#Spadroon

[blue-and-gilt]

Photos of the sword display I had at last weekends excellent Auckland Blade and Knife show.

Was great to see meet with New Zealand's very talented knife makers showing off their work. Truly inspiring works of art.

For my display I opted to have a selection from the collection that covered a broad range instead of focusing on the one topic.

It was also my first use of the new boards I made after the last show. These are on their own stands giving me more table space.

Despite being a bit rough about the edges (remember folks, measure twice, cut once 🤣) they worked well. The next challenge is to improve on how the swords are mounted. Cable ties work great, but they're fiddly to pass through the cloth backing while trying to hold up a sword at the same time.

My thanks to The Auckland Blade Show for organising such a great event and for allowing me to participate. Shows like these are key to showing people just what is available and possible.

[cutecuttlefish]

The sword of the day is the spadroon.

This is a European and American sword that was in use in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. It is a midpoint of sorts between the smallsword, which had no sharpened cutting edge, and the much heavier broadsword. As a fairly light sword, it is able to make quick and agile cuts while also maintaining an excellent profile for thrusting. After falling out of use as a military weapon, the spadroon continued to be used in a ceremonial capacity as an officer’s sword for quite some time.

[awallofswords]

Why Sabers dominated over Smallswords & Spadroons for Infantry Officers

[it-is-me-fiore-like-actually]

Some shots of me, and many others, at a recent event

We did some napoleonic navel boarding and lots of duelling

Also featuring me holding a spadroon

[c-jay-s-head-canons-only]

Schnee family sword names have had my interest for quite some time now. So here, I'll be figuring out what they look like, along with their names.

Up first, we have Nicholas Schnee.

This man is quite literally a knight in shining armour. But his sword isn't one of the Oakeshott typology. According to The World of Remnant Short, Nicholas actually uses a sabre and pistol.

Contrary to what may be popular belief, there is a discipline for this style of fighting in HEMA, and yes, it involves using a sabre - specifically either a spadroon or a boarding cutlass according to David Rawlings.

Regarding what sword he would use, I believe his hands are very big. He was a miner, after all, and he's clearly shown wielding a pickaxe as well.

Therefore, I think his sword would be a two-handed sabre, like this.

More specifically, it would have the swept hitl guard, and the grip. But I picture the blade being a little wider, and the pommel having a more 'flowery' shape. Something like this.

Separate thought here: take note of the pommel in the picture. Does it look a bit familiar?

I think so. :3

Regarding a name, I think this sword is called Wurzel, which is the German word for Root.

The reason being that Weiss explains how her father wasn't the man who started the Schnee family, and she also refuses to be the last of it.

I agree. Her motive is honorable. Jacques was a jackass after all.

But something tells me that the true Schnee legacy doesn't go back much further than Nicholas himself. Therefore, I view Nicholas as the Root of his family tree.

Incidentally, I believe the sword was forged using part of a meteorite, which landed in the mining areas in Mantle, hitting a vein of ice and absorbing the power from it.

From the unique metal combined with the ice dust, the blade was especially good at freezing through objects and other weapons. The sword was retired from service not long before Nicholas died and has seen no action since.

[swordlordofthegoblinhorde]

The hilt of a very interesting spadroon reportedly carried by a Hessian soldier during the American Revolution. I hope to get more pictures and information about this sword later. But in case I don’t I thought I’d post the one good picture I do have here.

[major-toast]

Monday Snippet

Thank you for the tag @del-stars <3 Since I don't have a new project to currently work on, let me shamelessly self-promote the first chapter of Forget Me Not, which you can read here.

“Is this your spadroon poking me in the back? Or are you just happy to see me?” Fuck. “It’s my spadroon”, Remus hisses back, unable to come up with a better excuse. Tightening his grip around the prince’s mouth, he watches intently as the soldiers finally pass by. Once their footsteps and chatter recede and their surroundings can be deemed safe again, Remus finally allows himself to breathe. Only for the prince to lick squarely across his palm. “What the-“ Appalled, he draws away his hand, shaking off the saliva. “You’re worse than fucking a dog, actually”, he grumbles. The prince cackles as he saunters away. “So, I’m told”, he replies, grinning way too pleased with himself for someone behaving like a toddler. However, it does have something endearing to it.

Couldn't resist joining in on the funny scenes. Here is @del-stars 's snippet if you want to read it. It cast a big grin on my face.

np: @magicbeings and whoever wants to.

[blue-and-gilt]

What happens when a friend and fellow sword collector comes round to talk swords, collecting, rifles, books and generally chew the fat.

[historicalfightingguide]

An interesting example of one way to go about solo flow drills for Meyer rappier(applicable to swords we may call rapier or sidesword or even spadroon type weapons I’d argue to a degree). You could also try different starting and ending positions than the ones shown in this solo flow, as well as play with the rhytm and distance of the moves themselves.

Another way to bring more variety to it is to try it on different surfaces as well.

Generally going through the motions like this may not be enough to prepare you for fighting effectively against others, at least not on its own without also drilling, sparring and everything in between... however it can be a very effective way to build proprioception, understanding of where which part of your body is as you do a certain move or hold a certain position, how to seamlessly go from one to another and add variety to it all. All of which are useful skills to have when you are fighting against other people, be it in a friendly club sparring session or at a tournament or wherever.

It can also be a great way for some light training if you have an active injury you need to be mindful of, or a great solo workout if you want to do it intensely as a fun form of HIIT or if you do it for longer as a form of steady state cardio.

It can also look cool and be quite fun.

For more details about Meyer in general, here’s a ‘masterpost’ of sorts on his works.

And here’s another older post about Meyer’s approach to one handed weapons with some simpler but more specific drills.

For anyone who hasn’t yet seen the following links:

Some advice on how to start studying the sources generally can be found in these older posts

Remember to check out  A Guide to Starting a Liberation Martial Arts Gym as it may help with your own club/gym/dojo/school culture and approach.

Check out their curriculum too.

Fear is the Mind Killer: How to Build a Training Culture that Fosters Strength and Resilience by   Kajetan Sadowski   may be relevant as well.

“How We Learn to Move: A Revolution in the Way We Coach & Practice Sports Skills”  by Rob Gray  

Another useful book to check out is  The Theory and Practice of Historical European Martial Arts (while about HEMA, a lot of it is applicable to other historical martial arts clubs dealing with research and recreation of old fighting systems).

Worth checking out are this blogs tags on pedagogy and teaching for other related useful posts.

Consider getting some patches of this sort or these cool rashguards to show support for good causes or a t-shirt like to send a good message while at training.

And stay safe

[qsycomplainsalot]

if you could have any sword you've ever drawn which would it be? (other melee weapons count too)

That's a little tougher because as much as I love the look of the weapons I draw, I don't think I'd like having them around THAT much compared to firearms and especially random little objects from the 19th century. I recently bought a WW1 trench lighter made from shell casings, that's what I love to just own. If I had the opportunity and means to own a proper cool sword it would probably be something I haven't had the opportunity to draw yet, aka a smallsword/spadroon because I low-key want to get into that type of fencing .w.

[vagabond-rpg]

Character Creation, Player Skills

After generating your character’s stats, the next step is to choose their skills. Every character chooses 5 skills, with an additional skill of their choosing added at level 6, that make up the core of how they play.

Armor,  Light: Light armor is the cheapest and has no negative effect on agility-based checks.

Armor,  Medium: Medium armor is the most popular among wanderers and it provides the best protection at a decent price. Medium armor does affect agility-based checks with a -2 debuff.

Armor, Heavy: Heavy armor provides the best defense at an extremely high price though its popularity has fallen out of fashion since the invention of the firearm. Heavy armor has a -3 debuff to agility-based checks

Armor, Power: Power-Armor is an armored exo-skeleton which uses a sophisticated system of hydraulics and mechanics to enhance the wearers strength. Originally created as an experimental military project at the tail end of the Great War it was eventually scrapped when the war ended until the designs were adopted by the Paladins, mechanically augmented zealots hellbent on ridding the world of the supernatural. Once equipped, it cannot be removed. It grants +4 to Strength and DF but -4 to all forms of agility based checks and makes stealth virtually impossible.

Assassin: Multiplies the your attacks damage while in stealth by 2, does not apply once you have been discovered.

Berserker: You become consumed by a violent rage when you enter combat. Damage you take and damage you deal get a +2

Blade, Long: Long blades include: sabers, spadroons, broad swords, kriegsmessers, and great swords. Long blades are usually resigned as a back-up weapon with many preferring to carry a pistol and only resorting to the sword when the gun runs out or jams

Blade, Short: Short blades include: cutlasses, backswords, knives, and messers. Alomst every carries some form of short blade for work or defense as they are far cheaper and less unwieldy than longblades.

Bludgeon: Bludgeoning weapons are the cheapest option for self-defense and include: axes, clubs, maces and hammers. These weapons do have an advantage against foes who are heavily armored

Brawler: You spent a lot of your time showing pushy bar-flies and mouthy sailors what you're made of. Your bare fists are like that of stones and your kicks can fell trees, unarmed damage is upped to 1d6+STR

Charlatan: You gain a +2 modifier when making speech checks were you attempt to lie or decieve.

Daemonology: You spent your days pouring over occult manuscripts and ancient bestiaries in an attempt to accrued all the knowledge you could on the otherworldly entities who stalk the wilderness and wastelands. You can make a knowledge check when encountering a monster to identify it and its weaknesses

Duelist: Replaces your dodge with a parry and riposte maneuver which allows you to interrupt an enemy attack and follow-up with an attack of your own. Can only be used with long blades and short blades.

Dungeoneering: You get a +2 to Awareness checks when in dungeons. This can aid in detecting traps, secret doors, and hidden passages.

Etiquette: You get a +2 to speech checks when interacting with aristocracy and nobleman.

First Aid: Make a knowledge check to treat the wounds of you or your party members to regain 1d6+INT HP.

Hospitality: You get a +2 to speech checks when interacting with commonfolk.

Infiltration: Allows you to pick locks and break into buildings without detection by making a knowledge check or a stealth check.

Inquisitor: +2 damage to Occultists and Sorcerers

Marksman, Archery: A bit old-fashioned but gets the job done. Allows your character to use bows and crossbows.

Marksman, Pistols: Any wanderer worth their salt carries at least a pistol with them. Pistols include: the common Revolvers and the state of the art magazine-fed "Broomhandle Pistols". Revolvers can be fired once per round and need to be reloaded after 6 shots while Broomhandle Pistols and other Semi-Automatic pistols can be fired twice per round and need to be reloaded after 12 shots but do have a high chance to jam when rolling a critical fail.

Marksman, Rifles: Rifles are common amongst military and mercenary alike. Rifles include: Bolt-Action Rifles, Lever-Action Rifles, and Semi-Automatic Rifles. Much like pistols, Semi-Automatic rifles jam upon a critical failure. Rifles can also be affixed with a bayonet which means a wielder can use their rifle like a spear if they were to run out of ammo.

Nimble: Allows you to reroll failed dodge attempts and negates the +2 damage dealt to you when you fail a dodge roll twice

Outdoorsman: Your ability to survive in the wilderness. Allows you to locate food in the wilderness and if you get lost you may request a directional hint from the DM

Pilfering: Allows your character to steal items and pickpocket without the need for making a stealth check

Technology, Electronics: Your character's knowledge of electronic devices such as radios, lights, alarms, and a myriad of other gadgets and gizmos. You can repair or disable electronics if you succeed a knowledge check

Technology, Machinery: Your character's knowledge of motors, engines, firearms, power armor, and other sorts of machines. You can repair or disable machines if you succeed a knowledge check

[wraith-of-thiodolf]

not diggin the stirrup hilt spadroon

[qsycomplainsalot]

-going into the woods with my saw, hooks, crossbow, machete, spadroon, dagger, meat cleaver and four sickles to do very normal things-

Inventory, June 2024

[blue-and-gilt]

Playing with different backgrounds for displaying swords on. The blue is quite a cold colour, especially with all the bare steel. And at times the bluing also gets lost. I think the burgundy works well, so I will probably use that for the coming display. The top two swords are Georgian era non-regulation infantry officers swords. While the bottom two are 1796 Pattern swords, the one with the boatshell guard is for General Officers or Dragoon Officers dismounted service while the one with the Pas d’Ane guard is for infantry officers