[Regia-NA] MR Viking Sword Video Question

[rmhowe]

Douglas Sunlin wrote:
> You know, Ottar it's been a while. One thing if I recall correctly, he 
> doesn't spend much time with the documentation from the sagas and what 
> was actually done in period. Rather he focuses on what could have been 
> done with the tools at hand. YMMV.
> 
> Worthy of joining your collection, at the very least to play "let's see 
> what's inauthentic".
> 
> On manręden,
> Osweald of Baldurstrand
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/California_Viking_Age
> http://www.geocities.com/baldurstrand/
> 
>> From: Jack Garrett <garrett@pacbell.net>
>> Reply-To: list-regia-na@lig.net
>> To: list-regia-na@lig.net
>> Subject: Re: [Regia-NA] MR Viking Sword Video Question
>> Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2003 11:59:06 -0800 (PST)
>>
>> Conall,
>>
>> I've got the Viking Sword video and last watched it about six months 
>> ago.  I recommend it, especially for those of us who have limited 
>> access to Viking era live steel combat.  The combatants are 
>> experienced, reasonably properly dressed for the occasion and put some 
>> energy into the re-enactments.  It includes four sections: sword vs. 
>> sword, sword and shield without armor, sword and shield with minimal 
>> armor and (later period) sword and shield with full armor.
>>
>> Most compellingly, the video makes a point of recognizing *how* the 
>> weapons do the most damage and shows that the shield is something more 
>> than a target for your opponent to destroy.

Thank you for the review. I was looking at that thing and wondering
if it was worth the price. I've been stung a couple of times on
videos priced that high that were not all they were advertised to be.

>> Several caveats:
>> (1) They use the metal-rimmed Museum Replicas Viking shield, which I 
>> haven't seen any documentation to support

Seems like I have seen a metal rimmed and decorated shield in
one of the pictures on Hrothgar's site. I've seen it elsewhere
too, but I am not sure of it being within Regia's time period.
It has heavy metal scrollwork on it. It would be a good bet to
repel a heavy blow. It looks dark age to me.

>> (2) It's narrated, with participation, by Hank Reinhardt (not 
>> everyone's favorite authority)

I'll agree with that. Hank has a very high opinion of his opinion.

Eighteen? years ago I bought a sword from MR and returned it asking
for a sword that did NOT have a hollow polished into it midway
down the length of the blade. I even paid the extra postage for
the transaction both ways. I was polite. The catalog suggested
a cheerful return policy even.

I got a rather lengthy discourse on his opinion of my opinion
on the crappy example and he returned my check. Something was
said about the polishing machine and how far it could go down
the blade. Well I could put a straight edge on the flat of
the blade and see a substantial amount of light across the
very visible dip polished into it. He must have been blind.

If you've ever read some of Hank's articles they go pretty
much the same way. I've seen them in various publications
mostly in the Knives Illustrated, Blade, and Arms magazines.
For example he once wrote that no culture had double faced axes.
Well, some did beginning with the MINOANS, which is pretty
far back. In fact it was a symbol of the Minoan culture and
is used to decorate the reconstructed palace at Knossos.
At the time he was bragging in print about having eighty books
on swords and armor I recall. I've way exceeded that myself.
So have some of you probably.

I simply called and reordered and the next one came without
the dip across the blade.  It was a Del Tin product, the
Catalonian sword, which they still produce on and off. But
at that time it was hard to find a decent swordmaker who
made halfway decent swords as opposed to now when there is
real competition in the marketplace. Shortly thereafter
the price nearly doubled on them so it wasn't a bad buy.
I think I have every MR catalog from the initial 2 page
flyer when they started up.

I still buy stuff from Museum Replicas, and Atlanta Cutlery
periodically, but I don't deal with Hank directly.

I'm curious as to what might have happened that apparently
separated MR from Ewart Oakeshott, whom he was using to
promote the high quality of their stuff for a while, until
Ewart started promoting someone else's stuff instead.
I have all of Ewart's big books except for one I should
receive in the next month on Viking Age Swords. I am missing
a few of his small books primarily aimed at the literate
teenager who's curious.

I've also learned that a lot of the stuff MR sells these
days is from companies Hank used to criticize rather highly
in the days before he began taking marching orders from
Windlass Steelcrafts in India who bought MR and AC out.
So it's worth cross checking a few sources as you can save
serious bucks buying the same thing from competitors who can
price it much less.

I picked up a Holbein dagger at Pennsic two years ago
for $20+ and I swear I saw it on MR at $100+ a month later.
Clearly, MR no longer leads the market as to quality now
but it was about our best source over here for a while in
the 1980's when it started up. Once they promoted the
heavy tangs on ALL their swords. Now they don't.

Now a lot of companies flog the same items at a variety of
prices and some of them are plainly cheap. I like some
of Albion Armor's stuff myself. It's better made.
They sell Del Tin now and other swordsmiths too.

The books Museum Replicas sells are often cheaper on the open
market. I use bookfinder.com / abebooks / addall.com /
ZVAB.com primarily and specialize from there.
Amazon is posting significant discounts on many things
now and even pays the postage on orders over $25.

As to the Osprey books MR sells from time to time they often
are available at good discount from scholarsbookshelf.com
much cheaper than either MR or the Ospreypublishing.com site.

Magnus

>>
>> Beyond that, I've seen, and own, far worse.  Osweald, you saw it at 
>> the collegium.  Remember enough to comment?
>>
>> Ottar/Jack
>>
>> Conall <conallwolf@multipro.com> wrote:
>> Greetings all,
>> Being a relative neophyte and an Irishman on a mainly
>> Viking/Saxon/Norman list, normally I just lurk, but I have a question.
>>
>> Museum Replicas Limited has a demo/documentary about the use of the
>> "Viking" sword on VHS:
>>
>> http://store.museumreplicas.com/cgi-bin/www11650.storefront
>>
>> In the past I have owned several Museum Replicas weapons and will
>> reserve comment on them, but I was wondering if anyone had seen this
>> videotape, and is it worth owning?
>>
>> Any information anyone could give me would be greatly appreciated. Just
>> trying to decide what to ask for (or not) for Christmas.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Conall