What have forum members been up to?

[quicksilver-wsr]

Thanks, Facebook, for taking the world to new heights of idiocy ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-40339723

Nigel

[Richie]

Always had my suspicions about you Nigel.


Did you teach Michael Jackson how to do it ?

[Renegadenemo]

Ahhh, Facebollocks - my favourite...

[captain sparkle]

Recently did our annual trip to the Classic TT/Manx Grand prix. I thought some of you may like to see (& hear!!) a small part of the 'tribute' lap by Michael Dunlop, commemorating the first 100mph lap of the TT by Bill Mcintyre in 1957. The bike was a 'built from scratch' replica of the famous 500c Gilera and Mr. Dunlop even managed to lap at a tad over 100mph, wearing replica leathers, helmet & goggles!

[midlife]

Now that's what a proper engine should sound like, thanks for sharing!!
Cheers
Wayne


.

[quicksilver-wsr]

Recently did our annual trip to the Classic TT/Manx Grand prix. I thought some of you may like to see (& hear!!) a small part of the 'tribute' lap by Michael Dunlop, commemorating the first 100mph lap of the TT by Bill McIntyre in 1957.

Pedantic - me?

Bob McIntyre.

Nigel

[captain sparkle]

Recently did our annual trip to the Classic TT/Manx Grand prix. I thought some of you may like to see (& hear!!) a small part of the 'tribute' lap by Michael Dunlop, commemorating the first 100mph lap of the TT by Bill McIntyre in 1957.

Pedantic - me?

Bob McIntyre.

Nigel

Amazing effect that Mr. Smith has on people!!

[sbt]

Transplanting a sort of thread from 'Technical Issues'. Here is how I spend parts of my weekend.

The NOVA documentary has disappeared so I don't know what exactly it covered. So here are some 'scattergun' links to some of my favourite YouTube videos and channels.

First off, Ian LaSpina, 'Knight Errant' - a former US Marine who wears, and is an expert on, armour. He has done a series on each piece of Full Plate in turn, as well as covering Mail. His early video on mobility in Plate is a lesson in itself.

Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/neosonic66

Mobility in armour. (The armour is an English Foot Armour)
https://youtu.be/Pz7naZ08Jd4

How Gauntlets go together - and why they are that way.
https://youtu.be/hnnSkG-kkgI?list=PLllw ... L6Mozats7Q

More, later, Gauntlets, fancier metalwork
https://youtu.be/K8hCjtMp8dU

Winds sound gets in the way, but a pretty good all-round introduction to Plate Mail
https://youtu.be/pC7e99BGI6w


Tobias Capwell of the Wallace Collection is the guy who literally 'wrote the book' on English Armour.

Henry VIII, his armours and their creators.
https://youtu.be/QKlUy9NOl_U

Dr Capwell on the armour of Richard III, and other things
I'm particularly interested in this one, as I have a milder version of the condition R3 had, Scoliosis (a curved backbone)
https://youtu.be/8Sn9F0VHTjY

One of my favourite YouTubers, Matt Easton, expert on Western European fighting skills and weapons, talks to Toby Capwell about arms and armour, focusing on Agincourt and the relevant arms and armour and trying to dispel a few myths, including the biggest one. (3 videos)
https://youtu.be/ukvlZcxNAVY
https://youtu.be/yewwhjUYEPQ
https://youtu.be/IHqo4syIqD8

[Richie]

Have you ever watched Eric Dube making armour ? awesome to watch. Bill and I were having this very discussion the other day..... of all things, I fancied making some chainmail or the riveted variety......then I saw how much work was involved so gave myself a quick slap.

[sbt]

Have you ever watched Eric Dube making armour ? awesome to watch.

Not yet...

If you ever go mad and make your own armour, or weapons, watch the metallurgy, and the research. Everything is much more subtle than you think - and just when you think you have the subtlety down right, something new comes up.

My favourite example of this is that I recently discovered that the edges of bronze swords were work hardened, and just how effective that was. 'Amazing' (and overhyped) demonstration of cutting (thin) mild steel with a Katana? - You can do the same with a properly made replica of an ancient greek bronze sword.

Also beware the hype-merchants and fan-boys. The Katana woobies are the worst.

I'm in the process of designing a 'realistic as you can get' set of rules for combat in a role-playing game. Even restricting the time period to 900 to 1150 I'm only just getting to grips with things. For a start, did the Anglo-Saxons wear a Gambeson (padded cloth armour) beneath their Mail or not? It matters a huge amount - illustrations don't show them, tales don't mention them, Romans used them and they can, in realistic tests, halve the depth of a cut (but they are not so effective against stabs or blunt trauma) from anything but a razer-sharp sword, even without the mail. Without a Gambeson to cushion and spread the blows Mail is nowhere near as effective - so were they sown to the inside of mail shirts and not seen in illustrations or not written of as they were counted as part of the shirt?