Quote:
Originally Posted by larsdangly
I understand that rationale; I have done years of SCA heavy weapons combat, and have also done years of HEMA, including cutting with sharps. So, I'm aware of the things various groups argue about the connections between their sports and real combat. But the bit about calling shots in SCA heavy weapon combat is simply not accurate. There isn't a chance in the world that most of the blows called in that sport would penetrate period mail over a gambeson, much less the kettle helms that go over your coconut.
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You're forgetting the single most important element of weapons: The weapon does not need to meet the flesh, merely to put its energy into flesh efficiently.
A saxon-style handaxe to chain & gambeson put the pig's right rib into its left, without even breaking skin. There were pieces of bone through all the organ meats.
The broadsword to the shoulder shattered the clavicle through chain and gambeson.
And, because people often claim that the time betwen death and test is often resulting in brittleness - the pig was still walking at 0700, testing was done at 1000, put into the cooking pit at 1015, and was feast at 1600.
Not one hit made significant damage to the armor - but every blow broke bones and disrupted tissue. Made the ribs hard to eat, too.