Few things in the Project Hopper

Medieval Canon: gun tube purchased. Bill and Bob are looking at the mods and will hopefully have it ready for 2009 and participation in a live fire artillery shoot.

Medieval repro scabbards: Bob has had one made for his Del Tin Tewkesbury sword. It looks tres fab. He's had some additional stuff done to the sword to dress it up, such as having it regripped and having something really special done to the pommel and is also have new and proper sword belts made. He is also have his rondel dagger redone. The blue has been removed and it's having a new sheath and belt made.

My sword will be going out shortly for the scabbard, belts, and having a special mark put on the blade.

My archer's glove is on it's way from the UK. This is the 3 fingered variety as seen in a Flemish tapestry (can't think of the name at the moment -but will post it when I remember).

We're still waiting for Matuls to arrive.

So things are moving a long.

Review: Arms & Armor German Branch Sword

Arms & Armor

Location: US

URL: http://www.armor.com/

German Branch Sword

Catalog No.: 078

Arms & Armor’s German Branch Sword, (Gothic Bough or Writhen) is a “riding” or “arming” sword meant for every day use. The sword’s original measurements were based on desperate sources which proved to be incorrect and Arms and Armor has updated the blade to its accurate dimensions.

The original, owned by the Royal Armouries in Leeds, now on loan to the Frazier museum in Kentucky, is a branch style sword. The pommel has a twist with three pruned branches. The grip ends in a washer and is peened. The grip is a carved wood with a roped fillet ring mid-grip. The guard is also a twisted branch that terminates in three pruned ends. The blade itself is long, with an overall length of 43 and 3/16" and tapers to an acute point. All the furniture is gilt. (on my sword all the furniture is steel with no gilding.)

My branch sword is a slight modification on that in the Arms & Armor catalog. I chose not to go gilt on the furniture; instead, the pommel, guard, and fillet ring are naked steel. The wooden grip is nicely carved in a twisted branch form and is oval in cross section; fitting the hand well. The color is a warm caramel brown with a glossy finish. The blade is long and elegant and definitely made for thrusting and cutting. Its balance point is approximately 1.5 - 2 inches from the guard. It is light, weighing in a little fewer than three pounds, and is quick, making an impressive sound as it cuts the air. Its lightness will make it an ideal weapon for practicing cuts from horseback.

Bob just happened to do a test thrust, and with barely any effort at all, it slid into and through a box, and if you’ll pardon the cliché, it was like a hot knife through butter. Part of this is due to the fact that it came “sharp”, and I don’t mean in the “un-sharp sharp” of re-enactment blades since. This sword is designed to cut. The edges have been honed to razor sharpness, something to be aware of if you order.

Hopefully in the next few weeks, we will put it through its paces on horseback.

The sword lacks the dark grip I had asked for, looking for a more “black and white” coloration rather than the coloration of the extant piece. Not a huge disappointment, but it would have been nice. However, on the plus side, it doesn’t have any kind of smith mark. So, in order to make the sword truly unique among other re-enactment blades ordered from the same source, I am having a smith’s mark placed on it and it will have a custom, historic scabbard to finish it off.

I will post pictures when I have the chance.

WPI Filming

A big Thank You to everyone from WA who participated at the WPI Higgins Filming. We had an interesting weekend. Wolfe Argent has been involved in a Higgins/WPI video project that started back in the Fall with the horses and dealt with medieval "shirt fighting" and a high table scene this past weekend. It was fun and hectic. We were treated to dinner afterward.

Our weekend began with the purchasing of various edibles for the high table. We decided to make a pottage. The favorite has become "Savory Green Soup" from the book Pleyn Delit. Anyone who has had this soup absolutely loves it and cannot stop eating it...even cold. It's delicious.

We bought a lovely roast and just put a rub of salt and pepper on it and put it in the rotisserie. It came out medium rare and had a very mild flavor. Sometimes the simple spices work the best.

On Sunday, Bob and I loaded my car, a dodge of the stratus type. You'd be amazed at how much stuff you can fit into this car. In the trunk, three LARGE tupperware containers of clothing, in the back seat, the delicate trestles for a table, the robust trestles for a larger table, a legged bench chest that contained the board clothes, pewterware for the high table, napkins, glasses, mugs, bowls, cutlery; and a vast wardrobe of uppercrust clothing for various extras on the set. Alas, we needed a second car for the board itself, plus other members kit and accessories.

Arriving at the museum, we off-loaded the car. When the museum closed, we were off and running. With the help of Rachel and Renie, I put on my full regalia: brocade and velvet under gown, silk modesty panel, brocade foliate overgown, Yorkist livery collar, broad belt, and hennin with long silk veil. Rachel wore my other Burgundian gown and flowerpot hennin. Despite the fact that the gown was a few sizes to large, it looked all right.

We became the members of the aristocracy who sat in on a Master teaching his students (extras) and became the focal point for the high table. Andy and Pieter did a wonderful job as carver and butler. The book of Carving came in quite handy.

After the dust had settled, we packed the car, changed, and sat down to a lovely dinner provided by the museum as a thank you to the volunteers.

We didn't get home until almost 10 pm and then many of us took off the following Monday due to a snow storm that dumped a foot of snow in our area. Weee...

Here are some behind the scenes Photos. Keep in mind that any photos will contain modern objects as these are set up and after shoot photos.

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From the Desk of the Coustillier

Hi all,

Renie has been doing some footwork and an event that she participated at a few weeks ago may result in two things:

1. An event site for a living history encampment/event
2. Insurance

I have to say that item 2 is a huge deal.

Bob's contacted the site owners, and it was a positive contact. Only issue is that since the days are getting darker earlier, Bob and I can't review the site during the weekdays, as by the time we got to the site, it'd be dark, and with the approaching holidays, it'd be difficult. Bob suggested a weekend, but they are having too major events there and then it's Thanksgiving. So we'll be waiting until after the turn of the year.

But this could be the opening we've been waiting for. Keep your collective fingers crossed.

Cheers,

Jenn

Updated Web Site

Hi All,

Well Morgan finally prompted Jenn into kicking in full throttle on the web site redesign. Something about advertising on Craig's list and it being akin to having people show up at your house when you haven't had a chance to clean it in a year. So she's updated a lot of it. There's still a few pages under construction, but it's almost "complete".

I think Kit Guidelines, Equestrian, and part two of the Ordinances are the only things remaining.

So far the response is favorable.

http://www.wolfeargent.com

Bob

In Memorium

Today is a solemn day. As I look at the skies overhead, the clouds are painted in a leaden tones. Quite a stark contrast from six years ago.

We would like to take a moment to remember those who passed at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the passengers of Flight 93 and a moment to say a prayer for everyone who was touched by that day.

Pax

Saturday at the Higgins

From the Desk of the Coustillier:

Hey all, this past Saturday (September 1, 2007), a few of us managed to get to the Higgins for a regular presentation. Next year I will remember to take into account major holi-daze to avoid future rows. I thought I had canceled this year, but apparently I either neglected to state the days we'd be available or it was ignored. Not so next year.

We arrived at the museum at around 9:30 am. Andy and Renie arrived about 10 minutes after we did. With nary a birthday party in sight, we were able to take our time and set up the stage in a relaxed fashion. Peter arrived around 10 am. So we had four people on stage who presented to a small group of patrons.

Bob had his newly updated armet for the show. This helmet has never looked better. Patrick Thaden did a wonderful job. The orb and the wavy armed star washer looked fantastic. It was especially nice to see it again after being in Texas for four months.

Jeffrey arrived with a student film crew from WPI for the video taping of "the medieval Knight" as an update to the info kiosks at the Higgins. After the show, we adjourned to Dodge Park up the street from the museum. There we met Bill, who had been scouting out places to shoot video.

I have to say that this had a bit of "barely contained chaos" about it, which as a logistics officer who herds cats monthly, made me a bit squirrelly as I like to have a plan going into things. But everything seemed to turn out okay. We hope to see the footage at some point in the near future. I was up on the hill guarding the unused equipment and deterring "visitors" from getting too close to the shoot. Though one local resident, a lovely lady who sings in the Old Sturbridge Village choir, did manage to slip down the hill to talk to Jeffrey about another potential shoot location. So, it was taken amiss.

Pike drill was the first order of the day, one of the WPI students ended up in earlier kit to act as an archer to fill in the numbers a little. Bob was "armed" and did the troop review. Next they concentrated on archers, though we'll see how this works since I'm not sure any of the bows were strung; then handgonners; and finally they disarmed Bob and went on a march over a stone bridge. Cutting room floor perhaps is the bridge scene. The houpland that Bob was given would not have been my first choice. He has a much lovelier brocade long gown or his short riding gown, but we were not prepared for that scenario -- remember that "contained" chaos I mentioned earlier?-- hopefully we'll get better shots later. These are mostly "atmospheric" shots.

There are still more dates for getting footage proposed. I sent an email out last week. There are a few folks who stated that they would not be available and that their September was pretty booked. So we know who they are. We still have folks that we have not heard from.

Dates that are proposed.

September 9 (Sunday)
September 16 (Sunday)
September 22-23 (Sat & Sun: Saturday is the charity joust weekend In Keene NH- though I get the impression that this may not work for the IQP team. Too many bystanders)
September 30 (Sunday)

So if you haven't responded before now, please let us know your availability.

We already know that Alex, Andy, and Morgan won't be available for some dates, and that Phil and Renie have already expressed which dates that they will be available.

As soon as I get more details for Jeffrey, I will send them out.

I think that just about covers it.

Please check the calendar on this page. Next official HIGGINS PRESENTATION is: OCT 6.