OT..........Braveheart weapons..

Kismet

Kismet

Joined
Jan 30, 2002
Messages
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Just watched Braveheart again. Folks here would know if the various weapons used (and there were many) were authentic to the time period, right?

I also noted that Wallace's sword had a leather glove over the first 10 inches of blade past the hilt. Is this to protect the mini-sheath he used?

Really a well-done film.

thank you
 
The sword he used was made by Del Tin, which they sell. Since they made the movie sword, it's as close to the original prop as you can get. The sword style from blade to handle is more appropriate for a later time period though, but it's still a good film. To me it was so good, you can overlook the lack of a bridge on the film's version of the Battle of Stirling Bridge.:D :p

The baldric thing he used wouldn't have been the thing to draw it from. Carry it to battle maybe, then take it off, but it would be close to impossible to draw it or sheath it from that position. In my early teens I tried the "dumb kid" way.;) Looking over the sword related forum, it seemed that people also agreed the "carry then move it" idea.
 
I'm trying to remember what it looked like. It was a BIG sword, right? Perhaps it was to protect the shoulder/neck area of the bearer if carrying over the shoulder, or to protect (or provide a grip for) the hand when holding past the hilt?
 
1st I loved "Braveheart", it was a great movie.

2nd It was not history. Some of the weapons were probably acurate but only by chance (I haven't seen the movie in a while but will most likely rent it this weekend).

The sword Mel Gibson used was closer to a 15th century Bastard sword than a 13th century War Sword or something Scottish. The leather just below the hilt is so he could choke up on the sword for combat at close range.

This is what Mel used
http://www.albionarmorers.com/swords/deltin/dt5154.htm

This is closer to a 13th century Scottish weapon
http://www.albionarmorers.com/swords/deltin/dt5151.htm
 
Thanks Red for putting up Albion's links!:D

The armor was a little, weird, the same with the machete like falchion things that some of the Scots carried.

I still love the movie.
 
Red got it.
The leather wrap on the ricasso (blade right after the hilt) is for gripping in a 2 handed thrust for extra leverage, or choking up for close combat.
 
All the bows used by King Edward's archers in that movie were made by a nice English fellow named Steve Ralphs. He also did the archery tackle for Thirteenth Warrior and Gladiator. I've had the pleasure and good fortune to shoot one of Steve's bows, and I've got to tell y'all, the bow model that he produces for use by members of the British Longbow Society is my absolute dream bow. Sigh......some day......yes, some day it will be mine.

Sarge
 
Thanks for sharing, Sarge. I shoot a 1954 Bear Kodiak recurve, and love it. I've thought about getting a longbow, I will look into Mr. Ralph's work. I assume it commands a high price.
 
Originally posted by Don Rac
Thanks Red for putting up Albion's links!:D

The armor was a little, weird, the same with the machete like falchion things that some of the Scots carried.

I still love the movie.
Click to expand...

I personally liked that. The idea of a rag-tag army, armed with whatever they had that would serve them adequately in battle...
 
Rent it again. It's one of those films that keeps its impact through many viewings.
My daughters got me a copy for Father's Day.

I went through about 18 Google pages on the weapons...most link or refer to the Wallace Sword...or copies for sale. A couple challenge the facts...from beginning to end (It's a MOVIE, folks--lighten up), and a particularly memorable site was dedicated to trashing the first two minutes! "Showing this area of Scotland as representative is like showing the Grand Canyon as representative of the U.S." or words to that effect.

I may have waited too long (it was released in 1995) to see a comprehensive site on the weaponry. That's fine. Going through those Google pages just reinforced how little I know about so much stuff.:)
 
I saw the making of the movie and it said most of the weapons were made of aluminum and dull for safety and light weight.
 
I remember seeing it for the first time, rewinding it, and about a minute later, here came UPS to my door with my 58" Very Large War sword; with double edged blade 45" long.

I still prefer my 48" bastard sword with 38" blade.

But the Small Tibetan Bura he made for me - you understand he may not have known it would go to me, but IT did.
 
What do you bow-huntin' fellas think of these bows?
(not for re-enactment - but for target/hunting)

g_bmod_recurv_l.jpg


http://www.greatplains.pampa.com/bmodel_one_piece_recurv.htm


Just want to know... ;)

Dan
 
Compound bows have the advantage of "let off", meaning once you draw past a certain point the amount of "pull" required to hold the bow at full draw drops off dramatically. That lets you draw as soon as you see your deer, and hold on target until you get the best possible shot. With longbows/recurves, you pretty much have to wait for your shot and then draw, because the longer you hold one of them at full draw, the more chance you have of getting shaky and missing. You also risk spooking the deer when you draw, again with the result of an uncertain shot.

Figuring the goal of hunting is to harvest the animal in the most certain and humane manner possible, I'd stick to a compound bow for hunting, and a recurve/longbow for target/sport shooting. I could hit a deer easy enough with my traditional long bow, but can't picture myself stalking or still hunting from a stand with a 6 foot long bow.:( ;)

Just my opinion, your results may vary,

Sarge
 
Interesting to me about the swords used in Braveheart was that more were required than Del Tin made. They thus mixed and matched fittings to blades to get the needed variety.

Mine is the 2142 bastard with 38" blade, and I'd like to see a single handed version of it, with say 30-32 inch blade, with slightly smaller crosspieces, or even a 24-26 inch short sword.

Greg,can you tell me if sets were made of different lenghths with the same fittings as I described - singlehanded and bastard sets, or other ways? Sword and Dagger sets, etc.?
 
Rusty;
There are dozens of production swords with wheel pommels and long straight crosses by many shops.
You don't necessarily want the pommel for a bastard sword on a shorter sword, it would balance too far back.
Do you like a fuller or a flattened diamond cross section? Do you like to thrust or chop?

Consider these options

http://www.albionarmorers.com/swords/deltin/dt2144.htm

or

http://www.albionarmorers.com/swords/johnsson/tritonia.htm

the first is chop and thrust, the second is pure chop (sort of a Medieval European Ang Khola).
 
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