No More Blind Bargains

Dear fellow sword enthusiasts, researchers, and history fans,

When I announced the launch of my online shop for full-size sword drawings last week, some readers rightfully pointed out that the preview images were blurred and the descriptions were too brief. I completely agree—this is far from helpful. I wouldn’t want to buy a pig in a poke either! I’ve passed on your suggestions to the Patreon team, who may enable customisation of the automated blur in the future.

In the meantime, to address this issue promptly, I’ve created a public post with clear images and detailed descriptions of all items, along with links to additional information. This list will be continuously updated as I add new items. It is also pinned to the top of my Patreon page for easy access.

Prices are very reasonable, generally around $10 (plus Apple’s steep 30% App Store fee if you purchase via the Patreon iOS app). All sword drawings print at full size, reflecting the original dimensions.

Sword-and-Shield Video

At the first Ribe Bouts in October 2024, my fellow researcher and instructor of early medieval close combat, Mikkel Mønsted, taught a class on fighting with spear and shield. He has now released a video of some subsequent practice bouts and shares his insights in a related post.

Para-HEMA, Anyone?

Fellow sword enthusiast Stefan from Austria, who uses a wheelchair, recently reached out to ask if there are any sports related to historical sword fighting for people with physical limitations. While I am not aware of any existing initiatives, there might be something out there. If it works for sports fencing, there’s no reason it couldn’t work for historical sword arts.

If you have any information or are interested in exploring this subject, simply reply to this email, and I’ll connect you with Stefan and others who are keen on this idea. Every endeavour starts somewhere—big things have small beginnings.

So, that's it for today. Take care, and keep your blade well-honed.

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If you wish to read more, find hundreds of related posts on my Patreon. Special thanks to all my loyal supporters on Patreon – you keep me going! And if you are not a patron yet, you are most welcome to join.

If you feel like dropping a coin into my tip jar, you can do so here. Thank you for your time and your interest.

Yours,

Roland

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