Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

kronckew · 22nd November 2018, 06:32 PM

FIF requires them to make approximations of historical weapons 'in their own style', then subjects them to brutal tests that a real historic one would never have passed and would never have been subjected to.

They are usually crudely done, oversized and/or so heavy as to be jokes. One Historical weapons recreation 'expert' 'judge' is obsessed with 'indexing' and will comment negatively on weapons that had round grips historically, or if his large hands find the grip uncomfortable. they chop dry cow thigh bones and complain of flaws in the edge, then fail them for these flaws when they do not slice a cow in half first blow in a 'sharpness test' that did not allow the maker to resharpen the blade.

I've lost count of how many finalists have said 'I've never made a sword before' or 'Maybe I should have tested it before I came back'.

It's an occasionally interesting comedy, not a test of real skill. They must pay the judges a lot of money to spout some of the stuff that comes out of their mouths.

22nd November 2018, 06:32 PM	#4
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,150	FIF requires them to make approximations of historical weapons 'in their own style', then subjects them to brutal tests that a real historic one would never have passed and would never have been subjected to. They are usually crudely done, oversized and/or so heavy as to be jokes. One Historical weapons recreation 'expert' 'judge' is obsessed with 'indexing' and will comment negatively on weapons that had round grips historically, or if his large hands find the grip uncomfortable. they chop dry cow thigh bones and complain of flaws in the edge, then fail them for these flaws when they do not slice a cow in half first blow in a 'sharpness test' that did not allow the maker to resharpen the blade. I've lost count of how many finalists have said 'I've never made a sword before' or 'Maybe I should have tested it before I came back'. It's an occasionally interesting comedy, not a test of real skill. They must pay the judges a lot of money to spout some of the stuff that comes out of their mouths. Last edited by kronckew; 22nd November 2018 at 06:55 PM.