Historical European Martial Arts Enthusiast
HEMA Equipment, Experiences, and Opinions
If you are interested in trying out fokos techniques from the book “Hungarian Hussar Sabre and Fokos Fencing” by Russ Mitchell, you will need a Fokos! There are options available for sale on the internet (such as this one https://www.woodenswords.com/Hungarian_Axe_Fokos_p/vb.fokos.9.htm), but I wanted to try and create one myself. I was able to do so… Continue reading DIY Fokos
The Castille complete economy basket hilt sword is a relatively new option in the traditionally expensive space of HEMA-safe steel broadswords. At $260, the sword is shockingly affordable in comparison to most of the competing products (you can see the bottom of my review of the Purpleheart hybrid broadsword here for some links to other… Continue reading Castille Complete Economy Basket Hilt Broadsword Review
If you are curious about the Messer as a HEMA weapon or just starting out, I hope the information below is helpful. Feedback is welcome and appreciated in the comments. My goal with this article is to share the sources that got me going as well as provide the Messer apprentice curriculum I have developed.… Continue reading Getting Started with Messer in HEMA
Over the past few months, the handle of my Regenyei feder had developed a noticeable "wiggle". While the function of the sword was not impacted, I found the slight movement distracting and annoying. As the problem was getting worse over time, I suspected the issue was with the wood under the handle wrap. I removed the… Continue reading Re-Wrapping the handle of a Regenyei Feder
I recently ordered a reprint copy of Lessons in sabre, singlestick, sabre & bayonet, and sword feats; how to use a cut-and-thrust sword by J.M. Waite from abebooks.com to add to my HEMA library. Near the end, there is a list of “Sword Feats” that I found very interesting and wanted to share. A saber… Continue reading Sword Feats
Koning Gloves are my favorite piece of kit and have kept my hands safe for two years. In the time I have owned them, I have taken many hits to the hands from synthetic and steel weapons alike. Once broken-in (more on this later), I have found the mobility and flexibility to be better than… Continue reading Koning Gloves, 2 Year Review
I recently ordered four basic messer trainers from Purpleheart. After about two months of use, I wanted to share my impressions of the product. https://www.woodenswords.com/product_p/messer.trainer.gry.htm The TLDR version is that these are excellent products for the money, especially for a club. While I would not want to spar full speed with these due to their… Continue reading Purpleheart Armoury Messer Basic Trainer V3 Review
*UPDATE*, 8/17/19 - I have decided to return this sword to Purpleheart due to another person posting pictures of a pierced basket. While I had no issues with this sword once I had completed the mod detailed below, I just didn't feel safe sparring full speed with steel. Purpleheart was very helpful and informative in… Continue reading Baskethilt Scottish Broadsword VB Stryker Hybrid from Purpleheart Armory
Just a quick post to share a site that lets you create custom 3D printed sword handles - https://powerful-sands-30060.herokuapp.com. Once you enter the measurements and taper of your tang, the site outputs a file that you can take to a 3D printer (provided the printer can make objects that large). You could also send the… Continue reading Site for making 3D Printed sword handles
Harnischfechten is an important, yet under-represented part of HEMA. I suspect this is due to the high startup costs associated with getting a full set of functional armor. Still, many of the primary HEMA sources spend a fair amount of time discussing armored combat. If we want to study the breadth of HEMA, then we… Continue reading Harnischfechten
Historical European Martial Arts Enthusiast 