notownkid Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 One of Indiana Jones movies explains the change from sword to gun, some clown was waving around a large curved sword at Jones in a bazar area and Jones said "Oh Heck" pulled his handgun and shot him. Swords are no match guns. I had a guy attack me with an Axe a few years ago I had to outrun him as my gun was in my other jacket! Surprising how fast an old coot can run with a kid swinging an axe is behind him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 "Scared, I can out run any man mad" lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 scholagladiatoria covers a lot of these things on youtube Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 As the punchline goes, "I don't have to outrun the guy with the axe. I just gotta outrun you!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 4 hours ago, Nobody Special said: As the punchline goes, "I don't have to outrun the guy with the axe. I just gotta outrun you!" It was pretty common for Frankish warriors to carry more than one francesca and they were excellent throwing axes. No plan survives contact with the enemy eh? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 1 minute ago, Frosty said: No plan survives contact with the enemy eh? The Battle of Cowpens springs to mind: great plan initially successful, slight missteps leading to near-collapse, brilliant battlefield insight leads to total victory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 7 hours ago, JHCC said: The Battle of Cowpens springs to mind: great plan initially successful, slight missteps leading to near-collapse, brilliant battlefield insight leads to total victory. Strategize all you want but it's only a guideline once the action starts. An old adage goes, "It's best to be good and lucky. If you can only be one, be lucky." An old fencing tactic goes, "the second swordsman isn't the one to fear it's the worst." I believe there's a version of this adage in every martial craft practiced. I don't recall the one Sensei taught us but I certainly recall how true it is. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 15 minutes ago, Frosty said: An old adage goes, "It's best to be good and lucky. If you can only be one, be lucky." Which of course brings to mind the old saying: "You can have it cheap, you can have it fast, you can have it good. Pick two." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 3 hours ago, JHCC said: Which of course brings to mind the old saying: "You can have it cheap, you can have it fast, you can have it good. Pick two." And ain't that the devils choice in combat. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 16 hours ago, Frosty said: It was pretty common for Frankish warriors to carry more than one francesca and they were excellent throwing axes. No plan survives contact with the enemy eh? Frosty The Lucky. Some of the accounts I read said that the francesca was usually tossed in volleys at the start of a battle, and that one of the big psychological factors of their use was their nasty tendency to bounce and fly erratically afterwards, often around, over, or under shields. And yer missing the last part of the quote. "And who is the enemy boys and girls? US!" (although I've often wondered if John Ringo was paraphrasing Pogo). Think ya just possibly inspired today's project. Haven't made an axe in a year, and never a francesca. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 I think Pogo was paraphrasing the human condition, we're our own worst enemies too often for my liking. I did this one a few years ago to show someone you don't need anything special. Everything but drifting the eye was done on the face anvil face and a little filing to dress up the curve on the blade. It's folded and welded mild with a hacksaw blade hood spring billet twist pattern bit. The handle is you guessed it a hockey stick from behind the high school gym. I call it the "Francesca Wasilla." I haven't tried throwing it but it's light really fast and cuts well. I don't think I'd like to be on the receiving end of a few hundred of these things raining down out of the sky. Not only do they bounce crazy they're as likely to lay on the ground edge up as down and Legionaries wore sandals. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 The hockey stick is awesome. I started forging one last night (axe, not hockey stick. ). Went and dug in my latest pile of farm stuff, some cultivator teeth, strapping, maybe a few small bits of wrought, aha! An axe that doesn't know it yet. Rusty dirty piece of "mild" from some kinda farm equipment, about .75" x 2" by a foot or so. Meh, the surface is a little dirty, but the fire and the first couple of hits'll clean it up, right? Imagine my surprise when I put the top cut on it, light tap to mark it, solid hit......and it snaps in half and goes flying eight feet. Cast iron. Good grief. And then my electric blower shorted out. Sigh....minor wiring job and a wrapped axe today I guess. Waiting for it to get above 30 and heading out. On the plus side, I have two new holddown weights... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Ah yes one of the joys of scrap! Ranks right up there with the dreaded "tink" in the quench tank followed by the "I didn't know that piece was high carbon...." In particular metal from depression era ag equipment may be a wild mix described best by "They used whatever they could find to repair it". I've see the identical parts on an implement where the right hand one was 1080 (est) and the left hand one was 1018 (est). Of course I come from old hill country and poor folks have poor ways... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NFLIFe Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 I cannot imagine living my life as an irrigation mechanic with a sword in my belt.... It'd get awkward. That said, I've often wondered why it is unacceptable for me to carry a belt knife (like a 4 to 5" blade). That would be incredibly helpful on a daily basis, and I don't see how that is a scary weapon when compared to a shovel, wrench, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 because desk jockeys make laws to get themselves re-elected, If it helps anyone is just a side effect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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