc. The club could basically replace your gym or health club membership. 6 or 7 days a week operating evenings. Classes on most days in multiple weapons. Open floor time every day. Loaner gear for most.

I know what I would pay, how about you? What would you want to see?

Hello there. Recently I started dabbling a bit in saber, as I find the way it handles really interesting. Do you guys have any links on sources about Polish saber? Youtube videos, manuscripts, whatever. I don't know much about saber fencing, so i have no idea if there even are any sources like Meyer and Fiore, so I'd like some help in that.