Rapier

Just a quick heads up about the coming busy week.

Ella mentioned something at Thursday practice about a cut and thrust tourney at Pennsic.

I doubt any SCA member has trouble figuring out either what to ask for or what to get their friends and relatives who are in the SCA. But what do you tell your dubious grandmother about your hobby? Is she really going to go shop at Revival or Mad Matt's Armory online for you? Will Uncle Irving understand you want the 11th century viking buckles, not a Minnesota Vikings belt buckle?

Here are some things you can suggest to your non-SCA gift givers. You don't even need to explain why you need them!

All the stuff below would be particularly welcome to someone just getting started putting their fighting kit together.

Sliding Shorts
These are a huge improvement over normal athletic cup holders. Less chafing, and most of them come with some padding on the hips. Not enough to stop a greatsword blow, but every little bit helps. If you are buying for someone really big, there's an amazing sale at the moment on XXL mens sliding shorts. Under $9! That's cheaper than most normal cup holders.

Knee Pads
Pretty self explanatory. Big guys wear these on their elbow. Or you can just pick up some elbow pads. Even people who have been fighting a while can use these. They wear out. And in most cases, black will show less under gear than white will.

Leather Work Gloves
These wear out from half gauntlets, gauntlets and tent set up with distressing regularity. I go through two or three pair a year.

Duffel Bags
You can go with something cheap and basic, but for a nice upgrade, a leather duffel comes very very close to looking like a period case. 

Foldit Carts
I've mentioned these before. Not as cool as a period-looking cart, but cheaper and easier to pack than almost any other option. So very very handy at Pennsic or any big war. 

Things I would never think to recommend because I'm not an expert: Sewing machines, embroidery hoops, knitting needles, that kind of stuff.

Quick note! Don't be afraid of a rainy forecast, we'll have fun no matter what at the Isenfir Games Tourney/Demo at the Hill Top Berry Farm and Winery this Saturday.

If the weather is too bad to fight, there's always an afternoon of Mead Fighting! I know Caleb is coming up from Virginia Beach. Anyone else planning to make it from out of town?

Now that the little matter of the election is over, life, and medieval life goes on.

With Eastern Standard Time reestablished, we now move the Isenfir/UVa practice to the lower level of the Scott Stadium parking garage. Better light, protection from some of the weather, easy parking. What that location does not have is good positioning for recruitment. People don't casually walk by and discover us there. So please, tell your friends, and be sure to come yourselves!

• Kelby from Prechain has become a regular, and is discovering the wonders of a fight practice where actual teaching happens.
• Philip and Aethelwolf are reliable and a great help with the new fighters.
• I'm there every week.
• Landi has put gear on a few times and is getting more regular!
• Aloisius recently told me he wants to emphasize armored combat over rapier.
• Cartallo has made some non-commital noises that suggest we might see him now and then.
• Danny, Andrew, and Sev are all close to authorizing, and Jordan is catching up fast for only having made a few practices.

So we're definitely getting there! Even with school or life keeping Charles, Eric and Timm from fighting, this practice is definitely reaching critical mass. Maybe soon, even Karhu will armor up.

Rapier is going great too, but that's not my place to report on. But Caleb just delivered Eleanor's new helmet. Come see it!

Aside from personnel, I'm sad that it seems my idea for a polearm isn't legal. If I do understand the rules now, a laminated weapon isn't going to be very attractive in performance or appearance. Maybe I can figure out one that is. And I still have Val's Chopper....

Come on out! The weather should be good this week.

Sunday, there's some sort of sewing get together planned for at UVa. And then the Isenfir Games Tourney and Demo next week.

199 Pictures taken by the Lewis' this past weekend. Pike drill! Booms! Fancy Pants! Bear attacks!

Rapier marshals, please look at the pics at the link and comment if you think it is legal. There's a pic with the head tilted back.

Seems like it has come around awfully fast, but this coming Sunday the 28th is the fourth of the month, so I'm hosting the combined Caer Glynniog/Isenfir Archery/Rapier/Armored practice/get-together/crafts afternoon.

I have a sense we'll see a larger than usual number of new people at this one, since UVa recruiting has gone really well. In particular, new interest in armored combat has almost half a dozen people starting out, wanting to make swords, looking for gear and so on. Very encouraging!

As usual, we'll go from 1 until around 6 or so. The Two Sallys have offered to cook this time.

One thing to note if you've been to these before: This time Thjora/Kit will NOT be in attendance. She's off that weekend to get some intensive rapier practice and won't be home 'til late. So sewing help will not really be available.

I hope to see Philip, Aethelwolf, Charles, Aloisius, Timm, Bubba, Landi and me in armor, with David, Danny, Andrew, Sev, Farrhan, out to learn some more stuff. How about Seamus, Karhu, Eric, Johanna? Some of the Caer Mear crew?

If you're not local but are interested in coming, let me know! Event details are available at isenfir.org

Yesterday's demo at the Triangle was one of the best I've attended. Sure we could have had more combatants (where were you guys?) but we had enough, and the crowds were constant without being overwhelming.

I don't recall a more receptive crowd ever. It seemed like a very large number of the spectators were actually there on purpose, to see what the SCA is. Good work Charles on getting the word out to this year's student mailing list.

And while plenty of students came out and many stayed for almost the whole time, there were lots of townspeople too. And very interestingly, I noticed that several different times, new people who had not arrived together ended up chatting with each other, sometimes for quite a while. And that is a really great sign, since that means the new people will connect with each other and not just the established members.

My camera went around, lots of people took pics. I'll post them tomorrow, since I left the camera at home today.

Thanks to everyone who came out and helped. I'm really going to be surprised if this demo and our other recruiting activities this month don't ultimately end us up with 6+ new members.

Edwin, Orlando, Adam and Gianetta were all at practice! Many more pictures at this link.