(OT) Ohio Renaissance Festival!

[fett527]

Wow, talk about bringing up the past. This thread was from almost two years ago! I skipped last year with a new born, but plan on bringing the boy this year. Always a blast! He'll enjoy all the sites and sounds.

 

[kigmatzomat]

u have to go see the guys that smash cinder blocks with the swords they sell… those are some freaking assume REAL swords.

I suspect they won't be there this year. Highland Steele closed up shop, apparently due to the smith's death. I guess someone else may take up the block-smashing gig, though. The swords were decent beaters but they lacked much in the way of finish; the hilts were just wrapped in parachute cord. Which isn't to say I don't love my 2-hander and heavy rapier I got from them years ago.

Anyone looking to buy weaponry at a RenFair should be very careful if you want it for anything other than hanging on a wall. Shiny is easy to achieve, quality's hard. Stainless steel is shiny and sounds great but it's too hard to flex when parrying. Spring steel is the opposite; it wobbles and bounces easily. You need something hard enough to transfer force but ductile enough to parry with. You should be able to flex a sword with your bare hands (FLEX! NOT BEND! You bend it and you're probably buying it!) but if it bounces back and forth when you let it go it's too springy.

And watch out for the flails; the chains are often weak and probably aren't fixed to the haft with anything more than a staple.

 

[Rika]

Anyone looking to buy weaponry at a RenFair should be very careful if you want it for anything other than hanging on a wall. Shiny is easy to achieve, quality's hard. Stainless steel is shiny and sounds great but it's too hard to flex when parrying. Spring steel is the opposite; it wobbles and bounces easily. You need something hard enough to transfer force but ductile enough to parry with. You should be able to flex a sword with your bare hands (FLEX! NOT BEND! You bend it and you're probably buying it!) but if it bounces back and forth when you let it go it's too springy.

We only buy from Starfire. Mind you they aren't sharp and you void the warrenty if you sharpen them, but really, who needs a sharp sword these days?

 

[Crothian]

Wow, talk about bringing up the past. This thread was from almost two years ago! I skipped last year with a new born, but plan on bringing the boy this year. Always a blast! He'll enjoy all the sites and sounds.

It has been a while for me as well. I'd love to go but never seem to have the time when my friends plan their trip down there.

 

[shaylon]

It is a great time. I go just about every year, at least once. There are some very good shows, including the two gentlemen who teach swordsmanship. Very amusing.

And who can forget the Gigantic Soft Pretzel trees! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

Of course this is over a year late(from the original post), but it is still enjoyable.

-Shay

 

[fett527]

We only buy from Starfire. Mind you they aren't sharp and you void the warrenty if you sharpen them, but really, who needs a sharp sword these days?

Yeah I've got a Starfire longsword probably 10 yrs ago now. My wife went and bought a sheath for it for a present sometime thereafter.

 

[kigmatzomat]

We only buy from Starfire. Mind you they aren't sharp and you void the warrenty if you sharpen them, but really, who needs a sharp sword these days?

As a pedant, an unsharpened blade isn't really a blade nor is a sword that can never be sharpened a sword. Both, by definition have cutting surfaces. (An unsharpened sword has a cutting edge; a piece of metal you can't safely sharpen is a club)

If I want something to hang on the wall I can buy two or three decorator sword for the price of one "near" sword. I don't want to spend good money for an imitation of a real object I could have for the same price.

I know that sharpening heats a blade (hence many water-cooled powered sharpening stones). If the metal is so poorly tempered that it can't be sharpened it offends my sensibilities as an engineer. (Note: I could live with warranty that only applied to a true "wet" stone.)

Last, There is a small, but active, group of "live steel" wielders who want to be able to sharpen a blade and practice hitting wooden targets and pulling the blade free.

For the record, I have a starfire double-headed battleaxe. It's not sharp but I know it doesn't need to be to shatter bones and damage armor. I did, however, void the warranty when I whacked some old furniture with it. It was worth it, IMO, to find out an unsharpened axe can easily sink 1/2" into particle board with an untrained swing.

 

[Zuoken]

My gf (non-gamer but loves fantasy books and medieval stuff) and I went last year and had a blast. The two dueling comedic swordsmen are a riot. The guy doing the tightrope act was very good (over shark infested waters to boot!). The joust was a treat to watch, the guys teaching "proper English jousting cheers" are very good. I got a kick out of the glass blowers since i love watching craftsmen who are good at their work. I got some chili in a breadbowl (it was cold that morning) that was really good, first time in a while i have liked on site food served at an event. The vendors had some really nice things, bands roam the field, I got a CD from the Vic Daniels Quartet that I like to listen to as I surf.

I would definitely make the trip if you live in the area.

That sounds an awful lot like the Sterling Renaissance Festival over here in New York; runs from the first week of July to the second (I think) week in August. It's a blast, here's the website: http://sterlingfestival.com/renfest/

I've seen the tightrope guy several times (Daniel, the Duke of Danger). Were the two swordsmen named Don Juan and Miguel by any chance?

 

[Rykion]

I've seen the tightrope guy several times (Daniel, the Duke of Danger). Were the two swordsmen named Don Juan and Miguel by any chance?

Daniel Duke of Danger is a regular at the Ohio Ren Fest, but the Swordsmen are Dirk and Guido. http://www.theswordsmen.com

 

[Shadowdancer]

Of course when he posted that it was 09-18-03 @ 08:49 PM....

Well, I guess I'm not too observant.