Review: The GFFG Berbekucz Club Sword

Posted on Oct 24th, 2018 - By Roger Norling - 0 Comments

Over a decade ago, the great and renowned HEMA maestro Roberto Gotti of the fantastic Gairethinx - Sala d'Arme degli Erranti came…

Continue Reading

Review: Mora Bushcraft Survival Knife

Posted on Sep 5th, 2016 - By Roger Norling - 1 Comment

Being Swedish, the town Mora more or less equates to knives and I would even go so far as to claim that "Mora" is pretty much a synonym for the…

Continue Reading

Review: Fällkniven A1, S1 & F1

Posted on Oct 28th, 2015 - By Roger Norling - 0 Comments

Today we will review three knives by a Swedish brand that oddly enough is little known to the common Swede, but which is a proper success story…

Continue Reading

Review: ESEE-4, ESEE-5 & ESEE-6 knives

Posted on Feb 16th, 2015 - By Roger Norling - 0 Comments

ESEE Knives, formerly R.A.T Cutlery is one of the most well-regarded cutlers in the USA, a cutler with a strong reputation for quality, and with the…

Continue Reading

Review: The Böker Plus Schanz Dagger

Posted on Dec 12th, 2014 - By Roger Norling - 1 Comment

Before we look at the knife in question for this review we have to step back in time a bit and look at where it comes from; i.e. the works of Col.…

Continue Reading

Fabrice Cognot – Bladesmith & Scholar

Posted on Oct 10th, 2014 - By Roger Norling - 0 Comments

Today we are introducing Dr. Fabrice Cognot, Burgundian swordsman, polearms specialist and bladesmith. Many of you already know him well, but perhaps…

Continue Reading

Review: Swordbag Liechtenauer

Posted on Aug 21st, 2014 - By Roger Norling - 0 Comments

As much as I love the pioneering aspect of Historical Fencing some aspects of it have, at times, also been a bit frustrating as we have had little…

Continue Reading

Review: Ontario Knives Chimera

Posted on Aug 8th, 2014 - By Roger Norling - 0 Comments

Among the countries of the world one stands out as truly blessed with excellent knife makers manufacturing big utility/combat knives. Why that is, is…

Continue Reading

Review: Tinea Kombat Knife

Posted on Jun 29th, 2014 - By Roger Norling - 0 Comments

  Today we are going to look closer at a fairly new modern Italian-design combat knife that not so many have heard of yet, a knife that due…

Continue Reading

Review: KA-BAR D2 Extreme Fighting/Utility Knife

Posted on Jun 20th, 2014 - By Roger Norling - 8 Comments

  When it comes to combat knives, next to the classical Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife, few are as iconic as the USMC "KA-BAR". However,…

Continue Reading

Review: SPES Dussack Waster

Posted on Apr 4th, 2014 - By Roger Norling - 0 Comments

Given how important the dusack has been both in the fencing schools and tournaments, all the way from the very early 1500s up until Napoleon and the…

Continue Reading

Review: A history of Europe by Aneas Silvius Piccolomini – 1400-1458

Posted on Feb 7th, 2014 - By Jean Chandler - 0 Comments

  A 'new' book from the 15th Century has just been translated and published.  The book was originally published in 1458 by Pope Pious II,…

Continue Reading

Review: SPES HEMA Jacket – Axel P model

Posted on Dec 27th, 2013 - By Roger Norling - 2 Comments

Looking at how the HEMA community looks today it is easy to forget how hard we have been working to get the attention of manufacturers hoping to get…

Continue Reading

Review: Warring Maidens, Captive Wives, and Hussite Queens

Posted on Nov 7th, 2013 - By Jean Chandler - 1 Comment

Before I go any further, I would like to point out that this is physically a very nice book.  The copy I got was a small hard back with a blue cloth…

Continue Reading

Review: Black Lance 5-finger HEMA Gloves

Posted on Jul 11th, 2013 - By Roger Norling - 0 Comments

  One of the most elusive pieces of protective gear for HEMA, the Holy Grail if you will, is good protective gloves that offer enough…

Continue Reading

Review: Where’s my fighting trousers?

Posted on Apr 8th, 2013 - By Roger Norling - 2 Comments

"A telegram? Oh, dear. It seems someone has been "biting me"...? Fetch me my trousers at once! No, not those. Those are my time travel…

Continue Reading

Review: Regenyei fechtschwert

Posted on Feb 5th, 2013 - By Roger Norling - 4 Comments

  The swordsmiths around the world have seen some pretty fierce competition developing over the last few years, especially the high-end…

Continue Reading

Review: Arms & Armor Fechterspiel Sword

Posted on Jun 18th, 2012 - By Roger Norling - 2 Comments

  Swordsmith: Arms & Armor Arms & Armor have been making swords for practice and sparring since the late 80’s which makes them…

Continue Reading

Hands-on Preview: Pavel Moc Fechtschwert

Posted on Feb 21st, 2012 - By Martin Fabian - 5 Comments

HEMA has gone through a lot of progressive development in the last decade. The community is growing rapidly and bouts, tournaments and other forms of…

Continue Reading

Review: Lichtenauer steel longsword

Posted on Sep 10th, 2011 - By Roger Norling - 0 Comments

In a way I think one's first real sword is like your first love. It is something you will always remember in a special way, since it was such a…

Continue Reading

Review: The Dave Rawlings/Knightshop Synthetic longsword – Pro-Line Extreme

Posted on Aug 2nd, 2011 - By Roger Norling - 0 Comments

Few HEMA-related products have caused as much debate as the Dave Rawlings/Knightshop range of Synthetic Swords. This comes quite natural as they were…

Continue Reading

Review: Zugadore poly sparring sword by Revival.us.

Posted on Feb 4th, 2011 - By Roger Norling - 0 Comments

This waster came seemingly out of nowhere onto the market, at a time were we are seeing very quick changes and developments in the line of sparring…

Continue Reading

Review: Norrlands waster by Plastsmeden

Posted on Feb 4th, 2011 - By Roger Norling - 0 Comments

The best longsword nylon wasters I have tried thus far were hand made by Pentti of GHFS. Unfortunately he no longer produces these, so they are near…

Continue Reading

Review: Synthetic Longsword Type II by Purpleheart Armoury

Posted on Feb 3rd, 2011 - By Roger Norling - 0 Comments

This hand-made Synthetic Longsword II is actually a bit of an old Rolls Royce or a Bentley. The quality of the build and components is excellent and…

Continue Reading

Review: Synthetic Longsword Waster by Pentti of GHFS

Posted on Feb 3rd, 2011 - By Roger Norling - 0 Comments

I consider myself very fortunate having had the chance to follow the development and having been able to practice with the infamous Pentti nylon…

Continue Reading

Sparring swords – Introduction

Posted on Jan 22nd, 2011 - By Roger Norling - 0 Comments

What defines a good sparring weapon? A common notion is that it should be as close as possible to the real, sharp weapon it simulates, but be…

Continue Reading

Review: Scimitars Fencing Shoes

Posted on Apr 24th, 2009 - By Roger Norling - 0 Comments

Finding good, suitable equipment for Hema is a problem we all wrestle with and there are few products aiming to fulfill our particular needs. I have…

Continue Reading