#Tod Cutler

[kultofathena]

Tod Cutler – Italian 14th to 15th Century War Hammer – Dragon Hammer

This Italian medieval war hammer is based on a piece from the Venice Museum dated 1380.  Housed at The Museo Civico Correr in Venice, Italy. Francesco II da Carrara.  The original was a staff weapon at 20cm wide and this has been scaled down to be a hammer. War hammers generally had a faceted hammer for powerful concussive blows and a sharper pointed side which could be used for piercing and puncturing. Based on a piece from Venice Museum and dated 1380 . The head is cast bronze and steel and matched with a bronze end cap and all the components are securely fitted to a stout and robust ash hardwood haft.

War hammers generally had a faceted hammer for blows and a sharper pointed side which could be used for piercing/ripping.

[erikacousland]

Tods Workshop | Facebook

Anglo Saxon 9th and 10thC Spoon Fork 'Spork' – Tod Cutler

An amazing and rare 9th and 10th C eating utensil. A spoon, fork on one shaft. Anglo Saxon in origin, but of course would be suited to Vikings as well. For serving or eating but is finely cast in polished brass. An unusual piece for the time, but based on a museum piece and shows that nothing is really new! We have named this ourselves…….enjoy! Please note this is for one piece (fork one end, spoon the other) Overall length is 26cm Copied from an original. Material: Brass

[a-kind-of-merry-war]

Have I shown off my incredibly appropriate knife yet? Why yes, yes I am Merie.

Bought from the Tod Cutler store, inspired by 13th-16thC knives with wording from 14thC. Which means Ash could be gifted one to remind him to stop being such a grumpy bastard ❤️

[petermorwood]

I'm curious about the eating pick, how would you compare using it to using a fork?

It's a lot more fiddly - stab not scoop - and having used both a pick and a two-tine fork it surprises me that the three-tine fork with less space for things to fall through (or maybe even something like a modern spork) wasn't an immediate next step, rather than taking more than a century to arrive and then, AFAIK, only for fruit.

Medieval food was mostly eaten with knife-spoon-fingers, and the pick (again AFAIK) was used more like a carving-fork, to hold large pieces in place so they could be cut to spoon- or finger-size, than to convey those pieces to the mouth.

The well-researched "Wolf Hall" series shows Tudor table etiquette, eating with a spoon and with right-hand fingers kept clean by using the napkin worn on left shoulder or forearm.

Earlier table manners were similar; there's plenty of reference to hand-washing, napkins and so on.

IMO “The Private Life of Henry VIII” (1933) is probably to blame for the pop-history notion of “historical” dining involving whole chickens pulled apart with both hands and bones thrown over shoulders or onto the floor.

This link is to the full scene on YouTube, where the dialogue proves that it’s being done partly for comedy, and partly to show how nervous Henry made his court.

People in the Middle Ages didn't cut their food with daggers; yes, they'd have worn baselards or rondels or ballock knives because those were part of everyday costume (including women, there's pictorial evidence for it), but they wouldn't have used them at the dinner-table any more than they'd have used a sword.

I wonder sometimes if those who claim daggers were table cutlery know how big a medieval / Renaissance dagger could be, or how out-of-place it would look at a dinner table.

There's plenty of evidence for picks and small eating-knives as personal possessions. Here’s a 14th-century painting and a modern reconstruction of the thing on the belt.

...and another painting, “The Peasant Dance” by Breughel, showing both a big fighting-knife (Messer) and - worn by the red-hosed dancer in the middle - an eating-knife and maybe pick.

The armed man is also showing off (look at his hat!) that he owns a pewter or maybe even silver spoon...

Eating-knife and pick, collectively called "by-tools", could also be slotted into the scabbard of something bigger, such as that Messer in the Breughel painting as recreated by Tod Cutler...

...or a dagger like these Swiss ones...

...whose scabbard ornamentation with human figures proves how they were worn...

- horizontally (usually across the small of the back) so their decoration was right-way-up for proper admiration.

By-tools could be part of even larger weapons, a sword or Kriegsmesser (war-knife) like this one, which belonged to Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I:

Besides holding down or picking up food, a pick had other functions for which a knife with edges wouldn’t work as well such as an auger to drill holes in leather, or a fid or marlinspike for splicing rope or laces.

By the mid-1500s, people on the cutting edge (hah!) of fashion started to carry the ornate version of that little eating-knife-and-pick sheath; they had a “dining trousse”, personal table cutlery with its own separate case or scabbard, and a REALLY stylish trousse might even include the latest toy, a fork.

But that was often regarded as a pointless (hah!) affectation, because after all, everyone had fingers...

[adafruit]

🐍🎉 THIS Friday - August 16, 2024 - CIRCUITPYTHON DAY! 🐍🎉

Join the community of creators, hackers, educators, and more - celebrating python on hardware! The easiest way to program microcontrollers!

11am 3D Hangouts with Noe & Pedro 1pm Maker Chat: Guy Dupont 2pm CircuitPython Project Highlights with Paul Cutler & Tod Kurt 4pm JP’s Workshop 5pm Deep Dive with Scott 6pm CircuitPython Game Jam with Tim

Ladyada is doing a special event during the day (stay tuned for the time), AND there will be discounts at Adafruit, ALL DAY!

[severalpossiblemusiks]

Have you learned any fun history facts recently?

Thanks for the ask!

I don't think I have a "short and sweet" fact that could be summed up in a sentence, but I did watch a cool video about fire arrows.

They were basically a lot of animal fat and such with a lit match that would stay burning while the arrow was in flight. The nasty bit was that once the arrow was burning, you couldn't really pull it out of the target, so any poor sod who got hit with one just kinda had to burn. Very nasty.

I'll find the video if you want to watch:

The YouTuber is Tod's Workshop, he's an engineer and historical weapons creator, he did some of the weapons for the Witcher TV series, and has a line of medieval cutlery under the name Tod Cutler, while his weapons are sold under the Tod's Workshop name. He does a lot with archery in his videos. He's very easy for me to follow in terms of video topics and presentation, and he has good quality production. One of my favourite medieval hsitory and warfare YouTubers.

[a-dauntless-daffodil]

#i-is that your sword#do you have an eat cheese ot die sword#this is incredible#pretty loopies

Alas no, @ratstuckinamarble.... Tod Cutler makes AMAZING blades, and they're priced appropriately, so my dreams of owning one of his bollock daggers is as yet just that- a dream ;_;

THIS is my sword, Goodfellow!

we got all gussied up for a party and she's looking Fabulous (as always)

also look at this ROUSE

rouse -> r o u n d g r o u s e

[missouri-and-woe]

If I recall, your interest in the swiss knife is the handle construction? It's similar but not quite the same as a Tod Cutler Medieval Quilon dagger, might be worth taking a look at to see if it'd interest you

Yeah. I have an SA dagger (do not ask why, since no one in the family knows how we came to have it lmao) and it feels so nice in my hand but for very obvious reasons I can't exactly wear it lmao

And I will look into that!

[kalindashepard]

Matt Easton is good, I found him through Skallagrim, who has yet to disappoint me. Tod Cutler makes his living in weapon smithing so he’s nicely grounded in facts. Military History Visualized cites all his sources very carefully and is very good. They’re all human beings and prone to biases but in general they do their research instead of just reading whatever they find online and then talking like they’re an expert.

Do you remember that Aussie sword guy who used to talk about medieval weapons?

And, like, he seemed pretty good at talking about swords and shit. He seemed to have a good grasp of the history and tactics. He'd analyze movie weapons for their realism and that was fun. He did demonstrations with real weapons. For a time I really looked forward to his videos popping up in my feed.

He seemed like a harmless sword-fighting aficionado.

But then I guess he wanted to spread his wings. So he started down an anti-woke path. Giving questionable critiques about media and feminism. He started defending boob armor by showing historical examples even though most of those were decorative and not battle ready like in the games.

Then he admitted he was a fan of The Daily Wire.

And that was disappointing.

I missed him nerding out about swords, ya know?

Well, Shad decided to spread his wings again.

He has become...

*bad French accent* An artiste.

You see, he types words into a little box. Then a little robot does a google image search and steals a bunch of art. Then that robot reconfigures that art to be nearly indistinguishable from the source material. Well... aside from the occasional artist watermark.

Whoops!

A.I. art is very difficult. Sometimes when you type words into the box you get a woman with 5 lopsided anime tiddies. Or 20 fingers on one hand. It takes time and effort and experience to type in the perfect magic words so that you get something close to your imagination that doesn't belong in some sort of Lovecraftian horror ripoff.

For example, check out this cool "pirate hat" I asked A.I. to place on my head.

Clearly, I am not skilled enough at typing words into a box to get a proper pirate hat.

It. Is. Not. Easy.

I heard someone say you have to type things in a box for 10,000 hours before you start getting truly masterful generations.

I mean, you can't type "marathon runners" and expect that to actually work.

THIS REQUIRES SKILL, PEOPLE.

And I am a lowly amateur. I can only dream of becoming the box-typist Shad has honed himself into.

The thing is... Shad is very upset.

He is upset that you don't like his "art" and he is ready to die on this hill.

So... before he croaks on a mound of bullshit, he has something to show you. He has created something truly brilliant and when you see it, he is convinced you will validate his considerable efforts.

Before I show you his "Not. Easy." artistic masterpiece I'd like you to sit with what he has said for a second.

Ruminate in the verbiage.

Process the ideas and points of view presented.

Digest his plea for you to accept and love his hard won battle after typing words into a box to manifest his imaginings.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Have you sat?

Ruminated?

Processed?

Digested?

Okay, here it is...

[astrangerinbrownleatherboots]

Ya girl got a knife!!!!!!

[kultofathena]

Tod Cutler – 16th Cent. Brueghel Messer with By-Knife

The Brueghel Messer is a fierce short sword by Tod Cutler has a blade forged from tempered EN45 high carbon steel. The guard and pommel cap are steel and the long bladed dagger is securely constructed with a full tang construction of two wood grip scales which are stoutly riveted directly to the blade tang and then supported with a peen over the pommel cap. It is paired with a utility by-knife of matching tempered steel with a grip of finely polished wood. This German / Swiss fighting blade is matched with a high quality dagger of fine leather that has a slot not only for the Messer, but for its companion by-knife as well.

Tod Cutler takes its inspiration for the recreated German / Swiss Messer from the paintings of Brueghel, of which many feature lower status men with short Messers or Bauernwehr. Many of these feature side rings or a knuckle bow. Like these originals, the Tod Cutler Brueghel has a stout, thick spined and rigid blade with appleseed edge geometry. These large daggers and short swords are clearly shown as work-a-day tools and are entirely about practicality without the finery associated with swords of higher classed personages. The emphasis was all about creating a tough and dependable cutter for self defense and a fierce sidearm for war.

[erikacousland]

Tod's Workshop - Historical reproduction weapons and shields

Tod Cutler - Handmade Historical Reproduction Knives, Daggers

[recoiloperated]

prayers appreciated

Will be joining the Knights of Columbus next Sunday after Mass. Please pray for me that I’ll be able to make a good addition to our local Knights

[a-kind-of-merry-war]

Your knives look so cool! The display is beautiful! I always wanted to have a fancy dagger, so maybe I could ask few questions? Are knives in display actually sharp? And from where can you buy them? Are there like special stores for pretty daggers? Because in my country I can't think of where to find them.

Hi!! Thank you Anon :D

Are the knives sharp?

Kinda! The one with the sort of curved handle is about as sharp as a letter opener, but the others are all pretty pointy. They're not sharp sharp, but you could do some damage with one if you really wanted. Most shops will ask if you want sharpening when you buy one, and I tend to go for dulled or semi-sharp, because I am a buffoon.

Where can you buy them?

So, my really nice daggers/knives all come from Tod Cutler (I'll add a link to his store in the comments). They're hand forged and are real craftsmanship. I'm pretty sure he ships outside of the UK, but you have to be mindful about the laws in your country around importing weapons!

I find if you search for things like daggers/weapons on HEMA websites, medieval re-enactment websites etc you can find some good stuff. There's also a lot of people selling daggers on Etsy!

Honestly if you just look up "buy daggers" or "buy replica daggers" (or get specific and throw in a "medieval") then you'll probably get a bunch of results! You can also look up reviews for stores you find to make sure you're getting something good.

Happy Daggering!!!

[victoriansword]

Italian Stiletto, 17th Century Style, by Tod Cutler

I rarely buy replicas, but every once in a while I find something that I can’t resist. A few weeks ago, having just missed out on an antique sword I wanted, I consoled myself by buying a steel stiletto from Leo “Tod” Todescini of Tod Cutler/Tod’s Workshop in the UK. 

I’ve always been intrigued by the stiletto, and not having the budget for an original, I thought I would get a replica. I chose Tod Cutler’s stiletto because Tod is an amazing and clever craftsman whose work I have admired for years. He has a fantastic YouTube channel in which he shares his knowledge of period weapons, including demonstrations with weapons like longbows and crossbows. Tod has also done a lot of work for television and film, including the swords used by Henry Cavill as the Witcher on the Netflix series. 

The stiletto was well-packed, and arrived with a light coat of oil to prevent rust while in transit. The weight and feel are great, the fit and finish are outstanding, and the sheath (while not a thing of great beauty) is nice enough and a welcome bonus considering the already low price of the stiletto. I’m very happy with this dagger, and I will definitely be a repeat customer.

[adafruit]

CIRCUITPYTHON DAY SCHEDULE! 🐍🎉 August 16, 2024

Join the community of creators, hackers, educators, and more - celebrating python on hardware! The easiest way to program microcontrollers!

Adafruit will have special shows and more (all times US Eastern):

11am 3D Hangouts with Noe & Pedro 12noon CircuitPython Coffee Hour with Scott and Dan 1pm Maker Chat: Guy Dupont 1:30pm CircuitPython Code Editor Design Challenges with Melissa 2pm CircuitPython Project Highlights with Paul Cutler & Tod Kurt 2:30pm IoT, Adafruit IO, iOS Development and More with Brent and Trevor 3pm Ladyada Live Chat 3:30pm Maker Chat: Charlyn Gonda 4pm JP’s Workshop 5pm Deep Dive with Scott 6pm CircuitPython Game Jam with Tim

More content may be announced when scheduled.

Are you working with CircuitPython? Tag your projects #CircuitPythonDay2024 on social media and Adafruit will look to highlight them.

Do you have events you’d like folks to attend or have projects in the works? Also tag your events #CircuitPythonDay2024

Details will be posted on the Adafruit Blog and social media channels. Save the date!