From: delcecchi@gmail.com   
      
   "Chilla"  wrote in message   
   news:4b5cee28$0$6090$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...   
   > James Foster wrote:   
   >> Hey Charles,   
   >>   
   >> Many thanks and dont worry, of course I wouldnt do this with a real   
   >> artifact :o) I should have been more clear previously. I'm looking   
   >> for a way to   
   >> hone the blade using the same materials that a Viking might have   
   >> used   
   >> centuries ago so to be as authentic as possible when I am doing my   
   >> Viking re-enactment.   
   >>   
   >> Ok, slightly off topic... but I cant help noticing this group seems   
   >> to   
   >> be dominiated by this guy Steve Kramer.   
   >>   
   >> I mean there seems to be like 2 or 3 knife related threads, the   
   >> rest   
   >> are Steve Kramer threads.. but they dont seem to be knife related.   
   >> At   
   >> least not the ones I checked.   
   >>   
   >> Who is he and why is everyone here talking about him?   
   >>   
   >>   
   >> Thanks,   
   >> James   
   >   
   > Hi James,   
   >   
   > There are sharpening stones as artifacts, pretty horrid compared to   
   > what we play with today.   
   >   
   > They also had "healing" stones attached to sword so that if you hit   
   > someone, and didn't want them to die, you'd apply the stone to the   
   > wound.  I have no idea if the stone was a practical device, or a bit   
   > of shamanistic hokum (I'm leaning toward hokum).   
   >   
   > Back to the sharpness of Viking age swords.  Seriously they weren't   
   > what we'd consider sharp.  The swords are weighty, and have a   
   > wedging action.   
   >   
   > Looking at the archaeological record.  Viking swords required a   
   > "lot" of force to be effective.  A sharper blade requires less   
   > "blunt force trauma" to be effective.   
   >   
   > Read a saga or two and you'll see that combat was slow and heavy.   
   > This is representative of the choice of weapons.  Spear, axe and   
   > sword (a sax is just a big knife).  Everyone had a spear, a lot had   
   > axes, few had swords.   
   >   
   > The heavy forces involved in Viking combat were necessary, as the   
   > shield was an effective defensive/offensive weapon.  I'm trying to   
   > get a hold of some poplar sheet 2mm thickness, or at the very least   
   > wide strips in this species.  I did some preliminary tests with some   
   > poplar I have here and laminated it makes a very strong and light   
   > shield.   
   >   
   > My friend made a replica and it was nicknamed "iron bar"... it was   
   > more club than sword.   
   >   
   > If you do Viking re-enactment, which country are you in, as you are   
   > not alone.  There are now many groups in America, UK and   
   > Australia... Europe has always had Vikings ;-)   
   >   
   > Technically swords are OT, but there are few posts so anything blade   
   > related is appreciated.   
   >   
   > A book list for you, not 100% Viking, but relevant for what you're   
   > doing :-   
   >   
   > "The Anglo-Saxon Shield" by Stephenson ISBN: 0-7524-2529-3   
   > "Early Anglo-Saxon Shields" by Dickson and Harke ISBN: 0-85431-260-9   
   > "Records of the Medieval Sword" by Oakeshott ISBN: 0-85115-566-9   
   > "Swords of the Viking Age" by Pierce ISBN: 1-84383-089-2   
   >   
   > Regards Charles   
      
   Charles, where do you live?  I get the impression it is someplace   
   where shipping from minnesota USA would be pretty expensive, but we   
   have a lot of poplar around.   
   >   
   del   
      
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