[Calis]

does anyone know where i can find information on swords and pictures?

[Jacquin]

For general info take a look at Swordforum (http://swordforum.com) and Netsword (http://netsword.com). For info on usage try The ARMA (http://thearma.org), HEMAC (http://hemac.org) and The Exiles (http://the-exiles.org). There should be pics on all of these sites.

J

[Calis]

thanks
just needed them for my book

what sword would go with the type of character.

[Jacquin]

Tell me a bit about your character and I'll let you know. :D

[Expendable]

Have you tried looking in a fantasy RPG? The people who do them do alot of research, it might help.

There's also The Book of the Sword by Richard Burton.

[Jacquin]

If you do use RPG rules then you should ceratinly disregard the weights. One of the biggest myths regarding western arms and armour is that it was all heavy. It is simply not true.

Also bear in mind when reading anything by Burton that he was a classical fencer and had every reason to denigrate the martial traditions of the past, this also holds true of other "historians" like Castle and Hope.

I wrote an essay on exactly this subject some time ago for the Society for the Promotion of Authenticity in the Teaching of Historic Arms (SPATHA). I'll see if I can find it...

J

[Holbrook]

Second what J has said.

Also for the basic of swordplay I would suggest a copy of John Clements' Medieval Swordsmanship, not getting into the politics of the sword world, but the illustrations and the rough guide to swords and shields is useful for a writer, who doesn't want to dig too deeply into the "sword world"

Also J Christoph Amberger's The secret History of the sword is good and at least you can have the two books in the same room (in joke there, sorry)