>>>>There is nothing wrong with setting a baseline standard. I would say that blue jeans and sneakers and a cigar are NOT period. Yet I have seen SCA Kings do exactly this because they couldn't be bothered to change into their Garb before an important Tournament. Yet, for most of us, a wool-blend is...

I always saw Rangers a forward scouts. Their job was to sneak around, quietly, spy on the enemy, gather info at taverns or from the peasants and report back to the general. Scouts like that were too valuable to waste hacking their way into an armed camp. So they'd rarely wear armor, and then, some k...

I was watching the Home Shopping Network one day when the salesman was showing their 'battle-ready' ninja sword. He showed how good the blade was by banging it on the table. The blade snapped off, bounced back and buried itself into his body. he fell to the ground screaming for a doctor and another ...

I've bought a number of good blades over the years. BUT it takes experience and a good eye and I make mistakes. incident 1: I saw an ad in Craigslist for a sword for $20 and it looked different from all his other SLO. So when I bought it, it 'felt' different. he was selling it as the simplicity didn...

I'm a little leary of any company that advertises "Full Hand Forged Folded Damascus Samurai Katana Tanto Sword"

How many discrepencies can you find in that description?

>>Oh man, does this open the can of worms as what constitutes what a real sword is and what is a SLO (sword like object)? My first sword was a Toledo Sword Company 'fighting' sword. A cheap Kirby made from a leaf spring cut it in half. My second was a 19th century katana blade I found at the swap me...

my only comment would be to dump the aluminum pans and find a set of stainless steel.
the weight isn't that much more but the cooking time is comparable and the health issues much safer.
You only need a pot, pan, plate and cup. and you can always eat out of the pot .

depends on why? for shooting, I go gloveless save a small archers glove on my bow-hand to prevent damage as I shoot off-the-hand. For tounaments or fighting, hockey gloves<g> or padded motorcycle gloves. For costume, I have a pair of welders-gloves! get them the right size, dye them and they work ve...

I've made a lot of poor-fitting cloaks in my life. Then my daughter gave me her cloak as a birthday present (she hated it) and I found the secret! you actually need to cut the thing to fit your shoulders! a round cloak doesn't drape well. When you lay it out, folded front over back, you find that th...

I'm just thinking that from personal experience, wearing a cloak or open coat... WITH.. a quiver or bedroll or "whatever" over makes either item of clothing unusable! The cloak bunches up in the back and becomes a dragging blanket! The coat cannot easily be buttoned and works its way open....

Most of us love to carry a bota-bag. At least we who cannot afford those really neat leather water bottles. The Botas that we normally see are covered with leather and plastic. I have one fully leather but the bladder popped and I can find NOTHINMG that will patch that plastic. So, since a bota is l...

Most of us love to carry a bota-bag. At least we who cannot afford those really neat leather water bottles. The Botas that we normally see are covered with leather and plastic. I have one fully leather but the bladder popped and I can find NOTHINMG that will patch that plastic. So, since a bota is l...

Have you ever watched the really old movies.. back when they were still learning about autos? the driver and family always wore hats and coats and gloves and goggles... Those were dusters too. A Duster is simply a long light-weight coat whose only purpose was to keep your clothes clean when you were...

I like the hood.
How it is NOT a pull-over but ties in the front.

People who wear brimless hats generally live in cloudy areas. For those of us in the desert, a good brim saves damage to eyes, face and neck. When I lived in Arabia (et environs) and africa, I never understood how those people could walk around with naught but a bit of cloth over their head and neck...